The scale of Nicole Cooke's achievement in taking a Commonwealth Games bronze from the women's road race was made clear by the medal ceremony.

While the 23-year-old - who had been defending champion - stood quietly to one side, gold-medallist Natalie Bates celebrated with the rest of Australia's dream team or "phenomenal six" as they had been described by their head coach Shayne Bannan.

Bates was joined by Oenone Wood, two-time winner of the World Cup series, and Olympic champion Sara Carrigan, two-time Commonwealth track champion Kate Bates plus the experienced Rochelle Gilmore and Olivia Gollan.

Cooke was Wales' only representative in the race and there were six each from New Zealand, England and Canada as well as the hosts.

Before the race, Bannan had described his six as "on paper, the best team ever in international cycling".

And it was only a courageous effort from Cooke - who lost out in a sprint for the silver medal with Wood - which prevented a clean sweep by the hosts as the other big teams seemed to settle for aiming for a minor medal.

Given the circumstances, Cooke declared her bronze "as good as gold".

But, until Wales and Great Britain produce more good women cyclists, the numbers if not the odds will be against her fulfilling the potential she showed four years ago in winning the Commonwealth title while still a junior.

Typically, Cooke accepts the challenge and is also content to risk everything on the road race at Commonwealth and Olympic Games rather than give some of her efforts to winning a track medal.

"I've decided to go for my best event which is road racing," she said after spending some of last year competing in mountain-biking and on the track.

"It is the right decision to make.

"And I know that in the British team there's been a lot of progress in the last couple of years and I think it will only be a matter of time before the British team is as strong as the Australian."

It is an optimistic forecast given the women competing in green and gold over 100km today.

Wales' national team coach Julian Winn - who was competing in his final race in the men's event - refused to discuss his plans for recruiting Welsh women to Cooke's cause.

But there are signs of hope as far as the Great Britain team is concerned with England able to select two promising young individuals in 19-year-old Boltonian Amy Hunt and Nikki Harris, also 19, from Derby in their six.

Neither made much of an impact here, however, in a contest in which the big teams other than Australia showed remarkable timidity even allowing for a fall by Rachel Heal.

An early break of four riders including Bates, England's Emma Jones, Toni Bradshaw from New Zealand and Canadian Mandy Poitras was allowed to escape going into the second of nine laps of the 11-kilometre course.

Although each of the four major forces in the race were represented, most observers expected them to be reeled in.

However, when Bates launched an attack on the third lap from the end and no-one in the lead group responded, it was up to the England, New Zealand and Canadian riders in the peloton to take the initiative.

They seemed content to settle for contesting the minor medals, leaving Cooke - who did her best to spark a chase - with little choice but to follow suit.

"The Australians had a fantastic team," Cooke said.

"They had advantage of numbers, they rode the perfect race and I was never going to chase every single move so I had to take a gamble.

"Given the situation today I think I rode extremely well and I'm proud of myself."

With Bates given a clear run to the line, the battle was on for silver and, although Wood took second, Cooke ensured she had a medal to add to the silver she won at the World Championships last autumn and her gold from Manchester.

Cooke also had Australian respect with Wood saying: "She's one of the best riders in the world but she's on her own."

In the men's race, there were no more medals to add to the combined British tally of 20 with Australia's cyclists collecting 24 but that is still a solid improvement on Manchester which was an advance on Kuala Lumpur.

England's Stephen Cummings was the best-placed Briton - the Merseysider battling through intense heat, which eliminated all but 35 of a 130-strong field, to finish fourth.

Australia's Mathew Hayman won gold with David George of South Africa and Allan Hayman, also of Australia, completing the podium.