Switzerland's Alex Zülle has won the opening prologue of this year's Tour de Suisse, overcoming tight turns and sizzling temperatures to grab the race's first golden jersey.

The 33-year-old from St Gallen finished the 5.7km Lucerne course with the day's fastest time of seven minutes and 37 seconds, more than five seconds ahead of second-placed Italian, Giuseppe Di Grande.

"I'm happy to have rode well today but I don't know what tomorrow will bring or the next three or four days," Zülle told swissinfo in the finish area. "I have always said that the prologue is just a show, a discipline certainly, but it's what's coming up that counts and that will be difficult."

Switzerland's Laurent Dufaux and Daniel Schnider took third and tenth places respectively to complete a great day in the sunshine for the homegrown favourites.

The riders - who had to cope with temperatures of up to 34 degrees - are bound to be hoping for slightly cooler conditions on Wednesday, when they begin the first stage proper, a 172km stretch from Lucerne to the northern city of Schaffhausen.

by Mark Ledsom, Lucerne

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