Track Cycling World Cup: Irvine wins World Cup points race gold

Martyn Irvine claimed the gold medal in the men's points race on day two of the Track Cycling World Cup in Manchester.

The Newtownards rider had to win the final sprint to clinch overall victory in the 30-kilometre event.

The success comes seven months after 28-year-old Irvine suffered a fractured leg in the Tour of Taiwan.

However, there was also disappointment for Irvine when he finished 18th in Sunday's scratch race, which was won by Austria's Andreas Muller.

Irvine was delighted that his strategy paid off as he clinched gold in the points event.

"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," said Irvine.

"I looked around and other guys were grimacing more than me. I rolled off the front and got in the groove. It was all or nothing.

"I gambled. It will go really well for me or really bad, and that went good."

Irvine has endured a rollercoaster 2013, fracturing his femur a month after winning the scratch race world title in February, a triumph that saw him become Ireland's first medallist in modern track championships.