Southland’s Corbin Strong showed his class as the cream rose to the top in the elite men’s omnium championship on day two of the Aon Cambridge 3-Day cycling competition.

Strong, a world championship medallist in the elimination race, was impressive to edge out his fellow Commonwealth Games gold medal winning team pursuiters Campbell Stewart and Tom Sexton in the 100-lap points race, which decided the omnium title.

Strong and Stewart could not be separated going into the points race decider after Strong had finished third in the scratch race, fifth in tempo and won the elimination, after a fantastic battle with Stewart in the final sprint.

Stewart was fourth in the scratch race, third in the tempo and second in the elimination after he pushed off the front to eliminate Tom Sexton but could not get over Strong in the final sprint.

Wellington’s George Jackson made the early push after putting a lap on the field but by halfway Strong had snuck in front overall with the challenge coming from Stewart and Sexton. Eventually Strong had too much gas in the sprints to win on 156 points, 10 clear of Stewart with Sexton a further five points back in third.

In the under-19 points omnium over 80 laps, Marshall Erwood (Southland) took a four-point advantage into the pivotal points race, after winning the scratch race and tempo, although he went out midway through the elimination.

Te Awamutu’s Maui Morrison was third in the scratch, sixth in the tempo, and second in the elimination to be four points back but only two ahead of James Gardner (Otago) with a further two points to Magnus Jamieson (Southland).

All the aggressive riding was not restricted to the elite races, with a superb solo dash with three laps to go earning James Gardner victory in the 80km under-19 points race.

Erwood took the early advantage, with his lead cut to two points at the halfway mark from Gardner, who was one point ahead of Jamieson.

After several attacks, Erwood managed to hold on to a single point lead with 10 laps remaining from Jamieson and a further two laps to Gardner.

However, the attack three laps out gave Jamieson the double points sprint win to finish on 126 points, seven clear of Erwood in second with Jamieson one point further back in third.

Double Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Bryony Botha showed her pursuiting strength to good purpose, going early to hold off teammate Ally Wollaston and Ella Wylie to win the elite scratch race.

Wollaston, who was in a class of her own in the omnium on the first day, bounced back with an impressive win in the elimination race, this time getting the better from Botha as the pair emerged as the final two riders to decide the honours.

Earlier the New Zealand trio of Liam Cavanagh (Tamahere), Luke Blackwood (Auckland) and Jaxson Russell (Cambridge) went under the time they set to in earning them the bronze medal at this year’s junior track world championships in Cairo. They clocked 45.719 to pip 0.1s off that time.

The championships finish on Sunday, highlighted by the national madison championship. Full results: cambridge3day.co.nz

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