BMC Racing Team's Silvan Dillier rode to the gold medal and his first victory of the season Wednesday at the Swiss national time trial championships.

Dillier powered his BMC timemachine TM01 to a winning time of 50:03.76 on the 39.4-kilometer course that comprised two laps of a hilly circuit. He was 1:16 faster than runner-up Reto Hollenstein (IAM Cycling), who was two seconds faster than third-placed Steve Morabito (FDJ).

"This is a nice victory for me," Dillier said. "The title is always nice to have and it is a good push for the season because I have had some bad luck in a few races. Now it is all coming together."

Dillier was the last rider to start, but said he was not given any time checks.

"The guys taking the time never told me the time gap so I was thinking I was behind and that they did not want to kill my morale," he said. "But actually, I was in front. They didn't tell me because they did not want me to get too excited."

A member of the BMC Racing Team's world team time trial championship squad last fall, Dillier completed his first grand tour, the Giro d'Italia, last month in 52nd place. Earlier this season, he helped Rohan Dennis win the Santos Tour Down Under. Three times as a rider in the Under 23 ranks, he captured Swiss national time trial titles (2010-12).

Dillier said he is looking forward to Sunday's 192-km road race championship, which passes directly by his childhood home.

"We are not the team with the most riders, so that will be different from the past few years," he said. But what counts is how intelligent you ride. It will be a very exciting race for sure."

In other national championship competition Wednesday involving BMC Racing Team riders, Manuel Senni notched a season-best, fifth-place result at the Italian national time trial championships. Senni was 1:45 behind winner Adriano Malori (Movistar Team).

In the Swiss Under 23 time trials Wednesday, BMC Development Team riders Thèry Schir and Tom Bohli finished 1-2. Bohli is one of two riders from the team who will join the BMC Racing Team as a stagiaire on Aug. 1.