McEwen, aiming to defend his title from the year before, started the day in green but as the two clashed on the line Cooke piped his rival to win the jersey by a mere two points.

On Wednesday 17 December the only two Australians to have won the Tour de France’s green jersey will team-up in the Madison at Revolution 4 in Melbourne.

Since that epic victory Cooke’s career hasn’t quite reached the same heights while McEwen has compiled a list of victories that ranks him among the best road sprinters of all time, with 12 Tour de France stage wins and 13 in the Giro d’Italia.

A former Australian Madison champion, Cooke has some apprehension about his return to the track.

“I’m a bit nervous to be honest. It’s been years since I’ve raced on the track,” said Cooke.

“They say you never forget how to ride a bike but flying around the boards doing hand slings at more than 50 kilometres per hour isn’t exactly a natural act.

“But the Madison was one of my best disciplines on the track.

“It’s a race where you need to be tactically good and you need to be able to muscle your way around the track and Robbie and I are among the best at doing that.”

Among their main challengers will be Graeme Brown, an Olympic Games gold medalist in the Madison from Athens with a reputation for being a little unpredictable, who will ride with Cameron Meyer.

“Hopefully Graeme’s not too erratic. If he can ride a reasonably straight line that would be a positive,” said Cooke.

“We all know how to throw a hook but there’s no need to put people’s lives in danger.” 

Cooke is also well aware of the many rising stars of Australian cycling who will be relishing the opportunity to get the better of two of the world’s best cyclists.

“I’ve seen some of these young guys and they’re fast as hell,” said Cooke.

“Some of these guys, like Leigh Howard, will be coming in with smoking hot form and will be difficult to beat but we certainly won’t be lying down.

“I won’t be giving them any free runs.”

While McEwen has been riding the track once a week in preparation for the event Cooke has been focusing on putting in the base miles ahead of joining a new team, Rock Racing, in 2009.

The Revolution event that was held just prior to Christmas of 2007 was a sell-out and the same is expected of this year’s edition.