The Clogher rider was second in the Boy’s Time Trial, becoming the first male to win a cycling medal for Team Ireland at the EYOF.

The 16-year-old finished the 10km race in a time of 12:55.38, with only the Dutch rider, Gijs Schoonvelde, going faster. Co

Afterwards, the surprised and proud Cúchulainn CC rider spoke about his race, admitting:

“It feels amazing, I can’t really believe it to be honest. The course was pan-flat and a case of just going as hard as you could. I really wasn’t expecting it, I was hoping top 25-ish, and I just came over the line and I couldn’t believe what the man on the mic was saying.”

Coached by international racer Bryan McCrystal, Murphy normally competes on the mountain bike, and came into the event not knowing what to expect.

“Byran’s been great to me giving me advice for the Time Trial,” the silver medallist said. “I can’t thank him enough has really helped me, he even lent me his bike for the race. I think everyone will be pretty proud in Louth now. I’m in disbelief now but I think I will believe it when I get it in my hands and see it hanging on the wall at home. It’s a nice way to start the week, we will just give it a go on the mountain bike tomorrow.”

The only other cyclist to have won a medal for Team Ireland at the EYOF is Lara Gillespie, who won a silver medal in the Girl’s Time Trial in Gyor 2017.

David Gaffney and Philip O’Connor were also competing in the same race, finishing 18^th and 43^rd respectively.

The Girl’s Time Trial saw Killarney’s Kate Murphy finish in 27^th position, ahead of Greta Lawless in 40^th place.

The post Cyclist Conor Murphy Wins Silver at European Youth Olympics appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Josephine Healion and Linda Kelly also took bronze in the tandem, while Ronan Grimes took bronze in the men’s C4 road race.

Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal were winning an incredible sixth World Championship title, with Dunlevy stating:

“I’m absolutely over the moon. It’s our sixth World Championship medal and it’s as special as the first and you know we lost the titles last year so it’s great to that back to bring to Ireland.”

Josephine Healion and Linda Kelly, who were competing at this level for the first time, took the bronze medal in the tandem road race.

The battle for bronze was between Ireland and Poland but 15 metres from the finish line the timing chain came off on the Irish bike. Healion and Kelly had done enough, however, to see them cross the finish line to claim a spot on the podium.

Ronan Grimes struck gold for Ireland in the C4 road race. The Irish cyclist, who claimed a bronze medal in the time trial two days earlier, came out best in a five-rider sprint for the finishing line.

“Today everything seemed to go right,” admitted Grimes. “It was a hard race and a long sprint to the link which you know which played into my hands perfectly today.”

The post Double gold for Ireland at Para-Cycling Road World Championships appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

BOOM!! 3rd medal of the #Paralympics for @KatieGDunlevy & @evemccrystal !! https://t.co/v3b4FOUikF

— Jacqui Hurley (@jacquihurley) September 3, 2021

Katie George-Dunleavy, Eve McCrystal – Women’s B Road Race

This has already been an amazing Paralympics for the Irish pair having won gold already earlier in the week. After hearing the national anthem while atop the podium, the two seemed excited to do it again.

This tough race set off at 05:00 this morning Irish time. Dunleavy and McCrystal showed their strength on the road in the time trial and this would be no difference and they continuously stayed near the top of the pack with its changing leaders and bursts from behind.

Just before the halfway mark of the 92.4km race, the Irish pair had themselves in a great position in the leading pack with the damp conditions not affecting them.

The race became more hectic in the final 12km lap. The Irish women were in the top three, competing with Team GB and the Swedish athletes.

They showed their true quality and fitness to break out in front over the last few kilometers. They brought the gold medal home in the Road Race with a time of 2:35:53.

This is now their third medal at these Paralympic Games and it marks them as one of the greatest tandem teams to compete in the sport.

GOLD Go on @KatieGDunlevy & @evemccrystal #Paralympics #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/73bbTabt0r

— Darren Frehill (@Darrenfrehill) September 3, 2021

Ronan Grimes – Men’s C4-5 Road Race

The Galway man was one of 25 riders in this long 92 km race. He came in this event searching for silverware with this being his third and final event.

