BURNHAM BMX rider Liam Phillips says “it feels great” to have become the first British man to win the UCI BMX Supercross series world title.

The 25-year-old rode to glory at the fifth and final round in California on Sunday.

The former King Alfred’s School pupil led the series heading into the weekend’s round but crashed out in the quarter finals, meaning he had an anxious wait to discover his fate.

But his closest rival Anthony Dean was eliminated in the semi-finals, to ensure Liam, who was crowned BMX world champion in Auckland, New Zealand, last year, would finish 100 points clear at the top of ladder.

Liam says the title “is different to anything else” he has achieved and is perfect preparation for the 2016 Olympics.

He said: “It feels great to have won the title and it’s been a crazy few days to be honest. I went to California with a pretty comfortable lead and, barring disaster, it looked like I was going to win it.

“It (crashing out in the quarter finals) is just BMX really, it’s the nature of the sport, and it just proves that unless you are right on your game, these things can happen.

“The series is different to anything else I’ve achieved because it’s not just the result of one race.

In World Cups and that sort of thing you can go to a race and finish on the podium but with this, it was across five rounds – and to finish on the podium in three of them was satisfying.

“My objective at the start of the year was to prove I am more versatile and, more than anything, I think this proves it.

“The World Championship win in Auckland was a big step for me and now this win is perfect preparation as I build for the Olympics.”

Liam’s dad, Pete Phillips, told the Weekly News: "We’re obviously proud of what Liam has achieved – we stayed up until 1.30am to watch it all online and when he crashed out in the quarter finals we thought it might not be his day.

“But luckily his nearest competitors weren't able to get the finish they needed.

“This title is the result of ten years of hard work from Liam and he really deserves it.”

British riders Kyle Evans and Tre Whyte were drawn in the same quarter-final as Liam, with the latter making it as far as the semi-finals.

Liam joined the Olympic Academy Programme in 2005, before reaching the quarterfinals at the Beijing Olympics three years later.

He finished eighth overall at the 2012 Olympics and won silver medals at the European Championships in 2006 and last year’s world time trial.

He also took gold at the Supercross World Cup in Manchester earlier this year.

He is now aiming to make up for the disappointment of London 2012, at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro.