WHEN CYCLIST SHANE O’Reilly began his cycle around Dublin’s Phoenix Park yesterday, the last thing he expected to compete with was one of the park’s 500 deer.

But photographer Eric Scraggs ”had a feeling they might make their way across the cyclists’ path.”

He told the BBC that he followed the deer’s movements though his lens, resulting in these three stunning photographs:

Erik Scraggs Erik Scraggs

Erik Scraggs Erik Scraggs

Erik Scraggs Erik Scraggs

Once he got over the initial shock of what had happened, O’Reilly managed to pick himself up and finish the race in two hours, 25 minutes.

Over 1,000 people took part in the race and the collision happened with 10km to go in the cycle part of the multi-sport event.

30-year-old O’Reilly, from Blackrock in Co Dublin, spoke to RTE’s Liveline after the photographs gained interest online, and said the incident left him with a cracked helmet.

He said: “The helmet definitely saved me. Apart from that my shoulder was a bit sore and had a headache.”

This article was originally published on 29 August 2016

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