COMM GAMES ROAD CYCLING: Australian cyclist Rohan Dennis knows exactly what NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt was on about.
The American once famously said "second place is just the first-place loser" and after Dennis's season so far, his Commonwealth Games silver medal on Thursday prompted a strong mix of reactions.
Dennis is yet to record a win this year but remarkably, it was the fourth time he has finished runner-up in a time trial.
Alex Dowsett won England's fifth cycling gold medal at Glasgow Green when he took out the 38.4km race against the clock in 47 minutes 41.78 seconds.
Dennis led by four seconds through the last time check at 32km, but finished second in 47:51.08.
"It just keeps bottling up and I think it's about to explode," Dennis, 24, said.
"It's getting to the point where it's really starting to get annoying.
"People may look at me and think I'm being a little bit immature or whatever for being unhappy about a second place at the Commonwealth Games.
"But I honestly think if they were in my shoes and they got second in every single time trial this year - and always to different people - they'd understand where I'm coming from."
Less than a week after finishing the Tour de France, Welsh star Geraint Thomas won the bronze medal in 47:55.
Australian time trial specialist Luke Durbridge finished ninth after completing his Tour debut, while compatriot Michael Hepburn was sixth.
Scot star David Millar finished eighth and he said: "I had pretty low expectations and I fulfilled them".
While Dennis did not know quite how to feel about silver, compatriot Katrin Garfoot was rapt with bronze.
Only six years after taking up competitive cycling and nine months after gaining citizenship, the German-born rider surprised everyone when she joined New Zealand gold medallist Linda Villumsen and English silver medallist Emma Pooley on the podium.
Garfoot had the fastest split over the last section of the 29.6km course to clock 43:13.91, improve from fourth place and become a bronzed Aussie.
Only 20 seconds separated Garfoot from three-time Australian time trial champion and London Olympian Shara Gillow, who was sixth in 43:33.
Garfoot, who gained Australian citizenship last October, said on Wednesday she was dreaming of a medal, but would have been happy with a top-10 result.
"My dream came true, so that's quite exciting," she said.
Her husband Chris, whom she met while kite surfing on the Gold Coast, was in the crowd at Glasgow Green to watch her start and finish.
Scot Katie Archibald was running third ahead of Garfoot at the 23.2km time check, but the Australian surged as Archibald faded.
Villumsen, like Dennis, has had to cope with a string of near misses in time trials.
The Delhi silver medallist and fourth-placed finisher at the London Olympics won in 42:25.46, ahead of Pooley's 42:31.49.
And like Garfoot, Villumsen was not born in the Commonwealth - she changed her citizenship from Denmark in 2009.
Villumsen won New Zealand's 600th Commonwealth Games medal and their sixth in cycling at Glasgow, only one behind Australia with the two road races to come on Sunday.
Roger Vaughan
AAP
