IRELAND’S MARTYN IRVINE won silver in last night’s World Championship track cycling scratch race final in Colombia.
The County Down man came into the 15km race at the Cali velodrome as defending champion having beaten the competition in Minsk last year.
The 28-year-old produced form to match his pedigree, looking strong throughout the gruelling 16 and a half minute race and attacking before the final stages to gain a lap and put himself in the medal hunt.
The gold eventually eluded him, as Russia’s Ivan Kovalev kept a firm hold on first place in the final five laps. Hong Kong rider, King Lok Cheung taking the bronze.
Soon after Irvine cleared the podium with his medal, 19-year-old Ryan Mullen took aim at one of his own in the individual pursuit bronze medal race. However, the young rider narrowly lost out to New Zealand’s Marc Ryan and must be content with fourth in the world on this occasion.
