Former world hour record holder Rohan Dennis of the BMC Racing Team came up two seconds shy to another past world hour record holder, Matthias Brändle (IAM Cycling), Wednesday in the prologue of the Baloise Belgium Tour.

Brändle, who held the world hour record until Dennis surpassed it in February, clocked a time of seven minutes and 54 seconds in the 6.85-kilometer race. Dennis was runner-up and BMC Racing Team's Greg Van Avermaet and Jempy Drucker were also in the top 10, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively. 

BMC Racing Team Sport Director Max Sciandri said it was disappointing to see Dennis come so close to victory.

"Two seconds hurts," Sciandri said. "Rohan is a guy who can win - and he needs to win these prologues. This is his specialty. Maybe the distance wasn't perfect. But he was up there. It is a little bit disappointing. He gave his best, but the win was within our reach."

Dennis, who won the Santos Tour Down Under in January, was also runner-up in the other prologue he has ridden this year. In March at Paris-Nice, he was less than a second off the winning time of world road champion Michael Kwiatowski (Etixx-Quick Step).

The five-day race continues Thursday with a 157.5-km road race.