Irish riders raced to further glory on the final day of the Paracycling World Cup in Huntsville, Alabama late on Monday, with Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly again taking gold. The tandem duo won the road race, with the second Irish pairing of Josephine Healion and Eve McCrystal winning a three-nation sprint for silver.
They were 5′11 behind a dominant Dunlevy and Kelly, and outsprinted Polish and British tandems for the runner-up slot.
It was the second gold medal in this World Cup round by Dunlevy and Kelly. They won the time trial on Saturday.
A third Irish medal was secured when world champion Ronan Grimes finished third in the C4 road race. The Athenry rider came to the line with race winner Michele Pittacolo (Italy) and Frenchman Thomas Peyroton Dartet, with the order of medals decided in a sprint. The next riders were over a minute and a half behind.
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Two previous World Cup rounds were held, Maniago in April and Ostend in early May. Grimes took bronze in the time trial event at the first of those, and was then fourth in the TT in rounds two and three.
Other riders went close to medals, with Damien Vereker and Mitchell McLaughlin finishing fourth in a four-man sprint at the end of the men’s tandem time trial. They are a new pairing this season and the result is their best World Cup showing thus far.
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Richael Timothy also took a fourth place, doing so in the women’s C3 road race.
Three other Irish riders were in action; Chris Burns was eighth place in the men’s C2 race, Allistair MacSorley was 12th in the H3 event and Declan Slevin was 16th in the men’s H4 race.
The three World Cup rounds had additional significance this season as they are ranking events counting towards qualification for next year’s Paralympic Games.
