A ROSYTH cyclist is feeling on top of the world after becoming a global champion in a two-wheel track competition.

Andy Bruce, of Peasehill, says that winning a gold medal – as well as a silver – at the 2019 UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships was "at the top" of anything he has achieved in sport.

The 48-year-old was one of 570 male and female riders, from 36 different countries, aged from 35 that travelled to Manchester for the event, which was held between October 12-19.

And, in what he described as his "highlight of the year", he stepped up to the top of the podium in the male 45-49 points race, which is held over 40 kilometres and in which a sprint is held every 10 laps, with points awarded to the top four finishers in each sprint.

That accolade arrived after a fifth-place finish in the scratch race, won by Argentina's Alejandro Acton, and a silver-medal placing in the pursuit race, in which fellow Briton Joel Stewart claimed gold.

A sixth place in the Team Pursuit – riding with Nigel Holl, Gary Lattimer and Jason Roberts for 'Caledonia' – completed a memorable week for Andy, who told Press Sport: "There were more than 520 competitors there, so it is a big deal, and the atmosphere inside the velodrome was fantastic.

"My target was the individual pursuit. I won the British Masters earlier this year so I wanted to try and qualify for the gold-medal ride-off, which I did, but I was disappointed only to get silver.

"I entered both the points and scratch races with a goal to qualify for the finals. I was down there and had time to do the whole lot, and had the team pursuit at the end of the week.

"I did reasonably well in the scratch; I was fifth, which was better than I expected, and a bit of a morale-booster.

"In the points race, I went on the attack, had fantastic help from a couple of riders, and it was the highlight of the year.

"It comes with the famous rainbow jersey, which I can wear for the next year, and then after that I will still have the stripes for life.

"This is at the top."

Andy, who only took up competitive cycling seven years ago, is already back in training ahead of next month's Scottish National Senior Track Championships, and added: "I have the veterans' (over-40) individual pursuit to defend.

"It'll be interesting to see how I get on in senior racing, which is for anyone over 18. It will be tough as some of the top cyclists in Scotland will be there.

"I've won the Scottish veterans' road race championships twice but I've not managed to win the British road race or criterium race, so that's still an aim."