Cancellera wins Tour de France prologue
Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara will wear the leader's yellow jersey on stage one of the Tour de France on Sunday.
Cancellara posted the fastest time – 19 minutes 32.14 seconds – in the 15.5km prologue time-trial around Monaco on Saturday.
The 28-year-old Olympic time-trial champion showed his class with an impressive performance on the twisting and challenging course. He wiped 19 seconds off the previous fastest time set by Bradley Wiggins, who finished third.
Seven-times Tour champion Lance Armstrong, who is back after nearly four years in retirement, finished tenth in a time of 20min 12sec – 40 seconds behind the winner.
“It’s been a hard time to get back to the top of my form and now to have the yellow after a beautiful race is something that I really appreciate,” said Cancellara, who recently won Switzerland’s multistage race, the Tour de Suisse. “I’ll enjoy it for as long as possible.”
The 96th Tour de France will cover 3,460km (2,150 miles) and roll through six countries before finishing in Paris on July 26. Racers will dip into Switzerland on July 19 and 21 for tough stages in the Alps near Verbier and Martigny.
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