Tough decisions to be made after Armitstead takes silver in Delhi

OTLEY cyclist Lizzie Armitstead was left searching for a silver lining in Delhi after missing out on Commonwealth Games gold in the 112km road race.

Armistead claimed she had missed her chance to top the podium after settling for road race silver behind Australia's Rochelle Gilmore, who was always strongly fancied in the predicted bunch sprint conclusion to the race.

She was aided by world time trial champion Emma Pooley and a youthful English team, who did their best to form a well-drilled lead out in the decisive sprint.

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But Gilmore, dubbed a bridesmaid by the Australian media for the number of second places on her record, secured a winning upgrade.

"I just felt like I let the girls down a little bit because they did a really good job for me," said Armitstead.

"It was our first try at a lead out and they had to do a little bit too much too soon and I waited a little bit, I hesitated too much.

"They did a perfect job, we could have just done with the line being a bit closer.

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"I made the wrong decision at the finish. I know I had the legs, so I'm a bit disappointed. My friends and family will be delighted but I know I could have done a little better.

"But it's our first attempt as a team and I'm really impressed and I think we can only get better.

"Come London we should be a force to be reckoned with."

Armitstead should not be too harsh on herself, considering she again claimed the scalp of Olympic champion Nicole Cooke, who admitted she blundered her tactics after finishing fifth.

It has been a year of seconds for the 21-year old Yorkshirewoman, who started the season with two silvers at the track worlds and also ranked runner-up behind Emma Pooley at the national championships earlier this year.

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The challenge now will be to decide on her direction for London 2012 – either the track, where her all-around skills seem to perfectly suit the multi-discipline omnium, or the road – where she will face a domestic challenge from both Pooley and Cooke.

"I'm going to have to look at where I develop my abilities," she added.

"I'm a bit of an all-rounder, so I'm going to have to make a few decisions about what I focus on. I don't want to label myself as a sprinter because that can trap you sometimes. Versatile is good, until you keep getting silvers."

Meanwhile, in the boxing ring heavyweight Simon Vallily guaranteed himself a Commonwealth bronze but is adamant he was made to work by Cameron's Arsene Fokou in his quarter-final.

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After knocking out Isle of Man's Dominic Winrow in his first match, Middlesbrough's Vallily again forced the referee to end the contest with 20 seconds remaining following a brutal left-right.

Fokou had absorbed plenty of punishment until that point as Vallily underlined why he is considered favourite for the gold in Delhi. But Vallily maintains he was not looking for the killer blow but instead was merely following orders.

He said: "It is great to win a medal and I am happy with the performance. The coach gave me the tactics and I stuck with it the whole way.

"He is a big physical lad and he put me under pressure. To be honest, I was not looking for the knockout I just kept boxing like I had been told to and if it came, it came.

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"I got my head down and just got on with it. I am looking forward to (today) now. It might sound selfish but if I do win gold it would be for myself."

Elsewhere, Harrogate diver Oliver Dingley, 17, finished ninth after recording a score of 352.35 in the men's 1m springboard final, while Sheffield's Nick Robinson-Baker was sixth with a combined total of 385.10.

In the women's 3m synchro springboard Leeds duo Rebecca Gallantree and Alicia Blagg – the youngest member on England's team – finished an agonising fourth. Meanwhile fellow Leeds diver Sarah Barrow, alongside Tonia Couch, also had to settle for one place off the podium in the women's 10m synchro platform while Gallantree was seventh with Stacie Powell.

Elsewhere newly-crowned Commonwealth men's singles squash champion Nick Matthew, alongside Adrian Grant, downed Zambia 2-0 in their men's doubles pool game.

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Harrogate's Jenny Duncalf was also victorious 2-0 in her women's doubles pool game against Malaysia with Laura Massaro but alongside James Willstrop lost to New Zealand in the mixed doubles.

Paralympic archery champion Danielle Brown will not be able to add Commonwealth women's individual compound gold to her team one after losing to Australia's Fiona Hyde in quarter-final.

Meanwhile as the curtain came down on proceedings in the pool Aimee Willmott marked the occasion with a fifth-place finish in the 400m medley.

The 17-year-old clocked 4:44.87minutes as Scotland's Hannah Miley lived up to her favourites tag to take gold and Willmott said:"I'm really excited to have made the final of the 400m medley because that was what I came here aiming to do.

"I'm really enjoying being here the whole week has been fantastic."

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