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Andrews, Gate claim third golds as NZ cyclists add four more medals

Ellesse Andrews and Aaron Gate have finished New Zealand's cycling campaign in style, adding two more golds to the overall haul of 13 medals at this year's Commonwealth Games.

Gate won the last cycling medal of a historic campaign for New Zealand cycling in a superb team showing in the men's points race as he, Campbell Stewart and Corbin Strong worked together to add more medals to the tally.

After Gate carved out an early lead in the race, Stewart and Strong did their best to ensure he was in the best position for the sprints every 10 laps with England's Oli Wood the only threat to the title.

However, the teammwork also set up Stewart for a chance to podium as well and as the race went on he started to gain on Wood in the standings until in the final sprint Gate gave him the space he needed to pip Wood and claim silver.

It was the perfect display of teamwork to finish a campaign where New Zealand's cyclists have shown plenty of just that to top the podium eight times.

Three of those golds belong to Andrews who pipped England's Sophie Capewell by 0.050 seconds in the women's keirin final Tuesday morning to earn her third gold of the Games.

Andrews and Gate join fellow cyclist Gary Anderson [1990] and late athletics star Dame Yvette Williams [1954] as the only New Zealanders to win three gold medals at a single Commonwealth Games.

Andrews opened the day with the fastest time in qualifying for the women's keirin, winning the third of four heats before also winning her second round race.

She saved her best for last though, attacking in the final lap before the race to take the lead and sprinting home home in a time of 11.199 to top the podium ahead of Capewell while Canada's Kelsey Mitchell took bronze.

Ellesse Andrews celebrates.

Andrews' triumph came shortly after Michaela Drummond also came to the party with a silver medal in a chaotic scratch race which saw Bryony Botha retire injured.

After the scratch race was restarted following an unfortunate crash which involved Botha, Drummond joined a last lap attack from England's Laura Kenny to cross the line second and with it claimed New Zealand's 10th cycling medal this year - with even more medals still possible.

The four medals come after New Zealand's cycling team had already amassed nine medals across the opening three days of competition.

Earlier, Nick Kergozou De La Boessiere narrowly missed out on the party in the men's time trial, finishing fifth in the event after being knocked off the podium by the final two riders.

Commonwealth Games medal table as at 10am, Tuesday 2 August (NZT).

A slow start came back to haunt the 26-year-old as he ranked 9th fastest over the opening 250m but managed to put down the second-fastest split at the 500m mark and fastest section for 750m.

Regardless, New Zealand finished top of the track cycling table ahead of Australia, with the two nations having to be separated by silver medals after finishing with eight golds each as well as 13 medals overall.

The cyclists now turn their attentions to road cycling as well as a promising return to mountain biking.

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