Scott Thwaites was denied a Tour de France debut when he narrowly missed selection with Team NetApp-Endura.

But the Yorkshireman took his opportunity to showcase his talent in Glasgow by becoming the first Englishman to medal in the men’s road race since Paul Curran’s gold in Edinburgh in 1986.

Thwaites, 24, survived what became a war of attrition and certainly didn’t look out of place in an ever-dwindling peloton, before making the race-defining break with eventual winner Geraint Thomas (Wales) and Jack Bauer (New Zealand).

While former Endura Racing team-mate Bauer, now riding the Garmin-Sharp WorldTour squad, pipped him to the silver medal, Thwaites’s third place has certainly gone a long way to adding to his rising stock.

And Thwaites wasn’t the only young Brit to shine on the big stage – Madison-Genesis’ Scott Davies (Wales) also put in a hugely impressive shift as one of only 12 riders to finish. At 18, Davies rode well in the support of Thomas and the national under-23 time trial winner is proving why he tipped as a star of the future.

But man of the match today goes to @scottdavies95 . He’s 18 years old and finished 10th. Big future for this man! #Thanks

— Luke Rowe (@LukeRowe1990) August 3, 2014

Tom Moses (England) was another to impress, riding in fourth position on the road when he suffered an ill-timed puncture which brought an end to his race. The 22-year-old Rapha Condor JLT man, winner of Rutland-Melton earlier this year, will be another to watch in the coming years.

And with the UCI Pro Continental and UCI Continental riders more than holding their own against their big-name rivals – former Team Sky man Russell Downing (NFTO) also finishing fourth – it could also make for a very interesting Tour of Britain this year.