Katie George Dunlevy And Eve McCrystal Deliver Ireland’s Second Medal Of UCI Cycling World Championships
Katie George Dunlevy And Eve McCrystal (Image: SWPix)
Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal delivered Ireland’s second medal of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships on Friday, August 4th.
The women’s tandem pair took victory in the bronze medal ride against France, leading from the opening time split to take a resounding win.
Reunited on the track after missing the 2022 Para-cycling Track World Championships, the duo once again proved a winning formula as they added another medal to their list of accolades as a tandem pairing.
Their time of 3:28.792 saw them finish .409 seconds ahead of their French rivals and secure third place on the podium.
Katie George Dunlevy said:
"I'm emotional, really really relieved. I was just so nervous going into that race. We didn't have a great ride the other day and we were working on a few things yesterday in the 1km (time trial) - we were just trying to deliver what we did yesterday today. We just fought to the line and we were able to get that bronze medal. I can't quite believe it really!".
Eve McCrystal said:
"We swap over for the road (now), Katie will be with Linda (Kelly) and I'll be with Josie (Healion), so myself and Josie are more concentrating on the road race - we work together in the road race and to have another Irish tandem on the road is great and the girls are really going for it in the time trial.
In the Track World Championships, Ireland’s women’s team pursuit squad finished 9th in the qualifying round, narrowly missing out on progression to the next round. The team maintain a positive trajectory for Paris 2024 qualification with the top 10 ranked nations qualifying a spot for the Olympics.
Member of the Team Pursuit squad, Alice Sharpe explains how they have gained some crucial qualification points for Paris 2024 as she switches focus to the Madison event next week:
“We’ve got some vital qualification points there and put a bit of a gap or a buffer in between the teams that have been around us for those final qualification points. I’m excited for the Madison, that’s Monday so I have a few days to recover from the team pursuit and I’m riding that with Lara so excited to do that.”
Sharpe will also represent Ireland in the elite women’s road race which takes place on August 13th.
In the evening session, Emily Kay picked up a 12th place finish in the women’s scratch race after battling hard throughout. Among the top ten riders with four laps to go, Kay finished strong to take 12th.
Martin Gordon and his pilot Eoin Mullen got their Championship campaign off to a start today competing in the MB 1km Time Trial. The pair finished in 7th place just missing out on a qualification, but a lot of positives to take away from their ride setting a new PB and recording their best start out of the gate and best opening 500m. They will race again in the sprint event on Sunday. Damien Vereker and Mitchell McLaughlin withdrew from the 1km Time Trial on medical grounds.
Just a day after winning bronze, Ronan Grimes set a new national record in the MC4 1km Time Trial finishing in 8th place with a time of 1:08.154. William Clifford finished 13th in the 1km Time Trial in the MC3 category.
Richael Timothy (WC3) and Chris Burns (MC2) were also in action today competing in the 200m Time Trial, with Burns picking up an impressive second place. The non medal event forms part of the omnium with riders ranked on their results across four races.
In the Downhill World Championships elite men’s qualification, Ronan Dunne was a non-starter due to an injury. Elsewhere, Oisin O’Callaghan was Ireland’s highest finisher in 26th place. Chris Cumming finished in 58th, Niall Clerkin in 65th and Conor Bate was 68th. All riders are scheduled to compete in Saturday’s final.
Competing in the final of the junior men’s race, Callum Morris took a top 30 finish placing 26th. Morris completed the course in 4:45.773, improving on his time qualifying time.
A large contingent of Irish riders took part in the Gran Fondo World Championships in Glasgow.
The Gran Fondo World Championships includes mass participation Road Races and Time Trials with riders competing in their respective age groups. Riders are timed on course and compete to get their best time, with the top riders competing for medals.
Today in the Road Race, Marine Lenehan won silver in the 19-34 age category and Julie Rae won bronze in Medio Fondo (a shorter race) in the 55-59 age group.
Paul Kennedy came close to a medal finishing in 4th place in the 40-44 age group.
Results - Friday, August 4th
Track
Women Team Pursuit - Qualifying: Alice Sharpe, Emily Kay, Kelly Murphy, Lara Gillespie – 9th (4:21.653)
Women Scratch Race – Final: Emily Kay - 12th
Para-Cycling Track
Men B 1km Time Trial - Qualifying: Martin Gordon & Eoin Mullen - 7th
Men B 1km Time Trial - Qualifying: Damien Vereker & Mitchell McLaughlin – DNS
Men C3 1km Time Trial - Qualifying: William Clifford - 13th
Men C4 1km Time Trial - Qualifying: Ronan Grimes - 8th
Men C2 200m Flying Start Time Trial - Final (Omnium): Chris Burns – 2nd
Women C3 200m Flying Start Time Trial - Final (Omnium): Richael Timothy - 3rd
Women B 3km Individual Pursuit – Bronze Medal Ride Off: Katie George Dunlevy & Eve McCrystal - Bronze
Mountain Bike Downhill
Men Elite – Qualifying: Oisin O’ Callaghan (26th), Christopher Cumming (58th), Conor Bate (68th), Niall Clerkin (65th)
Men Junior – Final: Callum Morris - 26th
Gran Fondo
Road Races – Full Results
Schedule - Saturday , August 8th
BMX Freestyle Park
10:10 Men Elite Qualifying: Ryan Henderson
Para-Track
19:21 Men C2 Scratch Race (Omnium): Chris Burns
20:06 Men C3 Scratch Race (Omnium): William Clifford
Road
10:00 Women Junior Road Race: Aine Doherty, Lucy Bénézet Minns
13:00 Men Junior Road Race: Seth Dunwoody, Liam O'Brien
Mountain Bike Downhill
14:00 Men Elite – Final