A strong Irish team will return to international competition this week as elite and development Para-cyclists travel to Maniago and Montereale Valcellina, Italy, for the 2026 UEC Para-cycling Road European Championships.
Racing gets underway in northern Italy on Friday, June 12th with the Individual Time Trials, followed by road racing on Saturday, June 13th and Sunday, June 14th.
The Irish riders head into the Championships following a strong World Cup campaign, with multiple medals secured across recent rounds, as well as encouraging performances from development riders at the Hetman Stage Race in Poland.
Reigning double World Champions Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly will ride together once again in the WB category, competing in both the Time Trial and Road Race. The pair took gold and silver at the recent UCI World Cup rounds in Belgium and Italy respectively in the Time Trial.
Sinead Greenan and Alice Sharpe will also line out in the WB category. The Development Team pairing made an immediate impact at their first World Cup, taking bronze in both the Time Trial and Road Race in Belgium.
Paralympic pairing Damien Vereker and Mitchell McLaughlin recently took silver in the Road Race at the World Cup round in Abruzzo, Italy, and will race together again on Italian roads at this year’s European Championships.
Ciaran O’Toole and Con Scully first paired up on the tandem in 2025, and this year made their World Cup debut in Belgium with strong performances in both the Time Trial and Road Race. They will also return to competition this week.
Paris 2024 Paralympian Richael Timothy will race in the WC3 category, having taken top-ten finishes in both the Road Race and Time Trial at the recent World Cup round in Belgium.
Development rider Heather Jameson made her World Cup debut in Belgium and placed fourth in both the Road Race and Time Trial in the WC2 category. She will look to build on those performances at this year’s European Championships.
Steven McGowan produced strong performances at the Belgian and Italian World Cup rounds in a highly competitive MH3 field and will take to the Italian roads again this week.
McGowan will be joined in the hand-bike categories by Allister McSorley, who competes in MH4. McSorley comes into the European Championships having taken a silver medal at the Belgian World Cup round in the Team Relay.
Cycling Ireland Para-cycling coach Jamie Blanchfield welcomed the return to European Championship action for Irish athletes.
“We’re pleased to announce a team that brings together a strong mix of experienced athletes and emerging talent for the upcoming European Championships. The event represents another major target for the programme this season and marks a welcome return to European road racing after a couple of years away.
“We know the venue well and have enjoyed success there in the past. We’re excited to see this group continue to build momentum on the international stage.”
More information on the event and live timing for all races is available here.
Irish Team:
Katie-George Dunlevy & Linda Kelly
Sinead Greenan & Alice Sharpe
Damien Vereker & Mitchell McLaughlin
Ciaran O’Toole & Conal Scully
Richael Timothy
Heather Jameson
Steven McGowan
Allister McSorley
