Orica-GreenEDGE wins second silver medal for Australia at cycling world championships in Spain

ORICA-GREENEDGE has won silver in the team time trial at the world championships, matching Orica-AIS’s result in the women’s meet.

Team BMC of the U.S. competes to win the men's team trial event over 57.1 kilometers (35.5 miles) at the Road Cycling World Championships in Ponferrada, north-western Spain, Sunday Sept. 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

ORICA-GREENEDGE has won silver in the team time trial at the world championships for the second year running after missing out on gold to surprise winners BMC.

The United States BMC team, which included Australia’s Rohan Dennis, set a blistering pace around the hilly 57.1km course in north-western Spain to finish in a time of 1 hour 3 minutes 29.85 seconds.

GreenEDGE was 31 seconds back but four seconds ahead of 2012 and 2013 champions Omega Pharma-Quick Step who claimed bronze.

The Australian outfit was beaten by just 0.8 seconds in the TTT last year and had vowed to turn the tables on the Belgian OPQS team on Sunday.

They did that, just, but hadn’t factored in BMC returning to the form that saw them claim silver in 2012.

Dennis is a new addition to the US outfit having switched from Garmin-Sharp less than two months ago.

Silver medallists Australia's Orica-AIS team pose on the podium. Picture: AFP/MIGUEL RIOPA

The 24-year-old will be Australia’s only rider in the individual time trial on Wednesday.

Britain’s Team Sky finished fourth in the TTT after losing two riders early and struggling in the later stages as a result.

GreenEDGE on the other hand worked well as a unit improving their position at every time check along the Ponferrada course.

The six-man team included four Australians: Luke Durbridge, Brett Lancaster, Michael Hepburn and Damien Howson.

It was rounded out by Canadian Svein Tuft and Jens Mouris from the Netherlands.

The silver medal was Australia’s second for the day after Orica-AIS earlier claimed silver in the women’s team time trial.

Australia is arguably the most dominant nation at the week-long world championships with favourites in the TTT, the under-23 road race and the flagship elite men’s road race.