Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly win Ireland's first gold of Paris Paralympics

Wednesday afternoon’s win represents Dunlevy’s fourth Paralympic gold medal and seventh in total. The uniqueness of this latest medal and latest gold is that it is her first without Eve McCrystal in front of her.

McCrystal piloted Josephine Healion to fifth in the same event.

In continuing her utter dominance on the road, Dunlevy and Kelly powered across the line in 38:16.58, one minute and 23 seconds ahead of their closest challengers. Those closest challengers were Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl, the British pair who denied Dunlevy and McCrystal gold in Sunday’s track individual pursuit.

It was Unwin and Holl who were by the far the quickest down from the ramp, Sunday’s gold medal winning British pair establishing an 11-second lead as early as the 5.8km marker.

Come halfway, though, Dunlevy and Kelly were firmly in their rhythm, their second leg 51 seconds faster than the Brits to go 40 seconds clear.

At the next 19.9km mark, the gap inched further in favour of the Irish women, their lead now 47-seconds strong. It had grown to 84 seconds at a joyous finish.

“Painful, horrific,” began Dunlevy in attempting to sum up the effort required in defending her Rio and Tokyo titles.

“We heard we were down coming into the first lap and I’ve just learned through experience that it is not over until you finish and come across the line.

“We had to keep pushing and we had a few hairy moments, nearly hitting the barriers, a close shave but that's racing - you are on the limit.

“And I'm just so proud of Linda, she knew after Tokyo I wanted to defend my title and I have had setbacks and so has Linda but she stepped in and I’m just so proud of her, she had pressure on her shoulders, we both did so I’m so proud of our race to come away and win that I actually can’t believe it, it will take a while to sink in.”

For 30-year-old New Ross native Linda Kelly, a dream debut Games. She filled the seat vacated by McCrystal ahead of the 2023 road season.

Returning to work full-time, McCrystal didn’t have the hours in the day to commit to road and track, not to mind maintain the medal-winning level they had set in both.

Her decision was to prioritise the track. It was a decision that created an opening on the road. Hers was a very large seat to fill. Linda Kelly was the pilot called up.

It was a new partnership that pedaled seamlessly to the front of the peloton and stayed there. They picked up overall victory at the 2023 UCI Para Cycling World Cup before double gold at the Para cycling Road World Championships.

“Katie and Eve were always a successful partnership, and they got silver on the track the other day which was just amazing because in Ireland we don't have a track so it’s amazing to follow in their footsteps,” said Kelly.

“The two of them are always giving me advice. I’m relatively new, I got on two years ago with Katie in 2022, so it’s just a dream for me getting a medal at the Paralympics, a gold medal.

“It’s just magic. I am over the moon, as Katie said it will take a couple of days to sink in but over the moon, yeah.”

Earlier in the day on the roads around Clichy-sous-Bois. Damien Vereker and his pilot Mitchell McLaughlin finished seventh in their B class in 36:31.09, almost two and a half minutes slower than the gold-medal winning Dutch pair.

Ronan Grimes was eighth in the C4 time trial, while Richael Timothy, the first of the Irish in time trial action, was down in 12th in the C1-3 category.

"It's a tough course, it's technical enough. There are two drags in the course and then some uphill,” Timothy explained.

“I caught the two people in front of me, they are in different categories than me so it was hard to know where you were. Road race is my main event (on Friday) so I was just happy to get out there.” The latter sentiment was one also expressed by Vereker and Mclaughlin.

“The road race on Friday is our main event so it was good to get out today and get a look at the course,” remarked McLaughlin.

Added Vereker: “It was really hot, we didn't want to give everything on the first hill, we wanted to reserve something for the second lap.”