Australia’s Alessia McCaig gave the Perth Track World Cup crowd what it wanted, making a heroic early attack in the women’s keirin final – and hanging on, just, to take gold.

Big gaps were already starting to open up before the motorbike, driven by keirin legend Shane Perkins, left the track.

McCaig glanced over her shoulder with two and a half laps remaining, realised that European champion Alina Lysenko was a full six bike lengths behind – and decided this was her chance.

Lysenko still hadn’t made up any ground as they entered the last lap – McCaig’s pace was visibly dropping as the effort took its toll, but so was Lysenko’s. And as they entered the home straight, the remaining riders finally appeared in the frame, with Yuan Liying leading the charge up the outside.

Could McCaig hang on? Lysenko was on her hip now. And as the pair reached for the line, with the crowd roaring its appreciation, it was the Australian rider who prevailed, by the width of her deep section wheel’s rim.

It wasn’t the final anyone would have expected, with Mina Sato, Ellesse Andrews and Lea Sophie Friedrich all absent.

World champion Sato was drawn last in line in her semi final, and was in no hurry to move forwards, even as big gaps began to open up ahead. McCaig, in fifth, decided enough was enough: Sato went to follow her, but Wang had the same idea, forcing Sato up the track to ride extra distance.

The gaps were gone as they entered the last lap, with Evlanova in front, McCaig on her hip, and Wang just behind. Sato was forced up above the blue line once again, and with King trying her luck up the inside, the world number one knew she had lost her chance of a top three finish.

‘Hearing everyone at the venue call my name and cheer for me made me really happy,’ Sato wrote afterwards on Instagram. ‘That’s exactly why the frustration feels even bigger than usual. I’ll use this feeling as motivation and make sure to come back with results next time.’

In the second semi, Olympic champion Ellesse Andrews had been placed directly behind the pacer, but seemed to be caught napping as Lysenko led a big move from behind with two laps left. Friedrich looked to be riding a good race, following Yuan towards the front, and containing Lysenko and Jabornikova on the inside.

But she faded as they entered the back straight, and with Andrews banking on following the German to the final, the trio in the sprinters lane rolled across the line unchallenged.

• The next round of the UCI Track World Cup will take place in Hong Kong, China from 17-19 April. According to the provisional schedule: men’s keirin is on Saturday 18 April, women’s on Sunday 19 April.