England's Alex Dowsett won a brilliant Commonwealth Games gold in the men's road time trial on Thursday.

Dowsett, silver medallist four years ago in Delhi, came from behind to complete the 38.4-kilometre route, which began and finished at Glasgow Green, in 47 minutes and 41.78 seconds.

Australia's Rohan Dennis, who had led for much of the race, was second in 47mins 51.08secs, and Wales' Geraint Thomas third in 47:55.82.

Scotland's David Millar, the defending champion, was eighth in 49:56.23.

England's Emma Pooley, who is to retire after Sunday's road race, was second in the 29.6km women's event, six seconds behind winner Linda Villumsen of New Zealand, who clocked 42:25.46.

Millar, the gold medallist in Delhi from 2010, is retiring at the end of this season and was hoping to bow out with a glorious victory on home soil in a race which took in parts of North Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire.

He was last down the ramp but it soon became apparent he would not be challenging for gold in a strong field.

Millar was eighth at the first time check, after 6.4km, as Dowsett led by three seconds from New Zealand's Jesse Sergent.

Dowsett maintained his pace and his position at the second time check, going through the 17.1km mark seven seconds ahead of Dennis, with Thomas in third, 10 seconds behind, but Millar slipped to ninth.

Dowsett caught and passed Luke Durbridge, bronze medallist in Delhi, who started a minute ahead of him, before reaching the third time check at 26.4km with a 5.92-second deficit to Dennis, with Thomas 7.18 seconds adrift.

The final time check came at 32km, with 6.4km to go, saw Dennis leading Thomas by four seconds and Dowsett by five.

Thomas crossed the line first and had to wait to see how his rivals would do, with first Dennis and then Dowsett bettering his mark.

For Dowsett, who missed out on Tour de France selection through illness, it was a career highlight to rank alongside his 2013 Giro d'Italia stage victory.

Millar will have another opportunity in Sunday's road race, where tactical experience will help his hopes.

Pooley had earlier been content with her silver medal.

"You can't be frustrated when you've done your best," Pooley said.

"It was nice to cross the line with the best time and slightly less nice when someone goes quicker.

"I'm not upset. Linda deserved to win. I don't really want to look back with regrets, because you can't re-race it. I'm thrilled to have a medal at all."

Villumsen has often come close to success and narrowly missed out, finishing second at the Delhi Games four years ago - when Canada's Tara Whitten won - fourth in the London 2012 Olympic time trial and third in the World Championships later that year.

Villumsen said: "It's a bit of a smack in the confidence when you think you can win and you finish second, third or fourth.

"So when you see your name with 1 next to it you can't quite believe it. It's amazing."

English riders shared in the success as Villumsen is the partner of Emma Trott, the elder sister of double Olympic champion and Glasgow 2014 points race gold medallist Laura Trott.

Emma Trott, who retired after May's Friends Life Women's Tour, wrote on Twitter: "I am simply the proudest person right now! @LVillumsen makes me proud every day and I'm very happy to have you as my partner!"

Laura Trott wrote: "Wheyyyyyyy!!!!!! @LVillumsen you absolute beauty!!!!! #CommonwealthChamp X"

Scotland's Katie Archibald was firmly in contention in third at the first two time checks, but she slipped down the order in the closing kilometres.

The Milngavie rider finished fifth in 43:30.01.

Wales' Elinor Barker, a former world junior champion in the event, was seventh in 43:56.44, while Joanna Rowsell, the individual pursuit champion on the track, clocked 44:45.87 to place 13th, one place behind Wales' Amy Roberts, who completed the course in 44:30.63.