BRAINTREE Bullets BMX Club are celebrating the success of Oli Cutmore at the UCI BMX World Championships in Medellin in Colombia.

The 22-year-old Bullets ace from Sible Hedingham, who was the Active Braintree Sports Personality of the Year in 2015, rode to second place in the 17 to 29 years cruiser class against the best riders in the world.

Cutmore was no stranger to success at World level after taking fifth place in the final in Belgium last year but he really rose to the occasion in Colombia and Bullets head coach Julian Allen was delighted for the Braintree rider.

Allen said: "Oli goes about his business in a quiet manner, but we were always hopeful that he could go out to Colombia and perform as we know he can - and he certainly didn't disappoint.

"I think if truth be told, he surprised himself a bit with the fifth place he took in Belgium last year, but this was a wonderful ride.

"Oli was a bit of a late starter at the club really and he never really made much impact on the national scene until about five or six years ago and since then his confidence has just grown and grown.

"He has so much technical ability and he's a joy to watch.

"All the kids love watching him race and we're privileged to have people like Oli at the club.

"It's not just on the national and international levels as he is there at our club series races on a Wednesday evening and that's great to see."

Cutmore impressed through the rounds in Colombia, but his final race didn’t start well.

When the gate dropped he was last but the Braintree rider made sure he was up with the pack into the first turn and started to make some moves through the field to set himself up for a last chance in the final corner.

As the riders railed the turn, some competitors clashed and Cutmore was able to capitalise, setting himself up for a drag race to the finish line where he went from fifth to second.

"Anything can happen in a world final and it pretty much did in Oli's as he didn't have a good start," added Allen.

"It was a world final so it was going to be hard to come back, but he was up with the pace.

"He's renowned as a clean rider and when some of the other guys went down on the last corner, Oli came through.

"In that last straight, his technical ability showed through and his fitness was on point.

"You need the will to succeed when it counts and he took it on."

There was also pride for the Braintree club as two more of their riders also impressed in Colombia.

In the 11-years challenge class, Adam Gilbert made it through to the World Championship semi-finals, while Ollie Rowe was just edged out of a place in the 15s quarter-finals.