Grimes’ race set off at 01:30 Irish time, with all racers going at a hectic pace to make it to the top and set the tempo.

As the race progressed, the Irishman had dropped to the back of the main group of riders, it was clear that this event is harder for cyclists without a partner from the same nation.

Grimes finished the race in 11th position with a time of 2:29:21

Richael Timothy – Women’s C1-3 Road Race

Timothy started only six minutes after Grimes’ event as she lined up with 14 other riders. This was the Irish woman’s fourth race at a busy Paralympics having broken personal bests in earlier events

Using some good riding, she remained off the top group of cyclists for the majority of the race. The tough wet conditions made it hard for each rider, making the race much more compact and steadier.

The 26-year-old finished the race in the 11th position with a time of 1:21:22.

As Ronan prepares for the off here is Richael Timothy on the rollers. #ParaCycling #paralympics #TeamIreland pic.twitter.com/SZnjaB4Juk

— Cycling Ireland (@CyclingIreland) September 3, 2021

Martin Gordon, Aidan Byrne – Men’s B Road Race

This was set to be a long and tough race for the Irish pair lining up against some top-class opponents. This would be the pair’s fourth and final event at these Paralympic Games.

Unfortunately, today was not going to be the glory finish for the Irish tandem team as the weather conditions continued to get worse. The heavy downpour of rain led to Gordon and Byrne withdrawing a little over two hours into the race.

It is not the ending that the Sligo and Dublin men would have wanted but they leave these Games after breaking personal best times and setting a new Irish record.

Also in #ParaCycling Martin Gordon and Eamonn Byrne finished fifth in the B 1000m Time Trial Final following their PB time of 1:01.545.@AllianzIreland #Tokyo2020 #TeamIreland #Paralympics pic.twitter.com/QDaITnefQS

— Pundit Arena (@PunditArena) August 28, 2021

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Gary O'Reilly shares his amazing story after winning bronze at the #Paralympics just four years after taking up hand-cycling. pic.twitter.com/0i7HxlPHvO

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 31, 2021

Gary O’Reilly – H5 Men’s Time Trial Final

This morning at 01:30, Gary O’Reilly took to his handcycle for the men’s Time Trial final. This was his second race of what is his debut at the Paralympic Games.

The young cyclist is still probably relishing his bronze medal finish in the time trial yesterday. He has become one of the tournament’s biggest surprises having only taken up the sport in 2017 after a workplace injury in 2014.

He has now laid a marker as one to watch for the rest of the competition and now with the final this morning he could prove he is one of the best in the world in his category.

This would be a much longer race than the final yesterday with this event stretching over 79.2km.

The Laois man did not get off to his strongest of starts as he tried to steady himself. Going by his historic race yesterday, he is a much better cyclist after the halfway mark, being able to push himself hard.

After 53km in the race, O’Reilly had himself sitting in fifth place needing a lot more work if he was to make the medal places. Over the next 20km, he pushed himself hard and work his way into fourth but it was not enough for a medal.

He finished in a time of 2:24:57 only 27 seconds behind the gold medallist, Netherland’s unstoppable cyclist Valize. A close silver went to France’s Vergnaud and bronze went to Netherland’s De Vries.

This will be a tough result for O’Reilly after fighting back only to lose out on a medal by 17 seconds.

On a more positive note, this race has now ensured that he will be remembered as one of the world’s strongest handcyclists, competing consistently and he will look forward to Paris in three years’ time.

#ParaCycling On the back of his bronze medal win yesterday, Gary O’Reilly finished in 4th place with a time of 2:24:57 in the H5 Road Race today.

Another excellent performance from Gary, this is just the start for Gary O’Reilly!#TeamIreland | #TheNextLevel pic.twitter.com/vYlAsdWGNV

— Paralympics Ireland (@ParalympicsIRE) September 1, 2021

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#ParaCycling #Bronze for GARY O'REILLY!

