TWO Forest riders have claimed the ultimate accolade in their events at UCI World Cycling Championships in Scotland.

Charlie Hatton of Ellwood became world champion in the downhill mountain bike event while Brian Lewis, who is originally from Ruspidge won the over 85s’ time trial in the Gran Fondo.

Charlie beat Austrian Andreas Kolb – his team-mate with mid Wales-based Atherton Bikes – by just 0.6 seconds on course at Fort William.

The podium places appeared to have been sorted when the course was hit by torrential rain midway through the competition, taking seconds off times.

But Charlie put in an incredible performance to take the lead

from Angel Suarez Alonso of Spain who had set a target time of 4.29.211 in the Men’s Elite Mountain Bike Downhill on Saturday (August 5).

In an incredible performance, Hatton was ahead at the three split points and took the lead with 2.4 seconds to spare, crossing the line in 4.26.747.

Andreas was evenly matched with the Forester but a tiny mistake in the difficult woods section cost him vital time and he finished 0.599 behind the Gloucestershire man.

In a statement on the Atherton Bikes website, Charlie said: ““To win the World Championships is unreal!!

“But to win in front of the home crowd, on a British-built bike designed by my friends on the team, with my training partner taking the Silver … it just hasn’t sunk in yet, I’m lost for words.”

Charliebecame the fifth British rider to win the UCI world title in the Mountain Bike Downhill.

Brian Lewis was one of the top 25 per cent of riders from 27 qualifying events around the world.

He was the only entrant in his age group in the Gran Fondo on Monday (August 7)– which means ‘Big Race’ – and is a celebration of mass participation cycling.

Brian, who is 85 and now lives in Bicester, Oxfordshire, completed the 22.8km time trial in Dundee in 46.41.

His brother John said: “It’s a fantastic achievement to be world champion and he said it’s a dream come true."