Bikes galore in the suburbs of Paris on Wednesday afternoon but not an overpriced shelter to be found, only a couple of Irish cyclists worth their weight in gold.
Ireland’s first gold of these Paralympic Games came courtesy of Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly. Dunlevy, who else could it be? The 42-year-old cyclist remains a relentless force of nature.
On the streets of Clichy-sous-Bois on Wednesday she confirmed her distinction as one of Ireland’s greatest ever Paralympians by winning her seventh medal across three Games.
And this stunning victory in the women’s B individual time-trial saw her win the race for the third consecutive Paralympics – first Rio, then Tokyo, now Paris.
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“After Tokyo I decided to carry on for Paris to defend this title,” she said. “This is what meant the most for me, to defend my title here. I can’t believe that I’ve done it.”
And in some style on the 28.3km course.
Dunlevy and Kelly were actually 10.95 seconds adrift of Britain’s Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holly at the first split (5.8km). However, they delivered a race-defining second sector to surge clear at the top of the leaderboard – by the halfway mark (14.1km) they led by 40.35 seconds.
At the finish they had put 1:23.60 seconds of a gap back to the British duo. Dunlevy and Kelly came home in 38:16.58 to win gold with Unwin and Holly finishing second in 39:40.18.
Unwin and Holly had beaten Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal in the final of the B 3,000m individual pursuit at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Vélodrome on Sunday. Dunlevy was not to be denied here.
It is her seventh Paralympic medal and her second of these Games. It is also the first time she has claimed a medal without McCrystal as her tandem partner.
“Oh my God, if someone said that to me 12 years ago [that I’d win seven medals], I would never believe them,” said Dunlevy.
“We heard we were down coming into the first lap, but 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.”
It might have been Dunlevy’s seventh Paralympic medal, but it was Kelly’s first. The 30-year-old Wexford native only attempted tandem riding for the first time two years ago. With McCrystal stepping back on her commitments to road racing, Dunlevy needed a new partner.
“2022 was my first on the bike with Katie,” recalled Kelly. “The first day was fun – it was in runners, going around in circles around the car park, the first words that came to my head was, ‘This is like moving a gate, it’s so long’. Katie was the one relaxing me.”
Dunlevy and Kelly entered Wednesday’s race as reigning world champions in the discipline having won the time-trial title in Scotland in August, 2023 – but Paris was the target.
At the end of their effort and having emptied their souls somewhere along the road, the pair had to be helped off their bikes. There were no regrets, it had been all in.
“If I am not in a world of pain at the end and I’m not falling off the bike, I haven’t worked hard enough,” said Dunlevy.
“It’s not glamorous, it is a suffer-fest of a sport. After five minutes you are just suffering. Your body is screaming at you to stop, your lungs are screaming, your legs are screaming. You have foam coming out your mouth.”
McCrystal raced the time-trial on Wednesday as pilot for Josephine Healion, finishing in fifth with a time of 41:57.61.
“I made that choice to step off because of the course, that course suits Linda as a pilot,” said McCrystal afterwards. “I could not be prouder of Katie. Rio, Tokyo, Paris. I am so, so proud of her. There’ll be celebrations tonight.”
It is Ireland’s fifth medals of these Games. All won by female athletes. All who have a vision impairment.
“I’ve got a message,” added Dunlevy. “Róisín and Orla last night medalling and Róisín the other day [as well], I said to the gang in Paralympics Ireland, all of the medallists from Ireland are women and we’re all visually-impaired women.
“For any young children at home with a vision impairment, if they’ve seen any of our races, hopefully we can inspire them to believe in themselves and to dream big.
“Hopefully we’re inspiring the next generation in whatever they do, sport or anything else.”
Dunlevy, Kelly, McCrystal, Healion et al will be back on their bikes on Friday for the road race.
“Looking forward to it, it is my favourite race of all the races,” smiled Dunlevy. “Can’t wait, love it.”
Chances are, Katie-George Dunlevy is not finished visiting the podium in Paris just yet.
