Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly win gold again at World Championships

Irish duo Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly have won their second gold medal at cycling’s world road championships in Zürich, Switzerland, soling to a sensational victory in the women’s B (tandem) road race on Wednesday morning.
The duo attacked on the penultimate lap of four, having earlier gone clear with Ireland team-mates Josephine Healion and Eve McCrystal, plus big rivals Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl.
Dunlevy and Kelly forged ahead of the other two tandems before the start of lap four, crossing the finish line three seconds ahead there and continuing to build their lead.
Unwin and Holl ultimately finished 1 minute 23 seconds behind with Healion and McCrystal taking a fine bronze, 16 seconds further back.
Dunlevy and Kelly won gold in the time-trial on Sunday, having done the same in the Paralympics TT in September.
They were beaten by Unwin and Holl in the road race in Paris, making Wednesday’s victory all the sweeter.
The Irish duo also won the road race last year in Glasgow, successfully defending their title this time around.
Healion and McCrystal will savour their bronze medal and the achievement of putting two Irish bikes on the podium.
McCrystal is bowing out of international competition at 46 years of age. She partnered Dunlevy for many years, securing three Paracycling gold medals plus several world titles.
She then switched to racing with Healion in road events as part of a tactic to chase more medals and also to share her experience and build towards the future.
The bronze medals are a fitting reward for a lot of hard work. They were fourth in last year’s world championship road race, fourth in the Paralympic Games road race and again fourth last Sunday in the time trial, but stepped up a level on Wednesday for McCrystal’s swansong event.