Selfless Pooley tees up Armitstead for road gold
CYCLIST Lizzie Armitstead paid tribute to the heroic selflessness of England team-mate Emma Pooley after winning road race gold on the final day of the Commonwealth Games yesterday.
Armitstead improved on her silver medals from Delhi four years ago and the London 2012 Olympics as England finished top of the medal table in Glasgow for the first time since 1986. Welshman Geraint Thomas survived late drama to win the men’s road race, while husband and wife team Chris and Gabby Adcock claimed badminton mixed doubles gold in an all-English final.
It was Armitstead who provided the team’s high point on the last day of competition, and it owed much to the efforts of Pooley, who was compensated with a second silver of the Games.
In her final cycling event before retirement, Pooley joined Armitstead in a breakaway and then helped to split it up with a solo attack, allowing her colleague to burst free 7km from the finish.
“The team was incredible and it’s the best cycling teamwork I’ve ever been a part of,” said Armitstead, 25. “I want to say a massive thank you to Emma. Cycling is a beautiful sport and a team sport, which often gets overlooked so I’m pleased Emma gets a silver medal as well. It just means so much to call myself the champion and not the runner-up.”
Pooley, 31, who is not quitting sport but shifting focus to triathlons and marathons instead, was delighted to add to her time trial silver.
“It was really nice to finish on a high,” said the Londoner, who was overcome with emotion. “I was so happy after the time trial and I was a bit worried I may not do the job in the road race.”
Thomas took charge of the men’s road race, which the Isle of Man’s Pete Kennaugh had bravely led for more than 100km of its 168km duration, on the last of 12 laps.
Disaster struck inside the final 6km when Thomas suffered a puncture, but even after a torturously slow wheel change he still led comfortably enough to savour the home straight. England’s Scott Thwaites took bronze.
The Adcocks earlier beat compatriots Chris Langridge and Heather Olver in badminton’s mixed doubles final.