Irish women’s tandem bikes put in an exceptional performance to have two bikes win medals in the Women’s B Road Race at the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling World Championships in Zurich, Switzerland.
Both Katie-George Dunlevy, piloted by Linda Kelly, and Josephine Healion, piloted by Eve McCrystal have demonstrated great form in recent weeks between the Paralympic Games and the Individual Time Trial at the World Championships, but perhaps only they could have dreamed of the performance they put in for the Women’s B Road Race yesterday.
Dunlevy and Kelly entered the race as reigning World Champions following their victory in Glasgow last year. For Healion and McCrystal today marked the end of what has been a successful partnership as McCrystal retires from piloting at the elite level.
“To have two Irish bikes on the podium, us and then Eve and Josie, it was just textbook,” said Dunlevy after the race.
“What we were hoping for, what we were dreaming for, we were hoping to get that in Paris, but we didn’t. We came away with Silver, I was actually disappointed not to defend my title but to do it here at the Worlds, I’m so proud of us.”
“It was an amazing race, really enjoyed the course, it was a bit of everything. It’s just really exciting, it’s great to have these courses for tandems and I just hope that in the future they’ll be more challenging like this with hills and descents and everything technical, because you know we’re well able for it. Just to have a combined championships is amazing, it’s been fantastic and hopefully there will be more like these.”
“We have a whole team behind us so it’s really to thank the team, and my family, my parents, my partner and all my sisters and everyone. We’ve a great support team believing in us so we believe in ourselves as well and that just helps so much.”
For Eve McCrystal, to end what has been an incredible decade as a pilot with a world championship medal in her final race was more than fitting.
Perhaps, best known for her outstanding success both on the track and road with Dunlevy, McCrystal has been a key figure in Irish para-cycling.
Dunlevy and McCrystal are multiple Paralympic and World medallists. In their final race together, the pair claimed Silver in the Women’s B 3000m Individual Pursuit in Paris.
Their achievements together have been magnificent, all the time while McCrystal raised her family and maintained her career as a Garda. An inspiration to us all.
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