New Zealand cyclist Nick Kergozou produced an outstanding final lap to lift himself and team-mate Cam Karwowski to the gold medal in the men's madison event at the Oceania Track Cycling Championships in Invercargill.
Kergozou and Karwowski beat Australian rivals Sam Welsford and Jackson Law on the final day of the championships on Sunday.
The teams both finished on 17 points, but the Kiwis won by a whisker courtesy of their final sprint victory.
"It is an awesome feeling, just having such an awesome Oceania champs and finishing it off like that against that Australian team. You know they are really showing their class, it was right down to the last sprint and it was amazing to pull it off and get the win," Kergozou said.
"Points were really close and the last sprint was going to win it. If Aussie had got us in that last sprint then they would have won it... The field stayed together so there was no chance to steal a lap, I tried to steal a lap at one stage, but we controlled the race which worked out well in the end."
The Southland rider is relatively new to the madison event, but got through it with the help of Karwowski.
"I have only done two madisons before so it was Cam, my partner who was the expertise in the madison. He has done quite a lot so he was giving me pointers, we talked a lot during the changes, worked it out and got there in the end," he said.
Kergozou was happy with his form at the Oceanias: "This year has been a real successful championships for myself, winning the team pursuit with the boys was a personal best for us as a team and in the omnium I had two personal bests there, in the individual pursuit and the flying lap.
"To come away with a win in the madison just shows the form is really there going into the World Cup season, I am pretty happy with where I am," he said.
The New Zealand development team combination of Luke Mudgway and Thomas Sexton won the bronze medal in the madison.
Local rider Natasha Hansen won a bronze medal in the women's sprint behind highly-rated Australian riders Kaarle McCulloch and Stephanie Morton.
Australia's Georgia Baker won the women's omnium with 230 points, ahead of local rider Kirstie James on 202 and Elissa Wundersitz on 183.
In the under-19 men's keirin, local rider Bradly Knipe claimed his fourth gold medal of the championships, finishing ahead of silver medallist Hamish Beadle.
Kiwi riders dominated the under-19 women's 10km points race with Emily Shearman winning with 14 points, ahead of Emma Cumming with 10 and Holly Blakely on eight.
Shearman also won the under-19 women's omnium with 211 points, ahead of Australian Chloe Heffernan and Kiwi Ellesse Andrews, who both finished on 198.
In the evening races, the visitors from across the ditch dominated the women's 20km points race, with Macey Stewart winning on 26 points, ahead of Georgia Baker on 22, while Kiwi Alysha Keith was third.
In the men's 30km points race, 2013 omnium world champion Aaron Gate won the gold medal after gaining two laps on the field, finishing on 86 points, ahead of Kiwi team mate Hayden Roulston on 45 and Luke Mudgway on 20.
Australia's Josh Toovey claimed the men's under-19 points race with 26 points, ahead of New Zealand riders Magnus Tuxen Rosing on 23 and Hayden Strong on 20.
Article and photo courtesy Stuff