Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly have successfully defended both their Time Trial and Road Race world titles at the UCI Para-cycling World Championships in Ronse, Belgium.

The pair, who retained their Time Trial crown on Friday, returned to the roads on Sunday morning for the Women’s B Road Race.

Despite facing a series of mechanical setbacks and challenging conditions, they powered through to claim victory, finishing 20 seconds clear of Poland’s Justyna Kuter and Aleksandra Kolkowicz.

“It was a really hard race, probably actually the hardest race we’ve had,” said Dunlevy afterwards.

“We had a lot thrown at us with the slow puncture, the wheel change, the chain getting stuck. A lot of people had mechanicals though, it was pretty treacherous with the cobbles and the wet roads. But honestly, to be three-time double-double World Champions is what we’ve been dreaming of and what we’ve been training for.”

Kelly praised their resilience, saying, “Katie and I are fighters, we never drop heads no matter what. We kept the heads, hammered on, never gave up. We got to the second hill, caught the Polish and time-trialled home.”

This latest triumph marks the duo’s third consecutive Road Race world title together, adding to three successive Time Trial golds. Dunlevy had previously won multiple world titles with pilot Eve McCrystal before teaming up with Kelly.

Elsewhere at the championships, Damien Vereker and Mitchell McLaughlin placed 21st in the Men’s B Road Race.

 

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