Gary O'Reilly bags bronze for #TeamIreland in the H5 Time Trial with a time of 39:36.46 Stopwatch

What a way to make your first appearance at a Paralympic Games #TheNextLevel | #Tokyo2020 | #Paralympics pic.twitter.com/4huTH3jEC7

— Paralympics Ireland (@ParalympicsIRE) August 31, 2021

Richael Timothy – Women’s C1-3 Time Trial

Timothy began her Paralympic day early, just after 09:00 in Tokyo. She was looking to go one step further on some of her performances earlier in the competition.

Timothy managed to break some personal best records while cycling in the Velodrome but today she took to the roads of Japan.

The athletes would start the race in stagnated runs with Timothy riding in the final three. Today would not be her day as she finished in 13th place with a time of 30:55.24.

Japanese cyclist Sugiura would take the gold medal on her home track. The silver medal would go to Sweden’s Beck while Australia’s Greco took a close third place.

#ParaCycling Richael Timothy returned to action this morning on Day 7, Richael finished the Road C1-3 Time Trial with a time of 30:55.24 in 14th place.

She will return to action on Day 10 in the Road Race.#TeamIreland | #TheNextLevel | #Tokyo2020 | #Paralympics pic.twitter.com/Ip8ljM6nvX

— Paralympics Ireland (@ParalympicsIRE) August 31, 2021

Gary O’Reilly – Men’s H5 Time Trial

The men’s event began only 20 minutes after the women’s event with O’Reilly setting off as the sixth cyclist. Using the handcycles, he was in with an outside shot for a medal.

His first two laps were steady as he tried to find his rhythm on the road. As the second lap finished, he became a man on a mission as he blitzed the competition, opening out a 37-second lead for the lap.

His main source of competition was from Netherlands De Vries who rode along with him.

The 28-year-old finished his final lap in a time of 39:36.46 only a minute and a half behind the leader and good enough for him to claim a bronze medal.

The gold medal was well-earned by the Netherland’s Valize even after he fell against the fences on a tight bend. The silver medal was given to France’s Vergnaud.

This becomes Ireland’s fifth medal of the Paralympics so far and O’Reilly will be one to watch in the men’s road race tomorrow.

#ParaCycling | #TeamIreland

Gary O'Reilly#TheNextLevel | #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/hnfYm3ecxh

— Paralympics Ireland (@ParalympicsIRE) August 30, 2021

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These cycling events got underway at little after 02:00 Irish time.

Richael Timothy – C1-3 500m Time Trial

Timothy had a nervy start as they watched the Chinese athlete, Qian before them cycle a new world record in the event. The Roscommon woman went as the third last competitor, she began her race determined to improve on her performance two days ago.

He powered forward in the first lap, keeping the bike smooth and tight to the black line. Even though she was clearly putting her full effort in she found herself over two and a half seconds behind top after the first lap.

She continued her pace for the next 100 meters but found more energy for the last push on the home straight. Timothy crossed the finish line in a time of 42.485 seconds with could only place her in sixth place at the time.

Some very strong cyclists came after her and she finished the event in tenth place overall. Australia’s Amanda Reid set a world record in the C2 category to claim gold, Netherland’s Alyda Norbruis took silver and China’s Wangwei Qian came in third.

#ParaCycling Second PB of the week for Richael Timothy – Richael finishes 10th place overall in the C1-3 500m TT. #TeamIreland | #TheNextLevel pic.twitter.com/WrBHN6C8Rs

— Paralympics Ireland (@ParalympicsIRE) August 27, 2021

Ronan Grimes –  C4 4000m Individual Pursuit (Heats)

Just before 03:00 in the morning, this event commenced. The Rio 2016 bronze medallist went in the final heat against Jozef Metelka from Slovakia. This was a tough opponent with the Slovakian being the current world record holder.

Grimes knew what he needed to qualify, the top four racers would make the medal races later today. Both cyclists started fast but within the first 500 meters, Grimes was two seconds behind his opponent.

The Galway man held on well but was no match for the Slovakian. By the halfway mark, Metelka looked ready to begin an overtake on Grimes.

