Cycling Ireland Celebration Evening<\/p>\n
The Irish cycling community gathered at the Carlton Hotel
\nBlanchardstown on Friday evening to celebrate the remarkable success of Irish
\ncyclists across multiple disciplines on the world stage.<\/p>\n
2025 saw Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly claim their
\nthird consecutive double World Championship, winning both the Women\u2019s B Time
\nTrial and Women\u2019s B Road Race.<\/p>\n
Ronan Dunne once again took the downhill world by storm. For
\nthe second year running the Wicklow native won a leg of the UCI MTB World
\nSeries. He then went on to win a Bronze medal at the UCI 2025 MTB World Championships.<\/p>\n
Fellow
\nWicklow native Lara Gillespie not only claimed European and World titles on the
\nTrack, but she also maintained an incredible balance between track and road, showing
\nthat she is a force to be reckoned with in both spheres.<\/p>\n
2025 also
\nsaw Gillespie, along with Mia Griffin and Fiona Mangan, become the first ever
\nIrish riders to race in the Tour de France Femmes.<\/p>\n
There is no
\ndoubt that 2025 is a year to remember for Ben Healy \u2013 A stage win and stint in
\nthe yellow jersey at the Tour de France and a bronze medal at the UCI Road
\nWorld Championships.<\/p>\n
Spirits were also high as talk of the building commencing on
\nthe new Velodrome and Badminton Centre filled the room.<\/p>\n
President of
\nCycling Ireland, Ciaran Cannon, made the opening remarks to get the evening
\nunderway. He commended the athletes and their achievements, saying that \u201c2025
\nis a season that will live long in all our memories.\u201d<\/p>\n
Host Declan
\nQuigley was joined on stage Katie-George Dunlevy, Linda Kelly, Ronan Dunne,
\nLara Gillespie and Ben Healy for a fireside chat which gave guests a unique
\ninsight into what 2025 was like for each of the athletes and their plans heading
\ninto 2026 and beyond. <\/p>\n
Dunlevy
\nspoke of how she remains as driven as ever. Each year brings its own challenges
\nand 2025 was no exception. Her victory with Linda Kelly in the Women\u2019s B Road
\nRace was far from straightforward, the pair faced technical problems with their
\nchain and wheel at different points in the race. <\/p>\n
Dunlevy
\ncandidly explained how they focused on controlling the controllables and never gave
\nup. She joked that her drive and determination come from her Donegal roots.<\/p>\n
When asked if
\nretirement was on the horizon, Dunlevy said she is taking it one year at a time,
\nbut LA is in her mind.<\/p>\n
Linda Kelly
\nechoed Dunlevy\u2019s sentiment about the challenges they faced in 2025. The pair
\nput their heads down and rode to victory despite the technical issues they
\nfaced during the race.<\/p>\n
Kelly discussed
\nhow being on the tandem is now very much second nature to her and that her and
\nDunlevy have developed into a great partnership.<\/p>\n
2026 will
\nbring new challenges. Dunlevy and Kelly will remain paired together on the road
\nbut not on the track.<\/p>\n
Ronan Dunne\u2019s
\nseason had a far from perfect start. Having never broken a bone until this year
\nhe made up for lost time as a bad crash left him sidelined for a couple of
\nmonths.<\/p>\n
Dunne
\nadmitted it took a little bit to find his form again but there was no doubt he
\nwas back when he claimed in second World Cup win in Les Gets, making him the
\nfirst non-French winner at the iconic venue since 2002.<\/p>\n
He
\ndescribed the win as a weight off his shoulders, meeting expectations having
\nperformed so well in 2024.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIt
\nwas a relief to get that win. I wanted to prove I could be consistent and fast.
\nI was known as a rider who would win or go home in a helicopter!\u201d<\/p>\n
If consistency
\nwas what Dunne was after it\u2019s what he got, on the back of his World Cup victory
\nhe went and won Bronze at World Championships. He added: \u201cTo get the medal for
\nIreland meant a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
For 2026
\nDunne hopes to build on his success, but he did get a big reaction on Friday
\nwhen he admitted that he recently purchased a road bike and Lycra!<\/p>\n
Lara Gillespie
\nmight be best known for her exploits on the road and track, but she explained
\nto Quigley that she has a real love for off-road, adding that \u201cWicklow is the
\nbest place for mountain biking!\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked
\nabout how she balances her road and track commitments, Gillespie explained that
\ncombination of the two disciplines helps her keep her focus and that she
\nthrives on the variety. <\/p>\n
Chatting about
\nwhat 2026 might bring, Gillespie has a similar plan in place as she did for
\n2025. On the road her focus will be on the Classics, especially the cobbles,
\nand for the Track, although she won\u2019t be racing at the European Championships
\nto defend her title, she is firmly focused on the start of the qualification
\nprocess for the LA Olympics and the World Championships later in the year.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a
\ndream year for Ben Healy and one he can\u2019t pick a highlight from. Speaking on
\nFriday evening, he said: \u201cYou set high goals, and you think it\u2019s ambitious to
\nachieve them and then you pinch yourself when it actually happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
He chatted
\nto Quigley about how he worked to refine his style of racing this year and the
\nrollercoaster that was the 2025 Tour de France.<\/p>\n
On his
\nWorld Championship success, he thanked the team for their belief and support. Healy
\nplans to build on the success of 2025 and is looking forward to 2026. <\/p>\n
Ciaran Cannon and Dr. Una May, CEO of Sport Ireland, presented
\neach of the athletes with an award to mark their achievements. <\/p>\n
James Quilligan,
\nCEO of Cycling Ireland, closed the evening. He thanked everyone who made 2025
\nsuch a success and outlined his hope for a collaborative approach for 2026 and beyond.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cycling Ireland Celebration Evening The Irish cycling community gathered at the Carlton Hotel
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