Cameron Meyer missed the Australian gold rush on the track but the 30-year-old was in a league of his own as he rode to victory in the Commonwealth Games time trial. Meyer won with a comfortable 30-second margin over Harry Tanfield (England) and further two seconds over Olympic rowing gold medallist Hamish Bond (New Zealand).
"It was probably only two weeks ago that we decided," Meyer said of his late selection for the race. "It was my track coach Tim Decker who approached me. He knew I had good aerobic form and I was concentrated on the points race, which is a 45-minute effort, and today is roughly the same. He said, 'Cam I reckon you could give it a crack in the time trial'. And I said why not? We scrambled a bike together and did the measurements and had a crack."
Meyer hadn't ridden a TT in over two years due to his focus on the track and the 2020 Olympic Games. "I broke my collarbone in the last one I did," Meyer said of the stage 17 time trial at the 2015 Vuelta a Espana. "I couldn't be more thrilled than I am today and I have to thank all the staff."
The gold medal is the 11th of the home Commonwealth Games in 2018 for Australia having also topped the track medal tally. For Meyer, the gold is his fourth at the Commonwealth Games having won three on the track in 2010.
How it unfolded
First off the line was David Kinja, the 46-year-old making his fifth appearance at the Commonwealth Games, with the Kenyan setting the early benchmark of 54:35 minutes.
Of the medal challengers in the first wave of starters, individual pursuit champion Charlie Tanfield set a blistering pace, sweeping up riders on his way to the turnaround.
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Australian Callum Scotson punctured inside the opening 10km, the change of rear amounting to around 20 seconds of wait time.
At the 17 kilometre turn around point, Tanfield set a new best time by over one minute but Olympic rowing gold medallist Hamish Bond would better that by 15 seconds.
From the first wave of riders, Tanfield and Scotson were the only riders within one minute of Bond. The Englishman at 15 seconds and Scotson at 20 seconds.
On the run back to the finish line, Tanfield held his fast time and moved into the hot seat with a time of 50:42 minutes. He reign wasn't to last long as Scotson shaved off 1:07 minutes to move into the gold medal position.
Bond was the next rider to cross the line, finishing 50 seconds ahead of Scotson to hold the gold medal position.
In the second wave of riders, IP silver medallist John Archibald (Scotland) crashed hard into a barrier in the opening kilometres of his ride. Eventually, he would finish 11th.
James McLaughlin (Guernsey) was looking dangerous at the first time check but it was Harry Tanfield getting the better of his brother by eight seconds. Cam Meyer though would claim the fastest time by almost 30 seconds.
McLaughlin continued his fast ride and posted the second quickest time at the 17km time check. At the finish, the 27-year-old moved into the bronze medal position.
The battle though was between Tanfield and Meyer with Bond nervous in the hot seat.
At the final time check, Tanfield was a handful of seconds ahead of Bond who could only watch on. Digging deep in a desperate final kilometre, Tanfield held on to move into the hot seat by two seconds.
Tanfield hardly had time to take up his on the podium before Meyer came through had moved into a gold medal winning position by a comfortable margin. A handful of riders were left to finish, including Joseph Areruya (Rwanda) as the last starter who would finish 13th, before Meyer could truly celebrate. The result soon confirmed as Meyer continued his recovery before soaking in the occasion and rejoicing his first Commonwealth Games medal on the road.