Grimes hung in powerfully and finished in a time of 4:37.693. This was good enough for him to finish fourth place and qualify for the bronze medal race against Columbia’s Diego German Duenas.

It is understandable how Grimes struggled in his race at Metelka set a new world record and will face Romania’s Carol-Eduard Novak for the gold medal later today.

10時36分より、ゴールウェイ出身のローナン・グライムス選手が #パラサイクリングトラック 男子 C4 4000mパシュートに臨みます。

今や世界で活躍する彼は、政府による自転車通勤支援「Cycle to Work スキーム」の利用をきっかけにパラサイクリングの道を志した変わった経歴の持ち主。Best of luck pic.twitter.com/HQ3YHU2wss

— アイルランド大使館 Ireland in Japan (@IrishEmbJapan) August 27, 2021

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Ireland’s cycling action began early in the morning at 02:00 Irish Time.

Katie-George Dunleavy, Eve McCrystal – Women’s B 1000m Time Trial

Dunleavy piloted by McCrystal went in the final three heats of the women’s time trial. They were looking to push out one of the top three spots all held by members of Team GB but this would be a tough proposition for the usual endurance cyclist.

The pair began their first of four lung-bursting laps with good speed, keeping the bike straight and hugging the line well.

At the halfway point they were two seconds off the leaders with a lot of work to do. After a final push, they finish the one-kilometer race in 1:09.044. The pair managed an average speed of 52.141 km/hr throughout the race.

This heartbreakingly left Dunleavy in fourth place at the time, just outside of medal contention, just over two seconds behind the leader.

The pair ultimately finished in sixth place overall, just over a second longer than the medal times. The Netherlands ‘ Larissa Klaasen took gold while Team GB’s Aileen McGlynn took silver and Belgium’s Griet Hoet got bronze.

#ParaCycling Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal set a new Personal Best and a National Record in the B 1000M Time Trial #TeamIreland | #TheNextLevel | #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/ZVGNyRrXnX

— Paralympics Ireland (@ParalympicsIRE) August 26, 2021

Ronan Grimes – Men’s C4-5 1000m Time Trial

Grimes rode in ninth in the Velodrome at 06:00 this morning. This quick race also required riding at break-neck speeds for four laps of the track.

The Irishman did well getting off to a decent start. He completed the one-kilometer race in 1:08.262 which was a personal best for the cyclist.

Sadly this was not enough for him to land in the medal positions but he can be immensely proud to ride so well at his first Paralympic Games.

#TeamIreland | #ParaCycling

Ronan Grimes#TheNextLevel | #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/oHjkNIXmi6

— Paralympics Ireland (@ParalympicsIRE) August 25, 2021

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Richael Timothy – C3 3000m Individual Pursuit

Timothy took to the Velodrome for the qualifying rounds of women’s individual pursuit just after 02:15 in the morning. The Irish woman came onto the track for heat three and lined up against Austria’s Yvonne Marzinke.

This race would be made up of 12 laps of the track completing a 3000m race. Most athletes will be going at speeds nearing 40 kilometers per hour. The eight fastest riders would go into a medal race later today.

Timothy had a tough prospect ahead of her after she saw China’s cyclist break the Paralympic record in the C1 category on the first run of the day.

#TeamIreland | #ParaCycling

Richael Timothy#TheNextLevel | #Tokyo2020 | #Paralympics pic.twitter.com/QlradWP4JZ

— Paralympics Ireland (@ParalympicsIRE) August 24, 2021

Timothy started strongly and established a good lead in the opening laps. She flew around the track and by 2000 meters she lapped her Austrian opponent.

She was unlucky that she had to overtake Marzinke on a bend, losing out on some time, making it a longer journey for her.

The Roscommon woman finished the three kilometers in a time of 4:11.699, the fastest at that time and a new personal best for herself. She cycled at an impressive average speed of 42.99 km/hr throughout the race.

Timothy remained in the medal places until the final three heats. These six athletes happened to be very fast with Australia’s Paige Greco setting a new world record with a 3:52.283 time.

