Wales’ Geraint Thomas said the Commonwealth Games time trial was “not as organised as we’re used to” after an early crash spoilt his chances of gold.

England’s Fred Wright took silver, finishing 26.28 seconds behind Australian Rohan Dennis’ winning time of 46 minutes and 21.24 seconds.

Thomas was 28.49 seconds behind Dennis.

England’s Dan Bigham left his bike embedded in a barrier and finished the race on his fiancee Joss Lowden’s machine.

Thomas blamed himself for his crash, saying “sometimes it’s just pure bad luck but I’d say today I take it on the chin as my fault”, but also questioned the organisation of the race.

“The recon [reconnaissance] I did was in traffic, there were no barriers up or anything,” he said.

“It was pretty pointless really, other than knowing where the hills were. I thought it was a sweeping left hander, then the barriers were there. It’s never straightforward, is it?

“We’re used to seeing the course exactly how it’s going to be. It’s not as organised as what we’re used to.”

Earlier, England’s Anna Henderson won silver in the women’s time trial.

Australia’s Grace Brown took gold in 40 minutes 05.20 seconds, with Henderson 33.35 seconds behind, while Georgia Williams of New Zealand came third.

Crash derails Thomas’ bid for gold

Thomas, coming into this race off the back of a third-place finish in the Tour de France in July, was hoping to improve on the bronze medal he won eight years ago in Glasgow.

But the 2018 Tour de France winner lost around half a minute after clipping a barrier and may have worried two-time time trial world champion Dennis if he had not fallen.

“I was keen to try to do my best ride,” Thomas said. “I felt every corner was not full so I don’t have to brake too much, I was wrong with that.”

The 36-year-old’s time over the 37km course was less than three seconds behind Wright, who also raced 21 stages at the Tour last month.

The pair will compete in the road race on Sunday, in which Thomas won gold in 2014, along with the Isle of Man’s former world champion Mark Cavendish.

Scotland’s John Archibald finished sixth with Wales’ Owain Doull and Northern Ireland’s Darren Rafferty in seventh and eighth respectively in the time trial.

Bigham finished the race in 12th on Lowden’s bike after a late crash saw his own bike get wedged into the railings.

Lowden, also representing England, posted the 12th-fastest time in the women’s event.

‘It was mega’ – Henderson

England’s Henderson said her performance “was mega” after winning silver in the women’s time trial.

“You don’t realise you’re at a home Games until everyone is screaming your name and screaming for England,” said Henderson.

“I kept thinking ‘oh wow, I am in an England kit so I better move’.

“It was mega – I’m really happy to feel good on the bike.”

Isle of Man duo Lizzie Holden and Becky Storrie ended sixth and seventh respectively, with Elynor Backstedt of Wales eighth and Anna Shackley of Scotland 10th.