Paul O'Reilly in one of the more unusual poses at the end of the Leinster Cyclocross Championships in Navan, Co Meath (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Paul O’Reilly is one of the strongest riders on the Irish cyclocross scene and has won great races against the biggest names in recent seasons.
But so far in the 2016-2017 campaign the UCD-FitzCycles.ie man has not enjoyed the best of luck, being cursed with unfortunate mechanicals that have cost him dearly.
The result has been a collection of podium places but no victories; not yet anyway.
He’s finished 2nd four times and been 3rd once. He took the bronze medal in the elite race at the end of the Leinster Cyclocross Championships in Navan, Co Meath, yesterday.
He’s passionate about his cycling and is a real character, so at the end of the race he had a message for the bike that has let him down so often this year.
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He dismounted on the line, rolled the bike gently over the line away from him and gave it the fingers is it went.
Asked to explain the story behind the very much spur of the moment and jovial salute, O’Reilly said:
“I've had a lot of bad luck and ill-timed mechanicals in every cyclocross race this season; I've been 2nd in the last four races I've done.
"So in that photo I'm simply giving my bike the fingers as I cross the line!”
He joked that when somebody saw the photo they might give him a “functioning bike”!
He’s no stranger to grand gestures, putting in one of the victory salutes of the season last year, below.
Enjoying the moment after winning in Kilruddery following a close battle with Seymour in November of last year (Photo: Sean Rowe)
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