He's got a beef with bikes! Moment bull rams cyclist off his bike and tosses him in the air during race in California

 This is the shocking moment a mountain biker was rammed by a bull and sent flying after he mistook the dangerous animal for a friendly cow.

Tony Inderbitzin said he is 'still extremely sore' after the scary encounter during the gruelling Bianchi Rock Cobbler race near Bakersfield, California.The world-famous mountain climb is described as a 'stupidly hard ride' over 80 miles of winding terrain, with plenty of wild animals on the route. 

But cyclists participating in the event on Saturday got more than they bargained when a territorial bull found its way onto the race path and began charging at cyclists.In the video, shot by participant Richard Pepper, Inderbitzin is seen at around the mid-way point in the race cycling between hills.

Up ahead is a huge bull, who had almost knocked over another rider seconds before, but Inderbitzin thought it was just a cow.

'It was a case of mistaken identity for a cow to bull. I didn't think much about there being a cow there, I thought it was just one versus a dozen that I might ride by one any one day,' he later told Fox News. 

This is the shocking moment mountain biker Tony Inderbitzin was violently rammed by a bull and sent flying after he mistook the dangerous animal for a friendly cow on the Bianchi Rock Cobbler race near Bakersfield, California

But realising this too late, he came into the bull's path.

The animal is seen quickly turning and then charging straight through Inderbitzin, knocking him to the floor.

'I just kept going and as I got within probably 10 or 15 yards of him, he turned, squared up and I had maybe a one to brace myself.

'I am extremely sore, I have never been this sore. Initially after the attack my neck was killing me, that was the focal point of the soreness. Now it's the lower back.

'I just kept going and as I got within probably 10 or 15 yards of him, he turned, squared up and I had maybe a one to brace myself,' Inderbitzin said of the scary encounter

Inderbitzin did not finish the race, but said he is looking forward to his next event coming up soon.

Sam Ames, the creator of the Bianchi Rock Cobbler, posted a video update to Instagram confirming that three people 'got tangled up with that bull.'

In a statement regarding the footage of Inderbitzin, he said: 'For the record, while we love our shenanigans at the event, this was not planned, we don't condone riding at or near bulls.

'In nine years we have passed countless cows and bulls.

'All riders involved are safe, unharmed if you can believe it and [2] of the [3] finished the ride and toasted beers.

'Rider safety is a top priority… so while this is able to get some laughs, thankfully, we will review or modify our route as needed for next year.'