British amateur Charlie Tanfield wins World Cup individual pursuit

Amateur rider Charlie Tanfield  from Yorkshire has won gold in the individual pursuit at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Minsk, Belarus.

Among British riders. the 21-year-old's time yesterday of 4 minutes 12.253 seconds has only been bettered by Chris Boardman's 4 minutes 11.114 seconds when he won the event at the World Championships in 1996.

Tanfield, who is not part of the Great Britain Cycling Team and rides for the Derby-based Team KGF, was just 1.7 seconds outside the world record of 4 minutes 10.534 seconds set by Australia's Jack Bobridge in Sydney in 2011.

"It was strange because in the heats my legs felt so blocked I thought something was wrong but in the final, I relaxed and it just all clicked and it was a great race," Tanfield said.

"Getting closer that world record and that makes me happy, I am still only 21 so I have plenty of time."

For good measure, he and three other Team KGF riders - including his older brother, Harry, aged 23 - went on to win gold in the team pursuit today.

The individual pursuit, which many consider to be the Blue Riband event of track cycling, has lost some of its lustre since being dropped from the Olympic programme, last featuring at Beijing in 2008 when Sir Bradley Wiggins won gold for Team GB.