*Ben Healy winning a stage of the Tour de l'Avenir during the summer. He has done something very unusual indeed - a road rider to secure a Sport Ireland grant under the international carding system*

There has been a huge increase in funding from Sport Ireland for cyclists in the Olympic year ahead, with 22 riders securing up to €60,000.

That top award is made to Paralympic and world champions Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal who will be gunning for gold again in Tokyo. They get €60,000 between them for their cycling in the year ahead.

While the Irish track cyclists regularly receive funding and they are on the list again for grants that was released by Sport Ireland today, there are also newcomers included.

*Golden Girls: Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal get the top amount as they go for gold once again at the Paralympics - this time in Tokyo*

Young guns who have won Europeans and worlds medals on the track - Lara Gillespie and JB Murphy - both get grants for the first time; international carding of €12,000 each.

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Ben Healy also gets the same, some €12,000. The successful teenager, who is going into his second year at U23 level this year, is unusual in that he is a road rider to secure a grant.

He excelled in 2019, winning a stage of the Tour de l'Avenir and he now has a chance of being selected for the road race in Tokyo.

In total, under the carding scheme cycling is a big winner; funding increasing this time around to €414,000, from €268,000.

The Olympic programme - mainly track riders - gets €212,000 in total. And the paralympic hopefuls - a very successful squad down the years - share €202,000.

Cycling secured more money for its athletes than any other sport. The allocation by Sport Ireland per sport can be viewed by following this link.