The Irish woman finished in ninth place overall only a few seconds off the top eight. Timothy still has a busy Paralympics ahead of her and will next compete on Day Three in the C1-3 500m Time Trial.

Richael Timothy will kick things off for Ireland in Tokyo in the early hours of the morning (02:00am) as she competes in the 3000M Individual Pursuit.

Timothy will be competing in four events at the #ParalympicGames and is a real contender for some podium positions! pic.twitter.com/XoCQtRYYqS

— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) August 24, 2021

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It was another crash-filled race at the Izu Velodrome on Saturday morning as Team Ireland track cyclists Mark Downey and Felix English struggled.

The pair retired three-quarters into the race after falling more than two laps away from the main group.

As a result, Team Ireland was deemed not to have finished the race.

Mark Downey produced a solid sprint early on in the race but it was the only highlight of an otherwise unimpressive race for the Irish duo.

Denmark finished the race as gold medal winners, earning the nation their third gold of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Track cyclists Lasse Norman and Michael Morkov assumed control in the second half of the race to bring home the top prize in the event.

They pulled away from their competition in the final laps after gaining the lead from Team GB (Great Britain).

Team GB grabbed silver after a late push while Frace took bronze at the Velodrome.

The lead changed hands several times throughout the race after several countries won the early sprint races.

In a race filled with crashes, Team USA came out of it the worst after both their athletes crashed into each other when attempting a handover.

Denmark took the reins in the second half and held on to them as their closest opponents failed to erase the gap they had built up.

Spain won multiple sprint races to aid Denmark in their pursuit for gold and frustrate those chasing them down.

The Netherlands and Belgium fell away while Team GB snuck past France in the final moments to finalise the order of the podium.

Team Ireland will be in action at the Izu Velodrome for the final time on Sunday morning when Emily Kay competes in the Women’s Omnium.

The post Team Ireland DNF Another Race As Demark Win Men’s Madison appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

He followed in the footsteps of his father Seamus who competed at the 1984 LA Games.

The gruelling four-event Omnium was the first event on Downey’s race schedule at the Games, as he also teams up with Felix English on Saturday for their preferred event, the Madison, which is raced over 50-kilometers or 200-laps.

After four rounds – the Scratch Race, Tempo Race, Elimination Race and Points Race – Downey finished in 17^th position with a haul of 18 points.

Downey started with a 16^th place finish in the Scratch race, which is a classic first-across-the-line race over 15km for men. Five riders gained a lap on the field, while Downey sprinted with a large bunch all fighting for places.

There was disappointment for Downey in the Tempo race though, as he was pipped for a point mid-way through the race.

The all-out effort saw him drop the wheel and lose a lap along with Andreas Mueller of Austria and David Maree of South Africa.

That resulted in a 20-point deduction which put Downey in 19^th place. The Elimination race followed, which sees the last rider to cross the line at each intermediate sprint eliminated.

Selections are made every two laps, and with speeds averaging 55kph, Downey suffered an early elimination finishing 19^th.

With Downey out of contention going into the Points Race it was a case of keeping out of trouble and keeping the legs fresh for Team Ireland’s target event on Saturday, and he climbed the overall rankings to finish 17^th overall.

Speaking after the race Downey said: “Yeah, I didn’t really know what to expect… I’m an athlete, I like to compete, but look it’s my first Omnium at this level. I threw the kitchen sink at it. It’s not a banging result, it is what it is.”

“We got this race off the back of the Madison, so I’m looking forward to going again with Felix. He’s super motivated back in the hotel so I’m not too disappointed with the result. The level we know is really, really high here so I can’t be too disappointed, and we’ll move forward again.”

Team Ireland track cycling head coach and 2012 Olympian Martyn Irvine added: “Not the race we wanted but it shows we haven’t focused on it in preparation and training. Given the year that’s in it, we were just happy to get a start on the race. It has set us up to build from here, the level has raised, it’s amazing to see what people have actually done through Covid.”

“We have shifted our focus to the main event of this week for us, the last two years we have focused on the Men’s Madison and that’s the main goal on our side.”

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