Limerick downhill cyclist secures pivotal role with one of world's leading racing teams

ARDPATRICK man Oisin O'Callaghan has secured a pivotal role with one of the world's premier racing outfits, Trek Bicycle Factory Racing, competing under the Trek Unbroken banner (sponsored by the global sports nutrition brand, Unbroken).

O'Callaghan's rise has been spectacular. In 2020, at just 17, he won the Junior World Championship, an achievement that earned him the RTÉ Young Sportstar of the Year award.

That same year, he won two back-to-back Junior World Cups in Slovenia, famously recovering from a crash in one race to win by a margin of only 0.1 seconds.

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Before this incredible run, Ireland had never won a Downhill race; by the end of 2020, they had a World Championship and two World Cups.

The breakthroughs continued into his Elite career. In 2023, Oisin made history by claiming Ireland's first Elite Downhill World Cup victory in the USA at the age of 20—a feat achieved by only a handful of international athletes.

The 2024 season was marked by maturity and consistency for the young Limerick man. O'Callaghan continued to gain experience, staying injury-free and securing multiple podiums, culminating in an 11th-place finish in the overall World Cup standings at the end of the year.

Though still exceptionally young at 22 compared to rivals with seven to eight years more experience, Oisin’s 2025 season began strongly.

Highlights included two Elite race victories in Portugal and claiming the Irish National Championship. He then secured 2nd place in the first World Cup of the season in Poland.

His overall consistency throughout 2025—which included numerous top-10 finishes — saw O'Callaghan peak at fourth overall in July and finish the season 8th in the overall World Cup standings.

This trajectory proves he is a rising threat, particularly given that only one of the seven Elite racers ranked ahead of him is under the age of 29.

O'Callaghan describes the move to Trek's performance-driven program as a 'dream come true.'

After five years on the circuit, he plans to leverage Trek's vast resources and decades of experience to gain the crucial half-second to one secondof speed needed to consistently challenge for World Cup wins and podiums.

For the 2026 season in Ireland, the broadcasting landscape remains consistent with the current multi-year agreement between the UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

The UCI Downhill Elite races will be available through TNT Sports with Live races frequently broadcast on the linear TNT Sports channels (available via Sky, Now TV, or Virgin Media).

The 2026 Downhill World Cup Schedule is particularly notable as it marks the return of the World Cup to Asia for the first time in 25 years.

The season begins with an event in South Korea (MONA YongPyong) from May 1 to May 3.