Aaron Gate and Campbell Stewart won gold in the men's madison at the Track Cycling Nations Cup . Photo: Alex Whitehead / SWpix.com
Campbell Stewart and Aaron Gate won gold for New Zealand in the men's madison on the final day of racing at the latest Track Cycling Nations Cup event in Hong Kong.
It is the second of three Nations Cup competitions offering ranking points towards qualification for both the UCI Track World Championships and this year's Paris Olympics.
The pairing of Stewart and Gate combined to dominate the two-rider madison, over 50km and 200 laps with a hand-sling between riders to keep one rider always in play.
They were consistent, scoring points on 17 of the 20 sprints, winning four of them, to finish on 45 points ahead of Spain on 35 edging Japan on countback for second from the 16 starters.
It proved a tight battle with only Japan managing to gain a lap on the field for 20 bonus points.
The Kiwi pair had a lead of 23 points at the halfway with Spain scoring points on four of the last six sprints to nab second.
It leaves New Zealand in a share of top ranking with one round remaining.
Meanwhile, Bryony Botha finished seventh in the women's four-discipline omnium competition, finishing 21st in the scratch race, winning the tempo, coming second in the elimination and 10th in the points race.
Japan's Yumi Kajihara won on 124 points from compatriot Tsuyaka Uchino on 113.
Earlier, Sam Dakin qualified in 9.983s in the men's sprint, but was eliminated in the first round, and Shaane Fulton and Rebecca Petch lost out in the repechage in the women's keirin.
Several New Zealand endurance riders now head to respective professional road teams in Europe.
