What a weekend for young Limerick mountain bike rider Oisín O’Callaghan. The 20 year old Ardpatrick man won his first elite World Cup event when he flew down the track to victory in the downhill final at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series and Snowshow, in Virginia on Saturday.
The young rider, who won the UCI Junior Downhill World Cup in 2020 came down the track in 3.07.634 less than a second ahead of fellow Irishman Ronan Dunne on 3:08.120, Dakotah Norton was in third place behind the two Irishmen.
It was an historic day for Irish mountain biking as the young Limerick man became the first Irishman to win an elite men’s World Cup. O’Callaghan is only the third biker ever to win the competition at the tender age of 20.
Reacting to his success, the young man who has been riding bikes from a very young age on the Ballyhouras said, “To take my first elite win is something I’ve dreamed of for a while. This weekend it all pieced together, and what a weekend it was. I’m still speechless.
“When I went into the lead, I was already incredibly stoked, knowing I had secured my first elite podium. Then, I realised there was only one man left [Loic Bruni]. I was on the edge of my seat, seeing how tight the splits were.
“It was going to be close. Everyone was watching so closely, and when Loic went down, it was almost a moment of disbelief.
“It feels a bit surreal being the first Irish man to win a World Cup, but I’m proud to have done it! I was the first to win a Junior World Cup and World Champs for Ireland as well, so to continue in my elite career and make history again feels great.”
The new world champion is due back on Irish soil shortly with the biking clubs of Munster coming together to give the returning hero a huge welcome home on Sunday week October 15th at the Ballyhoura Trail Centre.