Australia for Australians has been a dominant theme in these Commonwealth Games.

But perhaps never so much as in yesterday?s 40 kilometre cycling time trial in which Bermuda?s Tyler Butterfield flashed across the finish line only for local officials to somehow miss his arrival.

Seemingly preoccupied by the success of their own, those responsible for compiling results contrived to omit the 22-year-old Bermudian?s name from the electronic scoreboard. And when it did eventually appear it presented a finishing time some two minutes slower than that which he actually recorded.

Hardly what one might expect in a race of such magnitude.

Yet Butterfield, a seasoned competitor at these big events ? he took part at the last Games in Manchester as a triathlete and in the same sport at the Athens Olympics before switching to cycling ? wasn?t in the least ruffled.

After all, yesterday was just a dress rehearsal for Sunday?s big dance, the road race, and mix-up or not, the France-based Vendee U rider wasn?t about to let it spoil his day.

?I think it was all because the person who was supposed to start in front of me didn?t even start, so there was actually a two-minute gap at the start between myself and the rider in front,? explained Butterfield as he waited for officials to sort out the confusion.

?I caught him within five or 10K quite quickly and a few other people. But now that the big boys (Australians) are up on the (results) screen a lot of the officals are concerned with guys coming in later, so they just didn?t notice me cross the line.

?The officials told me afterwards they have photo finishes of everyone, so it won?t be a problem. I?m not worried about it, hopefully they?ll get it right in the end.

?It?s not a top ten finish anyway, so I?m not too concerned.?

While not a top ten, Butterfield?s corrected time of 55 minutes 37.52 seconds in a field of 69 including several professional team riders, still placed him a creditable 23rd.

Not bad considering he hadn?t competed in a single time trial this year.

?I put everything into it today, but this is my first time trial of the year for 40K,? he explained.

?I just haven?t had the time. In Europe we race three times a week in road races, and when you?re racing over 180K you don?t have time to practise for time trials.

?The two main guys here (Australians) who are probably going to win, this is their race. They?re more concerned with today than Sunday while because I have?t been able to train for this event, Sunday?s my main focus.

?I can?t really think of anyone who thinks they can get a medal in both. Today is a completely different event from the road race. There might be one of the Australians or the South Africans, or maybe one or two New Zealanders who have a chance of a medal in both, but most of them concentrate on one or the other.

?On Sunday, Geri (Mewett) and I are going to have a lot of fun. I?m looking forward to it.

?It will be Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Those are the countries that are strong in depth, then maybe one or two from other countries who race for professional or top amateur teams who you have to watch out for.

?But we have the advantage in that with only two of us we don?t have to work. We?re not obligated. New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have five guys each, all of whom are obligated to work and cover moves.

?We can sit in and go whenever there?s an attack. We have a lot more freedom.

?Today was a great event, but for me it?s all about the road race.?

Team-mate Mewett skipped yesterday?s time trial in order to concentrate solely on the road race and both riders were planning to ride the course today to get a better idea of the conditions that await them in what will be the final event of these Games on Sunday morning.

?To be honest,? said Butterfield, ?the course doesn?t worry me. It doesn?t matter whether it?s hilly or flat, it?s the same for all of us. We?re all here to race no matter what the course.?

As expected the Aussies completed a one-two finish in yesterday?s time trial, Nathan O?Neill (48:37.29) beating his team-mate Ben Day (49:01.67) by 24 seconds. Kiwi Gordon McCauley collected the bronze with a time of 49:50.70.