Mountain bike champion Rab Wardell, 37, dies in his sleep two days after winning title

The 37-year-old died on Tuesday

Mountain biker Rab Wardell has tragically died just two days after emerging victorious in the Scottish MTB XC Championships. The 37-year-old pro from Glasgow died on Tuesday, with Scottish Cross Country confirming the news and revealing that he died in his sleep. Wardell appeared on TV on Monday to celebrate his victory. "Our deepest sympathy to his friends, family and loved ones," a statement from the Scottish Cross Country Association read. "He will be truly missed by our community and his determination, talent and friendship will live on in all our hearts and memories." They added: "I'm sure more eloquent words will be written by many but RIP Rab. Our Champion, Our Inspiration, Our Friend." Following his story on Sunday, the cyclist appeared on TV to talk about the race. Dubbing it "a bit of a disaster," Wardell revealed that he suffered two punctures during the race. Later on Sunday, he took to Twitter and wrote: "Scottish Champion. It's taken a few years but I can now add the Senior Cross Country title to the Junior and U23 ones I won nearly 2 decades ago." Then on Monday, he appeared on BBC Scotland's The Nine to discuss his victory over the weekend. "Unfortunately I think I'm a little too well practiced in managing punctures!" he joked. "To be honest, it was a bit of a disaster, but I just had to keep on trucking and keep racing. "I guess I still felt confident that I'd be able to catch the leaders and win so I just gave it my best shot - what more can you do?" A cause of death is yet to be revealed.

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