Sophie Unwin and her trusty pilot Jenny Holl have once again proven themselves a force to be reckoned with in para-cycling, successfully defending their European title in Italy. The duo's dominance was on full display as they battled it out against the best of the rest in Sunday's road race.
A mere 0.75 seconds separated Unwin and Holl from Irish rivals Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly in Friday's time trial, but it was a different story altogether come Sunday. The British pair dug deep, drawing on their wealth of experience to outmaneuver both the Irish tandems, securing an impressive victory.
This latest triumph is the icing on the cake for Unwin and Holl, who've had a phenomenal year. Their gold medal in the road race at the 2024 Paris Paralympics was just the beginning – they also conquered the track, taking home the individual pursuit title to cement their status as para-cycling powerhouses.
Great Britain's success story continued throughout the European Championships, with an impressive haul of 18 medals in total. But Unwin and Holl's win stole the show, joining Crystal Lane-Wright's gold in the women's C5 time trial and Amelia Cass's gold in the C2 event as standout performances.
But all good things must come to an end – or so it seemed. The dynamic duo will be reunited soon enough, as they're set to team up once more for the Para-cycling Road World Cup in Huntsville, Alabama, later this month. In the meantime, Unwin and Holl will face separate challenges at the Commonwealth Games, with Unwin partnering new pilot Sylvia Misztal for England and Holl flying the flag for Team Scotland.