Australians Nick Aitken and Brad Linfield have claimed gold medals on the final day of competition at the Oceania Road Championships near Queenstown in New Zealand.

Today was road race action for the men with Christchurch rider Paul Odlin winning the elite men's crown of the demanding 153 kilometre course ahead of Aitken who claimed the under 23 men's title in the combined event.

Odlin, Aitken (Jayco AIS) and two more Australians in Mark O'Brien and Sean Finning were in a leading quartet before Odlin, 33, made his move on the steep climb up Littles Rd on the last of six gruelling laps of a 25km circuit near Lake Hayes-Arrowtown.

Aitken responded and the pair then battled it out for the win with Odlin proving too quick for his rival from across the ditch.

"I did not quite win the sprint for the overall honours but I won the under-23 so I have to be happy with that," Aitken said. "Odlin put on some pressure early on the last lap up the climb and split it and we just worked together to the finish and managed to hold them off.

"It opens up a spot for the worlds later in the year and now I just have to focus on getting some more runs on the board."

Jayco-AIS team mate and current omnium world champion, Michael Freiberg, was the second under 23 across the line 4:43 behind Aitken while Kiwi rider Jason Christie was more than four minutes further back in third.

In the elite ranks O'Brien (Budget Forklifts) was 1:08 behind Odlin for the silver medal and Finning (Jayco-VIS) was third at 2:32.

Earlier in the day West Australian Bradley Linfield edged out Christchurch rider Hamish Schreurs in a sprint finish to claim the under-19 title at the end of 102 kilometres, four laps of the same circuit.

Linfield said the Australians had come to Queenstown with a big group keen to secure the title and an additional spot for the world championships later in the year.

Australian riders dominated the Championships this week collecting 22 of the 30 medals on offer after winning eight of the ten events.

Oceania Road Championships - Road Race Results

Under-19 men, 102km

  1. Bradley Linfield (Australia)
  2. Hamish Schreurs (NZL, Christchurch) same time
  3. Tom Vessey (NZL, Alexandra) same time

Under-23, 153km

  1. Nick Aitken (AUS, Jayco-AIS) 3:54.05
  2. Michael Freiberg (AUS, Jayco-AIS) at 4m43s
  3. Jason Christie (NZL, Ashburton) at 8:56

Elite men, 153km

  1. Paul Odlin (NZL, Subway Pro Cycling) 3:54.05
  2. Mark O'Brien (AUS, Team Budget Forklifts) at 1:08
  3. Sean Finning (AUS, Victorian Institute) at 2:32

Cycling Australia