GERAINT Thomas remounted after a nightmare crash into the barriers two minutes into his Commonwealth Games time-trial, salvaging bronze but regretting a fall that probably cost gold.

Then four days later on Sunday the 2018 Welsh Tour de France winner made a brave break for golden glory in the road race 2km out, only to be caught and finish eighth.

The Wales rider, who owns the St Tewdrics wedding venue near Chepstow, lost about 30 seconds in his time-trial fall, finishing 28.49secs off gold behind Australian former world champion Rohan Dennis and just three seconds back on England’s Fred Wright in silver.

“The recon I did was in traffic so there’s no barriers up or anything, so it’s pretty pointless, really, other than knowing where the hills and downhills are,” he said afterwards.

“It was the same for everyone but I hadn’t ridden the course with closed roads, properly, and I just went into too hot, basically.

“It’s my fault at the end of the day. I was thinking it’s a sweeping left but suddenly there are barriers in the way and it’s like, “Oh s**t”.

“I just clipped the barrier leg on the exit, then struggled to get the chain on, then the brake was a bit bent and so on. It is what it is, my fault, one of those things.”

In Sunday’s 160km road race, the 36-year-old, who finished third in last month’s Tour de France, made an “audacious” late bid for victory as he tried to get away from the leading group.

But the seven chasing riders caught the 2014 Games champion with the finish line in sight, leaving Thomas to say he’d given it everything, but it would be his last appearance in Wales colours.