Capital dream for Perth cyclist

Scots celebrate track glory in 1878 Cup event

Grant Martin lived a dream as he rode to glory in the London 2012 velodrome, taking the 1878 Cup at Six Day London.

The Perth 18-year-old was racing alongside fellow Scot Andy Brown in the under-21 competition on the first three nights of the event.

The competition consisted of a 40km Madison race on three nights, with the Scottish duo taking home the trophy with a consistent run of results.

The opening night saw them finish eighth before winning the second race, gaining an all-important lap on the field.

And even a mid-race crash on the final night of competition could not halt their ride to glory as a sixth-place finish sealed the overall crown, a lap ahead of the field in the general classification.

The pair were then brought up on stage, in the track centre, to be presented with their trophies in front of the sell-out crowd, creating a moment to live long in Martin’s memory.

“It was quite a surprise,” said the Spokes Racing rider. “I’ve never done a presentation with a crowd that big, it was pretty awesome.”

Six Day racing returned to London last year, following a 35-year absence, with Brown and Martin racing on the same track as British superstars Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish.

Martin was pleased to have taken the title – named after the year of the first ever six day race – having beaten some of the best young riders in Europe and especially given his track preparation has been somewhat limited.

“I’ve never done a six day before, a couple of Madisons, but the last two years I’ve mainly focused on the road and to come up and do this was quite hard, but it was good,” he said.

“I’ve learned a lot from my youth days so I knew a bit about the track.

“It’s an amazing experience to race with a big crowd, you hear big cheers.”

The win was the second successive crown for Scottish cyclists after Dundee’s Mark Stewart claimed the prize last year, when the competition took the form of a one-day omnium.

Grant Martin, left, and Andy Brown celebrate on the podium after clinching the 1878 Cup after three days of Madison racing.