Kiwi 1-2: Gaze and Cooper claim gold and silver in Commonwealth Games mountain biking

Anton Cooper-Sam Gaze in Glasgow. Sam Gaze-Anton Cooper on the Gold Coast.

The two New Zealand mountain bikers have completed a repeat one-two finish at the Commonwealth Games with Gaze delivering a blistering final lap after a puncture.

Cooper looked set to defend his title in the dramatic denouement, but his rival called on all his will to switch the placings and avenge his silver from four years ago.

Entering the final lap, Gaze was leading but decided to pull off to get air in his back tyre. A mechanic blasted a CO2 cannister into the valve in the hope it would last until the finish.

Cooper pounced on the advantage. Shortly afterwards, Gaze was ushered through by second-placed South African Alan Hatherly to continue duelling with his compatriot.

He came from an estimated 28s back to regather the lead in an elbow-to-elbow passing manoeuvre, creating one of the Games' most thrilling moments.

"I had the motivation from four years ago where I felt a bit robbed," Gaze said. "Today I wasn't accepting anything other than a win.

"I've built the sort of perseverance to handle something like that [a flat tyre] over the past 12 months. If it had happened before then, my race would've been done.

"I had a small problem on the back wheel but I was able to get back into the race."

Cooper said he couldn't think of anything he would've done to change the result.

"I might look back later and think I could've done something. Even on the last lap I don't know what happened to Sam, I saw he stopped. When he came through the tyre looked fine and it's not my job to sit around and ask. I kept on riding.

"I thought at that point it was me and the South African heading up the hill, so I attacked, then saw Sam 15-20m behind.

"The sprint at the top was quite a drag before the last downhill. I knew that would be crucial, that was kind of the finish line and he managed to sneak around me there. I didn't close the door early enough. I couldn't have drifted any harder across because that wouldn't have been fair."

Earlier, the pair worked alongside Hatherly to build a lock on the podium.

Fellow Kiwi Ben Oliver was fourth.