Brown was the final of the major contenders out on course, and despite a delay on the starting ramp, the Victorian was soon up to pace and set the fastest time at the all the intermediate checks out on course.
Brown won with a time of 40:05.20, averaging 41.1km/h over the 28.8-kilometre course, finishing 34 seconds ahead of Anna Henderson (England) and Georgia Williams (New Zealand), with Australian Georgia Baker in fourth.
“To be a gold medallist at a Commonwealth Games is something that Australian sport really acknowledges,” Brown said.
“Despite the fact that the Commonwealth Games in cycling isn’t huge, I still think it’s a really special thing to have on your resume, and I’m proud of it.”
The two-time Australian national time trial champion was just off competing in the inaugural Tour de France Femmes, where she spent a lot of time working for FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope teammate Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig for the general classification.
“I’ve time-trialled after the Giro before, so I knew that I usually come out of tough tours pretty well,” Brown said.
“In the last two days, just doing some easy rides, I was feeling quite good despite the Tour. So, I was confident that I’d be OK for today.
“Out there, I could feel fatigue in my legs, but I had the power that I needed to do, so I just kept doing that.”
Brown joins Anna Wilson, Oenone Wood and Katrin Garfoot as Australian winners of the Commonwealth Games women’s individual time trial.
In the men’s event Dennis completed a flawless run while several of his rivals suffered crashes and near-misses on technical sections of the 37.4-kilometre course.
Tour de France podium finisher Geraint Thomas’ bid for gold stalled when the Welshman clipped a barrier and fell awkwardly to the ground.
Separately, England’s Dan Bigham lost time when he crashed on a corner and his bicycle became stuck in another roadside barrier.
Dennis managed to avoid any issues on the narrow roads and came home in 46:21.24, averaging 48.41km/h over the course. England’s Fred Wright took silver 26 seconds behind, while Thomas had to settle with bronze 28 seconds down.
“It’s an honour. It’s great to finally get on the top step at a Commonwealth Games, or anything ending in ‘Games’,” Dennis said.
“Finally, I can repay a lot of friends and family that have always backed me and helped me out to get to this point.”
The 32-year-old said the competition for the top spot on the podium was getting greater, with the younger competitors coming through the ranks.
“There are a lot of young guys coming through. Fred Wright is one that’s made huge leaps and bounds in the last couple of years. And Ethan Hayter, who didn’t make it to these Games,” he said.
“I don’t want to call myself old, but I am getting old for a cyclist.”
Australian Luke Plapp finished fifth on the day, with a mechanical taking the 21-year-old out of medal contention.
He made a fast start, but a jammed chain on a fast downhill section forced Plapp to stop and change bikes, a slow bike change that saw him move to his spare bike.
“I started out brilliantly. I was really stoked with how I was feeling,” Plapp said.
“Unfortunately, the chain came off and that was it, I think. Once that came off – it’s a game of seconds this race, with such class acts coming behind – I knew it was pretty much over as soon as something went wrong.
“I would’ve had to have a perfect ride to pull it off and unfortunately, it wasn’t that.”
