THERE WAS disappointment for Bradley Wiggins on the opening day of the Tour de France yesterday when the British rider once again fell victim to the remarkable strength and speed of the best time triallist in the world, Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland.
While Cancellara was the runaway winner on a technical and hilly 16km course, Wiggins was third, one second behind the overall favourite, Alberto Contador, and 19 seconds adrift of the Olympic time trial champion. Wiggins has three Olympic gold medal
s on the track, but he can't seem to translate that speed into gaining on the flying Swiss, who also beat him in the opening leg in London two years ago.
It was a blow for Wiggins, who lost weight over the winter in a bid to improve his performances on the road, though he could still be rewarded in the coming days, especially if his Garmin-Slipstream team can win Tuesday's team time trial, and by enough to put him in the yellow jersey. His team director, Jonathan Vaughters, certainly thinks so, saying last night that "I'll be surprised if Bradley doesn't wear yellow at some point in this Tour – and Tuesday is our best shot."
Inevitably, though, the top three were overshadowed by the rider making his return to the Tour after four years of "sitting on my ass drinking beer" – or so Lance Armstrong claims. Yesterday, rolling back the years and looking every bit as lean as he did during his seven-year domination of this race, he pulled his first surprise, requesting an early start.
And so at 4.18pm, as the crowds were just beginning to gather in Monaco, many of them disembarking from trains arriving from Nice and Cannes, Armstrong appeared in the start house and awaited the five-second countdown to one of the most eagerly anticipated, and controversial, comebacks.
His early start meant that he was out on the course a full three hours before the other favourites, which was enough to provoke the first intrigue. What was he thinking? Regulars at the Monaco Grand Prix believed they knew: it often rains here in the late afternoon, and it was possible that the early conditions could be far more favourable than later on.
A build-up of grey clouds at lunchtime suggested that Armstrong had once again called it right – but no. The rain held off, and the conditions remained the same throughout. So while Armstrong's performance was solid – he looked strong, if not as smooth as in his pomp – it was no surprise that he began to slide down the leader board as the later contenders came in. Still, he expressed satisfaction with his final position of tenth.
"It was very technical and hard to find a good rhythm," said Armstrong of the course. "I'm four years away from racing, and I did the best I could. The best way to sum it up is that I had fun. I was feeling pretty good, but I didn't expect to win or take yellow."
Armstrong admitted that he had felt "a little nervous" before the start. "I didn't feel comfortable (on the bike]. It's a long time since I had those good sensations, but I felt like I knew the course well. Even if I can't win, I'm having a good time, and I'm happy to be here."
The last time the Tour opened with such a long time trial was 2000, when Armstrong, defending the first in his sequence of seven victories, was upstaged by a young Scot making his Tour debut. Yesterday, on a course just half-a-kilometre longer than the one on which he triumphed nine years ago, David Millar finished four seconds behind Armstrong, for a final placing of fourteenth: a respectable if unspectacular performance.
"I'm happy with that," said Millar, who almost came a cropper on one of the bends, appearing to misjudge it, locking up his back wheel and doing well to remain upright. "It was a beautiful course, but I did enter one corner a bit fast and had to do a bit of speedway to avoid coming off.
"I didn't have any expectations of winning and taking the yellow jersey," Millar added. "So I enjoyed it. And I'm looking forward to (Tuesday's] team time trial."
Millar rides in the same team as Wiggins, and he revealed that they have been putting special emphasis on Tuesday's team event in Montpellier. If Wiggins does fulfil the prediction made for him by his team director then he will become the first Briton in yellow in nine years – in other words, since Millar.
All the overall contenders lost time yesterday to Contador, whose performance cements his status as outstanding favourite. At this stage the time gaps may not be significant, but Contador's form – particularly in setting the fastest time to the top of the hill – is ominous. Cadel Evans, second the last two years, conceded five seconds to the Spaniard, while Carlos Sastre, the defending Tour champion, lost 48 seconds.
Another back-marker was Mark Cavendish, who will fancy today's first road stage if it finishes in the expected bunch sprint. Cavendish took it relatively easy yesterday, finishing 177th – fourth from last.
THIS WEEK'S STAGESTODAY: STAGE 2
Monaco to Brignoles (187km) The sprinters could have a chance to shine if their teams can control this tricky stage with four minor climbs.
MONDAY: STAGE 3
Marseille to La Grande Motte (196.5km)Strong winds likely. Being at the back of the peloton could prove costly.
TUESDAY: STAGE 4
Team time trial in Montpellier (39km)A battle expected between Contador and Armstrong's Astana and the Schleck brothers' Saxo Bank teams but Garmin are the favourites.
WEDNESDAY: STAGE 5
Le Cap d'Agde to Perpignan (196.5km) The sprinters' teams are expected to have it their way on a mostly flat stage.
THURSDAY: STAGE 6
Gerona to Barcelona, Spain (181.5km)With the line at the top of Montjuic, a strong finisher is likely to prevail.
FRIDAY: STAGE 7
Barcelona to Arcalis, Andorra (224km)The Tour enters the mountains early and brutally.
SATURDAY: STAGE 8
Andorra La Velha to St Girons (176.5km)With only two category-one climbs, the favourites should not be in danger.
