Wales' Geraint Thomas made a courageous late bid to claim Commonwealth Games gold in the men's 160km road race but fell agonisingly short with the finishing line in sight.
In a late move described as "audacious" and "courageous" by TV commentators, Thomas launched a late attack with two kilometres to go and enjoyed a lead of around two seconds in the final kilometre.
But, with the finish close, the other contenders fought to pull him back with the Welshman crossing in eighth place. The track speed of New Zealand's Aaron Gate proved the difference when it came to claiming gold, his fourth of the Games. South Africa's Daryl Impey took silver while Scotland's Finn Crockett won bronze.
Former Olympic cycling champion Chris Boardman, commentating for BBC, said: "It was a wonderful move from Geraint Thomas - it was all or nothing, gold or nothing at all. You have to take your hat off to him to show that kind of bravery."
Thomas, 36, who claimed bronze in the men's individual time trial this week despite a crash to mark his fourth Commonwealth medal in three Games (including the 2014 road race gold, is credited with igniting the final moments of the race to spark an exciting finale to what had been a thrilling race.
"It was hard out there," he said. "It's definitely not my sort of course, it's real punchy, real explosive. I gave it everything. Unfortunately it was only myself up there. If we'd had another guy it definitely would have been better. Against three English riders, it was going to be tough. The course, it's probably the worst possible course for me. I am not the most explosive anyway and after a lap of France, I have definitely got a diesel engine now."
He believes the Tour de France is a markedly different race, adding: "It's easy to look at the Tour and say you finished third in the Tour, you should be winning here because there are not many people in the Tour [competing here]. But it's such a different race. Compared to going up hills for two hours, this is completely flat, really punchy. That explosive nature of the race is not my cup of tea."
Thomas, who arrived in Birmingham having finished third at the Tour de France, later admitted he had ridden in his last Commonwealth Games. "I might wear [it the Welsh jersey] around Cardiff, but I am not going to make another Commies," he said. "It's nice to end, well end empty. I gave it all I had. I am proud to wear this jersey for the last time. I just want to say thanks to everyone that came out."
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