Here's the video highlights of the finish of Martyn Irvine's gold medal winning ride in the points race at the UCI World Cup in Manchester this evening, Saturday.
Martyn Irvine has taken his first ever gold medal at a UCI World Cup meeting, winning the points race in Manchester this evening, Saturday.
It was the first victory for Ireland at a World Cup since Declan Lonergan won the points race in Cuba in 1995.
Newtownards man Irvine took two silvers at the Glasgow World Cup last November and went on to win the world title in the scratch race and silver in the pursuit at the World Championships in Minsk in February.
However, a crash in Taiwan in March saw him break his hip and he has spent the past six months battling back into the sport. He showed he was in form two weeks ago when he took a bronze in the omnium at the European Track Championships.
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Tonight he has made no mistake again, taking a fabulous result in winning the points race after coming home in 7th place in the pursuit earlier in the day.
He clocked 4.26.012 in that pursuit and then immediately went into the points race qualifier.
In the points race final, Irvine saw off the challenge of Denmark's Lasse Norman Hansen, with the Olympic omnium champion taking silver tonight and top international road sprint Elia Viviani of Italy winning the bronze.
With just over 30 laps to go Irvine made his move, and took the remainder of the points, with the final verdict decided on the line.
Speaking after the race Irvine said he was delighted.
“I must have done something right in rehab, looks like I need to break a leg to get good results,” he joked, referring to his crash and comeback.
"I rode smart for the first half of the race, I didn’t want to race too much, but then I started to use my head. I looked around and other guys were grimacing more than me. I rolled off the front and got in the groove. A Spanish guy came across to me and we committed. It was all or nothing.”
Cycling Ireland head coach Brian Nugent described the results as "brilliant".
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"He only won it on the last lap; fantastic. It came down to the very last sprint. Everyone was trying to get to Martyn, but he was too strong. That was the best race of the competition so far.”
Earlier on today Caroline Ryan finished 5th in the individual pursuit, and Eoin Mullen made the repechage in the men’s keirin.
See photos below results.
UCI World Cup Manchester
Men’s Points Race Final
1. Martyn Irvine (Ireland) 20pts
2. Lasse Norman Hansen (Denmark) 17pts
3. Elia Viviani (Italy) 13pts
4. Owain Doull (Great Britain) 12pts
5. Roman Lutsyshyn (Ukraine) 10pts
6. Kenny de Ketele (Belgium) 10pts
7. David Muntaner Juaneda (Spain) 9pts
Martyn Irvine takes the applause of the crowd as Olympic omnium champion Lasse Norman Hansen looks on (Photo: Larry Hickmott – www.velouk.net)
Irvine, centre, on the podium again, this time to take gold in the points race at the UCI World Cup in Manchester this evening, Saturday.
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