Intro:

Tony Martin of Germany wins third straight title in the individual time trial at the Road Cycling World Championships with a dominant performance in Italy on Wednesday (25th September), while reigning Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins finished a distant second.

Script:

The Road Cycling World Championships continued in Florence on Wednesday - with the men's Individual Time Trial.

Despite the hype - there was disappointment for Sir Bradley Wiggins, who finished second.

Tony Martin of Germany took the win for his third straight title in the Individual Time Trial at the Road Cycling World Championships after what was a dominant display.

Martin completed the nearly entirely flat 35.5-mile route from Montecatini Terme to Florence in one hour, five minutes and 36.65 seconds.

Wiggins, of Britain, finished second, 46.09 seconds behind, and Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland was third.

Cancellara won the event a record four times, in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 - and Martin is the second rider to win three consecutive titles after Michael Rogers of Australia did it from 2003-05.
Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus finished fourth and Taylor Phinney, the American who finished second last year, was fifth.

Martin has now won nine of 12 individual time trials this year, including one at the Tour de France.
Martin's average speed was 52.911 kph (32.88 mph).

For Wiggins, the silver medal capped a somewhat disappointing year.

In 2012, Wiggins became the first British rider to win the Tour de France but he missed this year's race due to injury and illness after also withdrawing from the Giro d'Italia midway through.

Wiggins won the Tour of Britain earlier this week in a sign of improved form but Chris Froome, this year's Tour de France winner, will lead Britain's team in Sunday's road race.

01:44 SOUNDBITE: (english) Tony Martin, Germany:

"When I saw the car of (Fabian) Cancellara for the first time..I mean, it gave a lot of motivation and it pushed me a lot so the race it suits me perfectly on the road but I just go, full full gas and the thing was really one of the best time trials, next to Copenhagen, that I ever did."