Gary Donaldson spends some of last night's criterium airborne on the way to his first ever open race win. This fantastic photo was shot by Jim Halferty.
Here's something you don't see every day; a road racing cyclist airborne during a town centre criterium event.
The man in question is 20-year-old Omagh Wheelers cyclist Gary Donaldson and this photo was taken by Jim Halferty in Ballymoney on Thursday night.
Donaldson was on his way to his first ever open race win at the Ballymoney Town Centre Criterium.
He escaped in the breakaway during the all-action contest on closed roads around the town and won the sprint finish from the escape to take victory.
He tool stickybottle he flew into this corner and that the quickest way to take the speed bump in his path was to bunny hop it, as you do when racing eyeballs out.
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The former downhill rider was able to transfer his skills from his off-road early days in cycling to the road; getting airborne but landing it without coming a cropper.
"There was a speed bump there and the quickest line to take was to jump it," he said.
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"I tweaked the handle bars for the crack," he laughed.
"Racing downhill before I moved to the road has helped, especially in these criteriums."
Ace photographer Halferty didn't let the moment go to waste.
He said he saw what was happening out of the corner of his eye and had a split second to nail the photo, which he did at the perfectly time moment.
Well done guys, good to see people having a bit of craic!
And we think you'll agree this is a brilliant shot by Halferty because you don't get a second chance to get a photo like this one.
Skydiving complete, a delighted Donaldson savours his victory salute as he beats the rest of the breakaway to win the race (Photo: Jim Halferty)
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