COPENHAGEN, March 25, 2010 (AFP) – Olympic silver medallist Alex Rasmussen handed Denmark their first gold of the world track cycling championships Thursday when he won the men’s scratch race.

Rasmussen finished the 15km, 60-lap race ahead of Colombia’s Juan Esteban Arango, with Japan’s Kazuhiro Mori winning the bronze.

Rasmussen was part of the Danish team pursuit squad which claimed silver behind Britain at the 2008 Olympic Games in Bejing, though he is not competing in that event this week.

France’s defending world scratch champion Morgan Kneisky finished way off the podium.