Bradley Wiggins claimed World Championship time trial silver behind Germany’s Tony Martin, who produced an unstoppable ride to win gold in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Martin finished third in 2009 and 2010 but arrived in Denmark as red-hot favourite after claiming victories against the clock in the Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana, Criterium du Dauphine, Paris-Nice, Volta ao Algarve and Tour of the Basque Country this season.

And the 26-year-old lived up to his billing, clocking 53.43.85 minutes on the 46.4km course, with Wiggins one minute, 16 seconds back in second.

Four-time champion Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) was forced to settle for third a further four seconds adrift after overshooting a corner in the closing stages.

Martin set a remarkable pace from the first pedal stroke and soon swept past David Millar, who claimed silver behind Cancellara in Australia last year and finished seventh this time out.

Martin’s compatriot Bert Grabsch set the early pace and Wiggins, with Martin and Cancellara among the riders starting after him, was just three seconds off the lead after the first of two laps.

But Wiggins went on to produce a superb final effort to overhaul the German and move into the virtual lead with ten riders to finish.

Wiggins labelled the course as “perfect” before the time trial got underway, and having raced at the Vuelta a Espana earlier this month, planned to use the event to gauge how his body may react between next year’s Tour de France and the Olympic Games.

A silver medal marks another step in what has been a remarkable turnaround for the 31-year-old, who crashed out of July’s Tour with a broken collar bone, only to return to finish third overall at the Vuelta before stepping onto the podium once again in Denmark.

Cancellara consistently set the second fastest split times but, with Wiggins’ blistering final sector to contend with, the Swiss rider, who had won every World Championship entered since 2006, first came close to clipping a barrier before later having to briefly stop after overshooting a corner, which eventually cost the Swiss rider second place.

The day, however, belonged to Martin, who came of age to cap a remarkable year once again on the top step of the podium.

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Results

1) Tony Martin (Germany) 53:43.85
2) Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) +1:15.83
3) Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) +1:20.59
4) Bert Grabsch (Germany) +1:31.76
5) Jack Bobridge (Australia) +2:13.86
6) Richie Porte (Australia) +2:29.54
7) David Millar (Great Britain) +2:45.62
8] Lieuwe Westra (Netherlands) +3:18.52
9) Alexandr Dyachenko (Kazakhstan) +3:19.76
10) Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark) +3:30.5