Great Britain claimed their first gold medals at the Track World Championships in Chile, with Josh Tarling winning the men's points race and Josh Charlton taking the individual pursuit title. The victories marked a significant achievement for British cycling, with Charlton becoming the first British rider to win the men's individual pursuit since Bradley Wiggins in 2008.
Tarling delivered a masterclass in the points race, securing maximum points in the third sprint before launching a solo move to gain a lap. The 21-year-old, who won a stage for Ineos Grenadiers at this year's Giro d'Italia, consistently collected points in the sprints and finished second in the final dash to seal the title by eight points over American Peter Moore.
“It felt pretty good. I think it was good that I got those early points in just so I knew the legs were there,” Tarling said after the race.
Charlton, who took silver in the individual pursuit last year, produced a dominant performance to qualify for the final 2.248 seconds faster than Denmark's Rasmus Pedersen. He established a two-second lead within the first kilometre and crossed the finish line more than three seconds ahead of his opponent.
Joe Truman added a bronze medal in the men's kilo event. British riders have now won seven medals after three days of action in Santiago, including silver for Katie Archibald in the women's elimination race, a women's team pursuit bronze, and silver medals in both the men's and women's team sprints on the opening day.
