LIEGE, Belgium - Fabian Cancellara gave some joy to his troubled RadioShack Nissan team as the 99th Tour de France began on Saturday, winning his fifth opening-day prologue at cycling's premier race in the same Belgian city where he edged Lance Armstrong eight years ago.
The 31-year-old Swiss rider proved he's positively dominant in time trials over the 4-mile race against the clock in Liege. This time, Cancellara outclassed another Tour title favorite: Bradley Wiggins, aiming to become the first Briton to win the Tour, was 7 seconds behind in second.
Cadel Evans embarked on his title defense in solid form, finishing 13th - but importantly, 10 seconds back of Wiggins, who many see as the main threat to the Australian's hopes of a repeat. Cancellara is unquestionably the world's best time-trial rider, but isn't considered a Tour contender because he often struggles in the mountains.
"What a great opening - again!" Cancellara said. "I did the most I could. It's not always easy. I always do the maximum. ... It's a great feeling and this certainly takes some of the pressure off."
The Tour start offered a welcome return to racing - three weeks and 2,168 miles criss-crossing France, nosing into Switzerland, and scaling climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees before the July 22 finish on Paris' Champs-Elysees. Two other individual time-trials await.
RadioShack, built on the remains of teams that Armstrong led to a record seven Tour victories, has faced a rough patch.
Its current leader, Andy Schleck, is staying home to nurse a spinal injury he sustained in a crash in the Criterium du Dauphine this month; team manager Johan Bruyneel - Armstrong's longtime mentor - is staying away to avoid being a distraction to the team and the race over a U.S. anti-doping case targeting him, Armstrong and four others.
Brushing aside the team's issues, Cancellara said he was focusing "on what I have to do - and that's riding my bike." He said the victory, which he dedicated to his pregnant wife, was doubly rewarding because he broke his collarbone in the Tour of Flanders in April and wasn't sure he'd be at his best for the Tour prologue.
Cancellara has earned the leader's yellow jersey for 22 days in his career, equaling the marks of other greats such as two-time winner Laurent Fignon of France, U.S. triple champion Greg Lemond and Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk.
American Tejay van Garderen, 23, placed fourth - 10 seconds behind Cancellara - and earned the white jersey for the best young Tour rider. Near the other end of the cycling career lifespan, 39-year-old compatriot George Hincapie began his 17th Tour - setting a new record. He placed 22nd.
TV Today
• What: Tour de France, stage 1
• When: 5 a.m.
• TV: NBC Sports Network
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