Anna Christian and Lizzie Holden both finished in the top-10 in the women’s time trial at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday afternoon in Australia.

In hot and humid conditions, Christian was ninth quickest over the 25.5-kilometre distance on Currumbin Beachfront, recording a time of 39min 28.87sec.

Holden was actually quicker at the first split (10.75km) with a time of 16m 24.07, Christian was 16.27.67, but the latter proved stronger in the final closing stages.

At 21km Anna was ninth quickest at 32m 56.16s, Lizzie having slipped back two places to 10th in 33m 34.90.

The gold medal went to Katrin Garfoot (Australia) in 35.08.09, silver to Linda Vallumsen (New Zealand) and bronze Hayley Simmonds (England). Holden’s finishing time in 10th was 40.07.94, 38 seconds down on her friend and team-mate.

Men’s time trial

Jake Kelly and Sam Brand were separated by a matter of seconds in the men’s time trial on Tuesday morning.

Held over a predominantly flat 38.5km course at Currumbin Beachfront, the biggest challenge to the 54 riders in the event was the extreme heat. The event was won by pre-race favourite Cameron Meyer of Australia, who rides professionally for Mitchelton-Scott.

He recorded a time of 48min 13.04sec to beat Harry Tanfield (England) by precisely 30 seconds. Hamish Bond (New Zealand) took the bronze medal at another two seconds.

Kelly was 11th quickest at the first split, after 10.75km, but then slipped down the order as the heat obviously got the better of him to ultimately finish 21st in 53m 23.94s.

Brand went off very steadily and was 20th quickest at the first split, almost 23s down on his team-mate. The Novo Nordisk diabetic pro-team rider slipped to 26th at the second split, but then improved in the closing stages to finish 22nd in a time of 53.45.77, some 21s down on fellow Manxman Kelly.

Nathan Draper was 33rd overall in 56.07.68, having been consistent throughout.

Reaction and photographs in Thursday’s Manx Independent.