Russell Downing has revealed that Team England's game plan in today's Commonwealth Games men's road race was to "stay under the radar" before making a move for the medals.
Scott Thwaites completed the course in third place with a time of 4:14.26 in the heavy rain, but there was to be no such success for Downing, who finished in fourth.
Only 12 of the original 140 riders completed the course, however, and the 35-year-old acknowledges that finishing narrowly outside of the medal positions is "not too bad".
"Some teams had to use their resources early on and really dig deep, as soon as it got to three laps to go only the strong could stay there," he told reporters.
"I was feeling good alongside Scott but I was not going to be able to bridge to [Geraint Thomas] when he went. But I managed to hang in there and get fourth so it's not too bad.
"Scott and I knew it was our sort of course, we didn't have that much of a game plan really but to stay under the radar."
Wales' Thomas won gold with a time of 4:14.16.
Daniel Lewis
