Campbell Stewart and Aaron Gate Madison bronze medalists 2023 World Championships Photo: supplied
A last-gasp final lap sprint earned a record-setting bronze medal for the men's two-rider madison combination of Aaron Gate and Campbell Stewart on the penultimate day of track action at the World Cycling Championships in Glasgow.
It secured a sixth medal for New Zealand, a record tally, beating the five medals won in Melbourne in 2012, Cali in 2014 and Hong Kong in 2017.
Fittingly it was Gate, the individual star of last year's Commonwealth Games and the sport's talisman, who played a vital role before their ride was finished off with a stunning sprint by Stewart, the 2019 omnium world champion.
The two-rider event, where one rider is always in play with the change made with a hand-to-hand sling, was close throughout, with points every 10 laps and 20 lap bonuses to lap the field.
Such was the speed of the race, with an average of 59kph for the 200 lap, 50km race, that no team was able to gain a lap, meaning the result came down to the 20th and double point final sprint with six teams in the hunt for a medal.
Gate put in a push to get New Zealand to the front with four laps remaining and hold off the challenges before handing over to Stewart to show his sprinting ability as New Zealand won the double points final sprint.
Netherlands managed won on 37 points, with Great Britain second on 35 and New Zealand leap-frogging early leaders Belgium and Denmark to finish third on 34.
"It is fantastic. We have come along way even in the last couple of years," said Gate.
"I was a lucky one to be in Europe when covid hit after the Olympics and was one of only four riders at the worlds. Now here we have a full team winning medals across all disciplines.
"It's been awesome and great to see the team just feed off each other and nice to go out there tonight with Campbell with good legs and get stuck in and also know there's improvements to make and headroom to improve which is exciting.
"I think Cycling New Zealand is in great space and I am looking forward to the Olympics in Paris now."
"We are in a great place for this event. It is exciting going forward. Now it is time for me to rest up and see if we can get the legs going again for a 160 lap points race tomorrow."
Women's keirin gold medallist, Ellesse Andrews returned for the women's sprint and showed her development with an impressive performance in the competition which is spread over an unprecedented three days.
She will return for the final day of competition tomorrow to contest the best of three-race semifinal, and the opportunity to earn just the second world championship sprint medal for a female rider, with the first by Madonna Harris in 1990.
She will return tomorrow to take on Sophie Pauline Grabosch (GER), an eight time world champion and Tokyo Olympic sprint silver medallist, in the best of three race semi-final.
Meanwhile Sam Dakin qualified for the quarter-finals of the Keirin, Nick Kergozou missed out on the final of the 1000m time trial and Michaela Drummond finished 11th in the women's 100-lap Points race.
Tomorrow's final day of track action features Andrews in sprint, Dakin in keirin, Gate in the Points race and Ally Wollaston in the women's four-discipline omnium.
-RNZ
