The Irish Para-cycling National Team struck gold once again as they took three medals from the road race events at the Huntsville-Alabama Para-cycling World Cup this week.
It was the final World Cup campaign of 2023, and the Irish para-cycling squad wrapped up their campaign in style after taking medals at all three World Cup events across the season.
Following some strong results across the board from the whole squad in the time trial – including a third time trial gold in a row for Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly – Ireland wrapped up the event with a gold, silver and bronze medal on the final day.
The headlines once again came from the women’s tandem race as Ireland sealed a brilliant one-two. Following their second and third place finish in round two, they went better again in the USA to claim the top two spots on the podium.
Dunlevy and Kelly claimed top honours as they soloed to victory some five minutes ahead of the chasing group of three. Josephine Healion and Eve McCrystal were among strong company including the two GB bikes and the Polish pairing.
Experienced pilot McCrystal timed their sprint to perfection to claim the silver medal, a deserving reward for the new pairing.
World Champion Ronan Grimes claimed his second World Cup medal of the season, winning bronze in the road race. The Athenry man secured bronze in the time trial at the opening World Cup and has consistently performed taking two fourth place finishes in the time trial events in rounds two and three.
The men’s tandem duo of Damien Vereker and Mitchell McLaughlin have gone from strength to strength, narrowly missing out on a medal as they placed fourth in the sprint for the finish. A new pairing this season, they proved worthy competitors and capable of a potential medal in a world class field.
Richael Timothy put in a strong performance in the C3 road race to finish 4th, improving on her 5th and 6th place finishes in Round One and Two respectively.
Elsewhere, Chris Burns took a strong 8th place in the men’s C2 race while Declan Slevin put in an impressive display to take 16th in the men’s H4 race. Independent entrant Allistair MacSorley finished in 12th in the men’s H3 race.
