Irish Para cyclists had a phenomenal weekend in Italy, winning seven medals at the 2026 UEC Para Cycling European Road Championships in Maniago and Montereale Valcellina.
Twelve athletes represented Ireland across the three days of competition, with the squad made up of Paralympians, established international riders and athletes making their European Championship debut.
Ireland finished the Championships with seven medals in total, including two gold, one silver and four bronze.
The final day of racing was capped by a brilliant performance from Richael Timothy, who was crowned European Road Race Champion in the Women’s C3 category. Timothy produced a superb sprint finish to beat Dutch rider Aniek van den Aarssen to the line, with France’s Tifany Huot Marchand taking bronze.
It was Timothy’s second medal of the Championships, having already won bronze in the Women’s C3 Time Trial on Friday.
Speaking after her time trial medal, Timothy said it had been “the best time trial ride of my life” and added that the result was special, but the biggest thing she would take from it was confidence. She carried that confidence into Sunday’s road race, where she delivered one of the standout Irish performances of the weekend.
Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly also added another European title to their already outstanding record, winning gold in the Women’s B Time Trial on Friday. The reigning World Champions finished just 0.75 seconds ahead of the bikes from Great Britain and Italy respectively.
Reflecting on the Championships, Kelly said she was “delighted to be returning home as European Time Trial Champion”, having also added a road race bronze alongside Dunlevy.
The pair’s European success also marked a return to a familiar competition for Kelly, who noted that the European Championships was one of her first tandem races with Dunlevy in Austria in 2022, where they also won the time trial title.
Making their European Championship debut together, Sinead Greenan and Alice Sharpe also produced an excellent performance in the Women’s B Time Trial, finishing fourth.
Both Irish tandems returned to action in Sunday’s Women’s B Road Race, where Greenan and Sharpe won a brilliant silver medal. Dunlevy and Kelly followed them home in third place to take bronze, completing another double podium for Ireland.
Heather Jameson also played a major part in Ireland’s medal haul, winning bronze in both the Women’s C2 Time Trial and Women’s C2 Road Race. Jameson backed up her time trial podium with another strong ride on Sunday, finishing third in the road race.
In the Men’s B category, Paralympian Damien Vereker and Mitchell McLaughlin finished eighth in the Time Trial and ninth in the Road Race. Ciaran O’Toole, piloted by Con Scully, made their Championship debut and finished 15th in the Time Trial before improving to 11th in the Road Race.
Allister MacSorley raced in the Men’s H4 category, finishing fifth in the Time Trial and 11th in the Road Race. Steven McGowan competed in the Men’s H3 events, finishing 15th in the Time Trial after a crash hampered a strong start, before placing 14th in the Road Race.
The timing of the results is significant, with the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships coming up in Huntsville, Alabama this September. After seven European medals in Italy, the Irish squad will now turn their focus to the next major test on the international calendar.
Irish Medal Summary:
Gold: Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly, Women’s B Time Trial
Gold: Richael Timothy, Women’s C3 Road Race
Silver: Sinead Greenan and Alice Sharpe, Women’s B Road Race
Bronze: Richael Timothy, Women’s C3 Time Trial
Bronze: Heather Jameson, Women’s C2 Time Trial
Bronze: Heather Jameson, Women’s C2 Road Race
Bronze: Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly, Women’s B Road Race
