A fourth silver at the Commonwealth Games means the maiden gold medal sought by Sir Bradley Wiggins eluded him once again.

However, having scooped silver thanks in part to an impressively strong ride from Britain’s greatest ever cyclist in qualifying, it was a very encouraging day at the halfway point of the four-year Olympic cycle.

Wiggins has made no secret of his desire to return to the boards for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, and his form in his first competitive outing on the track since the Beijing Games in 2008 bodes well.

Starting out at man four, Wiggins pulled two huge shifts on the front of the quartet in qualifying to break the four-minute mark as he showcased his phenomenal strength.

Injured Jon Dibben and Welsh duo Owain Doull and Sam Harrison will both be in contention for a place at the Olympics too but Team England’s quartet, who boasted 12 Olympic medals between them, certainly showed they can do a job if called upon.

Silver today in the team pursuit. Not our best ever ride but a massive step on from the worlds. Thanks for all the messages of support!

— Ed Clancy (@Ed_Clancy) July 24, 2014

The disastrous Great British showing at the Cali World Championships suddenly feels like a long time ago.