Irvine wins Silver and Mullen Impresses with Fourth in Senior World Championship Debut

Defending World Champion Martyn Irvine has won a Silver Medal in the Scratch Race at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Cali, Colombia. The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Member rode strongly, putting every effort into defending his title, settled for silver in the fast, aggressive 15km race. Ryan Mullen also impressed, finishing 4th in the Individual Pursuit, narrowly missing out on a medal. Gold in the Scratch Race went to Ivan Kovalev (RUS), with Irvine taking Silver ahead of King Lok Cheung (HKG). These three riders lapped the field, meaning podium position was decided on the line.

Speaking after the race Head Coach Brian Nugent said "What a race from Martyn. He rode smart from the start, and he was determined to get in the main move. Just when it looked like the break was about to get caught, Martyn forced the pace and moved on alone. It was a brave move, and he worked lap after lap, until he lapped the field. No one else can sustain an effort like that, the way Martyn does. With two others already a lap up, it was too much to take the gold, but we're thrilled with the silver medal."

Irvine had a tough year following his World Championship win last year, breaking his Femur shortly after the Championships. Nugent said "I'm delighted to see him back on the podium here, after the year he has had."
Bright new talent, teenager Mullen, came close to a medal in his Bronze Medal ride off, putting in a measured performance that saw him come within 0.1 of a second of New Zealand's Marc Ryan in the closing laps, however, the An Post Chainreaction Sean Kelly rider was pipped on the line for the medal.

Nugent was impressed saying "Ryan put in a superb performance for his first World Championships. I'm so pleased for him, as he has done everything right over the past number of months to gain this result tonight. He has worked really hard and made huge progression. This is only the beginning for him."

Caroline Ryan and Martyn Irvine are back in action today, racing in the Individual Pursuit and Points Race respectively. Ryan starts in the 8th heat, where she will be racing across from World Champion and World Record holder Sarah Hammer. Ryan is currently ranked World Number One in this event.

The UCI Track Cycling World Championships take place in Cali, Colombia, from the 26th February to the 2nd March 2014.