August 6, 2002 – The Commonwealth Games road race is a competition attended by a very diverse field. Some of the riders are coming off the Tour de France, while others are receiving their bikes from local bike shops the week before the race. With such a difference in levels of the competitors the racing is very tactical. The 2002 Commonwealth road course was challenging and relentless with many corners, tight small roads and a solid steep climb.

The race unfolded as expected with a break of a few riders going up the road in the first few laps. Australia didn't have any representation in the lead group so they put their team at the front to drive the peloton. In doing so, they whittled down the peloton with each lap until there were only 40 riders.

With six laps to go the break was caught and we hit climb with six Aussies on the front. Then they hit the gas – the group split and another break was up the road with three Aussies, Canadian Eric Wohlberg, Glen Mitchell (New Zealand) and a couple of South Africans. Fellow Canucks Gord Fraser, Mark Walters and I found ourselves in a group of 15 just behind from which we attacked and followed attacks in an effort to get more representation in the front.

The Aussies had the advantage all day as they had the most dominant team in the race with sprinters, climbers and “rouleurs.” In the end Stuart O'Grady finished alone. on the last lap Eric and I were in the chase group aiming for a silver medal, but Australian duo Cadel Evans and Baden Cooke took the rest of the race into there hands and locked up second and third.

At the end of the day I felt we'd done the best we could with a four-man team (all the other teams had six). We placed well but were lacking the extra teammates during chases and efforts in the beginning of the race.

Michael Barry is a 26-year-old professional cyclist riding with the United States Postal Service.