Rohan Wight and Alex Porter upstage rivals for Australian madison title

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South Australians Rohan Wight and Alex Porter showed no signs of inhibitions as the duo held off their highly credentialed rivals for a maiden Australian madison title. A silver medallist in the omnium national titles a day prior, Porter went one better with Wight as the duo secured the green and gold jerseys by lapping the field at the Hisense Arena in Melbourne.

Although the likes of former madison world champions Cameron Meyer and Leigh Howard were lining out with Callum Scotson and Jordan Kerby as their respective pairings, it was the younger brigade of Jarrod Drizners and Lachlan Scott taking an early lead in the race. Godfrey Slattery and Cameron Scott then took over at the top of the standings but the lap stealing move by Porter and Wight would prove enough for the overall win.

"I'm a bit speechless to be honest. We said three or four months ago we wanted to come here and win this race and we knew with such a quality field it was going to be tough, so to actually go out there and implement our plan perfectly and pull it off is an amazing feeling," said Porter after the 200-lap race.

Porter and Wight ended the race in 55 points with Howard and Kerby claiming silver with 47 points. Slattery and Scott's bronze medal was assured with their tally of 38 points.

"It is awesome! We took out the Bendigo Madison together and that was a fantastic feeling to do it here again it is unbelievable," said Wight, who will ride on the road with Tirol Continental team in 2018.

"Really special they are super classy bike riders and I look up to them and get to train with them all the time," he added of Howard and Meyer. "They are really generous with all their knowledge and experience I think it has brought us up to another level."

Members of the Australian endurance squad, Porter and Wight helped Australia claim the team pursuit world title and will be both continue their push for a place in the 2018 Commonwealth Games squad ahead of April.

In the women's madison earlier in the evening, Kristina Clonan and Macey Stewart repeated their Oceania win to finish nine points clear of Annette Edmondson and Alex Manly. Fresh from claiming a fourth national omnium title Ashlee Ankudinoff and NSWIS teammate Josie Talbot rounded out the podium. 

Despite an easy crash, the Tasmanian duo remounted and by the mid-way point of the 120-lap race were in control. Despite an aggressive second half of the race, Clonan and Stewart held on for their first green and gold title together.

"It is so exciting and such a massive honour, a bit of a relief, we really thought we were in with a chance tonight, we have been riding really well together," Stewart said. "And I think that is what it is about, knowing what each other is doing to do, being able to read each other.

"The competition out there with the other teams, they are world class teams, it is a huge honour to win an Aussie Madison title, it is never an easy one." 

The Australian omnium and madison titles are held separately to the main Australian National Track titles which will be held in February at the Anna Meares Velodrome in Queensland.