TRACK | Australia win World Cup nation honours in Round 4

Guy Swarbrick

​The Australian Team was recognised by standing atop the podium as World Cup round winners at the TISSOT UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Cambridge, New Zealand.

The Team netted silver and bronze medals on the final day of competition to take its haul to eight medals, including one gold, four silver and three bronze.

The Team now flies straight to Brisbane for Round Five of the 2019-2020 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup Brisbane to be held at the Anna Meares Velodrome from 13-15 December. 

Men's Madison

Kelland O'Brien and Cameron Meyer secured Australia's first medal of the final day, claiming silver in the men's madison behind the impressive New Zealand combination of Aaron Gate and Campbell Stewart.

The Aussies finished on 87pts in the 50km race, 42 behind the Kiwis, but 30 clear of bronze medallists Italy (Michele Scartezzini and Francesco Lamon).

O'Brien and Meyer gained three laps on the field, one fewer than New Zealand, and weren't able to score as regular in the sprints as Gate and Stewart, who gained points in all but six.

"To finish on the podium is good and to a strong Kiwi team there's nothing wrong with a silver medal," Meyer said.

"It's early in the season for me, getting back on the track, learning some of the new guys and feeling what it's all about with them out there and seeing what they've got.

"We'll move forward from here to a home track next week, and maybe we can step up one level next week."

It was the second silver of the event for both riders, with O'Brien having finished second in the team pursuit on the opening night, while Meyer took the second step on the omnium podium behind Stewart.

Steph Morton - Photo Guy Swarbrick

Women's keirin

Stephanie Morton added a keirin bronze to her sprint silver at her first major meet since having knee surgery.

The team sprint world champion held on for third in the keirin medal race, behind gold medallist Hyejin Lee of South Korea and Canada's Lauriane Genest.

"I wasn't sure what to expect coming into this week," Morton said. "First real big race back since the op and I'm pleased with where I've landed, really happy with the progression and looking forward to Brisbane."

Morton won her opening round heat and finished third in her semi-final to secure a place in the medal race.

Men's sprint

Nathan Hart, the World Cup gold medallist on this Cambridge track last January, took fourth place in the men's sprint this round.

He was beaten in two straight races by Japan's Yudai Nitta in the bronze medal ride after being edged by NItta's teammate Tomohiro Fukaya in the semi-finals.

Hart qualified third fastest in 9.613secs with top qualifier Mateusz Rudyk of Poland going on to win gold, with Fukaya claiming silver. 

2018 world champion Matthew Glaetzer earlier lost in the second round after sneaking through to the last 16 by the slimmest of margins.

Glaetzer was judged the winner of his first-round heat against Frenchman Rayan Helal, after being deemed a dead heat to three decimal places.

Nathan Hart - Photo Guy Swarbrick

Women's omnium

Team pursuit world champion Georgia Baker finished ninth in the women's omnium, after not being able to recover from an early setback in the opening event.

Baker was relegated from fifth to 19th in the scratch race after being deemed to have deliberately ridden on the blue band.

She bounced back by finishing fourth in the tempo and winning the elimination race but had too much ground to make up in the deciding points race.

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