Alex Dowsett wins gold for England in cycling time trial at Commonwealth Games to banish demons of missing Tour de France

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It was more than the cheering of the crowd and the hand-banging on the hoardings that powered Alex Dowsett to the time-trial gold medal on Thursday.

The 25-year-old Englishman carried with him the extra incentive of banishing the heartache of the past few months - and the worrying of a lifetime - in coming from six seconds down to Australia’s Rohan Dennis at the start of the final section to win by nearly 10 seconds.

Minutes after being given his gold medal, he was holding it in his hands, contemplating his biggest achievement more in relief than joy. 

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Commonwealth Games: Day 8 review

Champion: England's Alex Dowsett clinched gold in the Commonwealth Games cycling time trial

Rapid: Dowsett completed the Glasgow course in 47 minutes, 41.78 seconds 

Prize: Dowsett poses with his gold medal after his brilliant victory in the time trial

VIDEO Commonwealth Games: Day 8 review  

The most recent impetus to his winning here in Glasgow was provided by his exclusion through illness from the Movistar team for this year’s Tour de France, which took in his home county of Essex on its way from Yorkshire to the Channel. It was agony for him.

A son of racing driver Phil Dowsett, he took himself off to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone to escape his pain. He does not blame Movistar’s management for leaving him out, for he was coughing up ‘rainbow-coloured’ phlegm.

But he added: ‘I was angry for pretty much the whole month. I was an a*** to live with. I took it out on everyone, especially my family - they bore the brunt of it.’

But the Tour de France setback was hardly the start of the Dowsetts’ suffering since he took up cycling because, as he is a haemophiliac, it was marginally safer for him than contact sports.

‘There have been a lot of disappointments over the years,’ said Dowsett, a three-time British champion. ‘For example, I broke my elbow and got close to MRSA in the operation to fix it . . . before the World Championships at the end of last year I was going really well, when I picked up a little bug. 

Podium: Dowsett (centre) with silver medallist Rohan Dennis (left) and bronze medallist Geraint Thomas (right)

One better: Dowsett improved on his silver medal from four years ago at the Delhi 2010 Games

‘I was down by about 30 per cent power, and Tony Martin (the world champion) beat me by six minutes, which wasn’t easy. I got in the bus after that and burst into tears. It’s nice that things have gone right for this one.’

Dowsett will take part in the road race on Sunday, but the medal that was his No 1 priority is already his. Dennis was second, Geraint Thomas of Wales third. The defending champion David Millar, of Scotland, was eighth.

‘I am the sort of person who questions everything,’ Dowsett added. ‘If my numbers are not right in a session, I get worried. I worry all the time. I can hopefully worry a bit less from now on.’ 

Sights: Dowsett passes by The Tolbooth on his way to Commonwealth glory

In the women’s race Emma Pooley took her leave of professional time-trialling with a silver medal. Even some old boys from the hard pubs on the city’s Saltmarket came out with their morning pints to watch the spectacle.

Pooley was the penultimate rider, setting the fastest time by more than 48 seconds, but was denied victory by Linda Villumsen of New Zealand, the partner of Laura Trott’s elder sister Emma.

Pooley, 31, will retire after Sunday’s road race, in which she is expected to support Lizzie Armitstead. She has already turned to the more lucrative pursuit of marathons and triathlons with some success and that is where her future lies.

Looking back on a career that included an Olympic silver medal in 2008 and the world title in 2010, Pooley said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted to have had a surprising opportunity. I never expected to be a professional cyclist. You start off with friends who give you lifts to races and who help you sort out your bike.

‘Then you move on to a team where everybody is a volunteer. So many people have helped me. I’m immensely grateful to all of them. I have made some great friends along the way. It has been a huge privilege.’

She had problems with her bike before the race that meant she would have had the use of just one gear but for the team’s mechanics working hard on the repairs. Pooley left with no regrets. ‘I did myself justice so I am happy,’ she said.

Joy: England's Emma Pooley claimed silver in the women's time trial in Glasgow on Thursday

Fitting end: Pooley will retire from cycling to concentrate on a career in triathlon after the Games are over

So close: Pooley was pipped to gold by New Zealand's Linda Villumsen who clawed back time towards the end