CYCLING - ROAD: Australia’s Michael Rogers has finished a creditable sixth behind Great Britain’s Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins in today’s 44 kilometre men’s road time-trial at Hampton Court Palace.

Rogers, 32, a triple world road champion, averaged almost 50kmh over the undulating 44km course in posting a time of 52min 51.39sec.

But Wiggins was in a class of his own against a top notch field which also included defending Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, and world time-trial champion Tony Martin of Germany.

Wiggins, also a triple gold medallist on the track, averaged more than 52kmh in posting a time of 50min 39.54sec.

This gave him a 42 second winning margin over Martin, with Great Britain teammate Chris Froome, 23, taking out the bronze medal in 51:47.87.

Cancellara, obviously still feeling the effects of his fall in the road race on the opening day of the Games last Saturday, was seventh at 52:53.71.

Spain’s Luis Leon Sanchez, the number five ranked rider before the event, was the unlucky participant.

He dropped his chain with his first pedal stroke on the start platform, and then punctured before finishing 33rd, nearly 6min 20sec behind Wiggins.

Michael Stevens in London

Olympics.com.au