Cycling-Martin claims world time trial gold

* Martin in another league

* Cancellara goes off track as he loses his title

* First road world championships podium for Wiggins (Adds details, quotes)

Tony Martin gave Germany their second gold medal at the road world championships when he won the time trial in convincing fashion on Wednesday.

A day after compatriot Judith Arndt claimed the title in the women's time trial, Martin clocked a best time of 53 minutes 43.85 seconds over the 46.4-km course, beating Briton Bradley Wiggins by 1:15.83 and four-times champion Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland by 1:20.59.

Having won time trials in the Tour de France and the Tour of Spain this season, the 26-year-old German set a best time at every time check to improve on his 2009 and 2010 performances when he had to settle for bronze medals.

"I found a good rhythm. After one or two kilometres, I had perfect legs, I was fast and had a good position," Martin, who like Wiggins and Cancellara rode the Tour of Spain earlier this month, told a news conference.

"Everything was perfect. After the first time check I was confident this was going to be my day, my race."

Cancellara had looked set for silver but the Swiss, who also won the time trial gold medal at the 2008 Olympics, gradually faded away and lost considerable ground near the finish when he went off against the safety barrier.

"I could not find a good rhythm today," said Cancellara.

"Maybe mentally I cracked a bit. I lost my concentration for a millisecond but it's not an excuse."

'DIFFERENT LEVEL'

Wiggins, a three-times pursuit Olympic champion, made a cautious start before sneaking time off fourth-placed German Bert Grabsch to secure his first podium finish at a road world championships.

Wiggins, who broke his collarbone during the Tour de France in July, has been in good form since he returned to action last month, finishing third overall in the Tour of Spain.

"Things have been getting better all the time since my crash in July so I did not expect anything, went out, did my ride, did not take a radio so I was unaware of what was going on," he told a news conference.

"I knew I was on a good ride and after that in terms of expectations you always hope you can get a medal and on the right day maybe even win it, but it takes something special, really special, to beat Tony today -- he was at a different level."

With the Tour de France still a target for the Team Sky rider, 2012 is expected to be a tough year as Wiggins will also be taking part in the London Olympics.

Riding the Vuelta and the world championships served their purpose as Wiggins could see whether it was manageable to ride a grand Tour and a championship in succession with the Tour and the Olympics being less than a week apart next year.

"I think I've recovered from a grand Tour pretty quickly. That's the best thing. Go to a grand Tour and within seven or eight days be producing a threshold of power. It was a good test," he said.

"But in terms of next year ... I haven't had time to think about it. Got too many options."

Having now finished on the podium in a grand Tour and won medals on the road and on the track, Wiggins will have to make choices.

"I will do that in the winter," he said.