\n<\/p>\n
Gaps began to appear between English wheels as the noise in the crowd grew louder. <\/p>\n
Vernon and Tanfield were part of the Team GB quartet beaten by Australia in the Paris Olympics final. Spare a thought for Charlton watching on, helpless.<\/p>\n
“It was more nerve-wracking than being in it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It was tight at times but I had faith they were going to pull away at the end and they did.”<\/p>\n
In the end, England won by 1.131 seconds. Their time of three minutes 47.092 seconds was a new Commonwealth Games record and the Australians had been dethroned. <\/p>\n
As ever in track cycling, there is a race on and off the track. <\/p>\n
This was a marker from England for the rest of this event and the Olympics in two years’ time, when Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can add reinforcements too.<\/p>\n
“The Aussies always turn up to Commonwealth Games,” Vernon said.<\/p>\n
“They go full equipment, good skinsuit, good equipment, everything. <\/p>\n
“In England we go with a different mindset. We save stuff for the Olympics. <\/p>\n
“We don’t have the best skinsuits. We are doing the best we can and to beat them without that is special.”<\/p>\n
For Tanfield this was a second Commonwealth gold, eight years after his first in the individual event.<\/p>\n
Vernon added this gold to others in the national, European and World Championships. For him, only the Olympics remains.<\/p>\n
Charlton, who hopes to be fit for the individual event on Friday, and Tidball now have their first Commonwealth medals to add to others won on the world stage.<\/p>\n
“I wasn’t quite on the money today but we will see how it goes tomorrow,” Charlton said. “I will give it everything I have got in me.”<\/p>\n
But the moment was, perhaps, most special for teenager Hobbs.<\/p>\n
“It is my first year as an elite. Even getting selected for this was a big surprise,” he said.<\/p>\n
“To pull off the win is amazing.”<\/p>\n
There is far more to it than riding in circles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n