A MAN who once beat the new Olympic gold medallist Jason Queally in a race at Caton sat on the edge of his seat as the sprint cyclist powered his way into the record books.

Andy Powell, a member of Kent Valley Road Club, watched gripped at his Endmoor home as his 30-year-old race colleague pedalled to a stunning victory in the men's 1,000 metre time trial in Sydney, clocking up a new championship best.

"I was in the back of the television, I almost broke off all my nails," Andy, 42, told the Gazette.

"He has done what all sports people aspire to - to beat the best in the world."

Two years ago, Andy took five seconds off Jason's time when the two top cyclists went head to head on a circuit in Lancashire.

The victory over Lancaster Cycling Club's honorary life member was certainly memorable for Andy but he is modest about his achievement.

"I think Jason was just getting into the serious track racing scene and he was using a friend's bike, I cannot get anywhere near him now," he said.

"I have beaten him by five seconds once but there are countless times he has humiliated me.

If I was to race against him now I would not have even got on his back.

"I'd love to be able to get onto the same level as Jason but I don't have the commitment level.

The effort and the pain you go through is phenomenal."

Jason, 30, a former Caton resident who now lives near Chorley, was a regular competitor in time trial races round Levens and Lancashire when he took up the sport five years ago.

Now he is more likely to be seen creating a slipstream at Manchester Velodrome, after giving up a job as a biological science research assistant at Lancaster University to pursue his cycling dream.

Tony Dixon, owner of Askew Cycle Shop in Kendal, said the win had created a big interest in the sport.

"He is a very down to earth man in a different league," said Tony, who rides for Kent Valley.

"We are over the moon, it is absolutely brilliant."

Peter Fenton, of Whittington, near Kirkby Lonsdale, is a fellow member of Lancaster and Kent Valley cycling clubs and said everybody was looking forward to congratulating him in person.

"We are all delighted and looking forward to seeing him.

We felt very pleased for the club and for him that he had recovered from a serious accident when he came off the track in Scotland.

"He is great, he is unassuming and quietly spoken, not at all conceited or impressed by his own ability.

He is just the sort of guy who should win things."