The Kiwi cyclist drew to a close his country's involvement in the Commonwealth Games this morning (NZT), winning silver in the men's road race to leave New Zealand's final medal tally at 45.
Bauer came into these Games with memories still painfully fresh of his agony on the Tour de France last month, when he was within seven pedal revolutions of becoming the first Kiwi to win an individual stage on the grandest of tours.
Nothing could completely remedy that type of heart break but, in his efforts at the penultimate event of these Games, with weather so miserable planes had to be diverted from Glasgow Airport, Bauer found his silver lining.
The 29-year-old produced a spectacular performance on the 168km epic around Glasgow city, launching the initial break that saw him guaranteed a medal with as many as two laps remaining.
It was just how the six-strong Kiwi team drew it up. Sure, they didn't count on British road race champion Peter Kennaugh's solo jaunt off the front of the field, riding almost 120km being being reeled in, but the race went according to plan -- almost.
They expected a breakaway to decide the race, they knew in Bauer the possessed one of the field's strongest riders for that element of cycling, and they picked a team to support their man. But they didn't count on Geraint Thomas.
The Welshman proved just too strong for Bauer as the final lap unfolded, making the decisive attack with 11km remaining. Thomas is a veteran of five Tours de France, an Olympic gold medallist and former world record holder on the track.
There was no shame losing to him, and Bauer could have barely done any more. Early on, he rode to his strengths, conserving energy before racing off the front of a lead group of 25 to hunt down Kennaugh before being joined by Thomas and England's Scott Thwaites.
After the trio established enough of an advantage to be assured of a medal each, the only remaining mystery was who would win what. The answer soon came, with Thomas leaving behind him a drained duo battling to respond.
He quickly built a significant lead and looked to be riding away with gold -- until disaster almost struck. A puncture, his second of the race, left him needing a front wheel change and stranded helplessly on the side of the road, with the pursuants closing and the clock ticking.
It would have been an especially cruel way to lose -- and any subsequent victory for Bauer or Thwaites would have surely had a hollow feel. But those emotions never arrived as Thomas got back on his bike with 20-odd seconds to spare.
That left Bauer duelling with Thwaites for both the silver medal and an element of redemption following his failure in France. Thankfully for the Kiwi, he crossed by a nose, ending New Zealand's Games on a high.
- Kris Shannon in Glasgow
