Katie-George Dunlevy and pilot Linda Kelly retained their Women’s B individual time trial world title in Huntsville on Saturday, leading an Irish gold and silver double as Sinead Greenan and pilot Alice Sharpe claimed silver on their World Championship debut.
Dunlevy and Kelly completed the 29.2 km course in 36:55.48 to secure their fourth consecutive World Championship time trial title.
Greenan and Sharpe followed in 37:28.08, finishing 32.60 seconds behind their teammates and 20.71 seconds ahead of Great Britain’s bronze medallists Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl.
Dunlevy said: “It’s absolutely unbelievable, very surreal and a huge relief. I felt pressure going into the race, but to deliver the ride and come away with a fourth time trial title is the stuff of dreams.
“When you stand on the podium, all the work and sacrifices feel worthwhile. To have Sinead and Alice there as well makes it even more special.”
Kelly added: “The conditions were brutal, like a furnace. We settled into the first four kilometres and then started to build while managing the heat over two laps.
“Jamie was giving us the gaps to the British bike and that gave us confidence to push harder. With two kilometres to go, we could see them ahead and gave everything to the finish. Hearing it was an Irish one two was amazing.”
Meanwhile Heather Jameson finished fifth in the Women’s C2 individual time trial on her World Championship debut. Jameson covered the 14.6k course in 23:37.70, with Great Britain’s Amelia Cass taking gold in 21:17.96.
Richael Timothy placed ninth in the Women’s C3 individual time trial, recording 23:04.73 over 14.6k. China’s Xiaomei Wang won the world title in 20:43.44.
Damien Vereker and pilot Mitchell McLaughlin were eighth in the Men’s B individual time trial, finishing in 35:01.57. Ciarán O’Toole and pilot Con Scully placed 11th in 36:35.28, gaining one position on the second lap. France’s Elie de Carvalho and Mickaël Guichard took gold in 31:56.01.