Cancellara, In A Blink Of An Eye – 97th Tour de France, Prologue
One hundred and ninety-seven* men would start today's Prologue in Rotterdam, but at the end the story would be written by only four of them.
Tony Martin (Team HTC-Columbia), one of the revelations of last year's Tour de France, was given the dubious honor of being one of the first riders, 11th, out of the start house. The wearer of the maillot blanc, for best young rider, for 12 days and runner-up on last year's Stage 20 up Mont Ventoux; however, had more ambitious plans than simply being the hare to the wolves, who were sitting in wait well down the start list.
The 25-year old German went out and set the early, best mark, covering the 8.9km route in 10'10". He would sit anxiously and hopefully in the hot seat as one rider after another failed to best his mark. As the final three riders took to the road, it finally became apparent that he might lose his grip on the Prologue when 196th rider out of the start house came in under his intermediate mark.
Ultimately, Martin would only have to slide down one spot into second, losing the honor of wearing the first maillot jaune of the 2010 Tour de France by only 10 seconds. Though disappointed the HTC-Columbia rider garnered a measure of solace in the fact that it took the quality of a World Time Trial Champion to beat him.
Fabian Cancellara (Team Saxo Bank) came out as he usually does in the shorter time trial events, with engine revved on high and his piston-like legs firing in concert. Next to last coming out of the start house, the current World Time Trial Champion wasted little time in proving that he deserved each and everyone of those championship stripes. With Martin's time clearly in his sight, Cancellara came in under the young German's time by 10" at day's end. For his efforts, the Swiss rider would once again take home the most honored prize of the race, the maillot jaune.
* Xavier Florencio of the Cervelo TestTeam was a non-starter.
Its Not Just About Two Guys, Really?
Though the Tour organizers may have their faults, they are not without a sense of history. They understand that much of what makes the Tour, well The Tour, are the rivalries among its teams and between its riders.
With the exception of the final starting spot in an opening time trial event, which is usually reserved for the previous year's winner, each starting assignment is up to their discretion. So it was not without coincidence that Lance Armstrong (Team Radio Shack) and Alberto Contador (Astana) started only one rider apart in today's 8.9km Prologue.
As the two took to the road, all the hype surrounding their rivalry and seeming disdain for each other, whether real or manufactured, overshadowed everything else in the race. For a moment, it was not about who would win the stage, as someone eventually has to, but more about who would get the first jab in, who would draw first blood.
When it was all said and done, Armstrong took home a bigger prize than an opening day stage win. The Texan was able to put 5" into his biggest rival, and perhaps more importantly placed Contador immediately into a defensive position.
Prologue Results
1. Fabian Cancellara (Team Saxo Bank)
2. Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia)
3. David Millar (Team Garmin-Transitions)
4. Lance Armstrong (Team Radio Shack)
5. Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)
6. Alberto Contador (Astana)
7. Levi Leipheimer (Team Radioshack)
8. Tyler Farrar (Team Garmin-Transitions)
9. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky)
10. Janez Brajkovic (Team Radio Shack)
Argyle In Style
With the Tour spotlight firmly entrenched on Armstrong and Contador, it would be easy to overlook the efforts put in by a pair of Team Garmin-Transitions riders, David Millar and Tyler Farrar.
Without the weight of external pressure and expectation, Millar finally showed his talents in the event for which he known. A former British National Pursuit and Time Trial champion, Millar would finish third on the day.
I'm satisfied, I was hoping to go well and, contrary to my usual performances of late, I actually went well, said Millar afterward. "The wet roads weren't nearly as hazardous as I thought they'd be. There were one or two corners where I was too cautious. I knew I was going really fast and I didn't want to be slapped off and make a fool of myself. I'm 33 after all. I followed Tyler and had a look at the course beforehand and I'm blown away by how fast he went. It fills me and, no doubt, our team with confidence for the coming days."
While many expected Millar to do well in the Prologue, the same cannot be said for his teammate Tyler Farrar. The former Classics man turned sprinter sat in second place for most of the day and finally finished in eighth.
"It was really a surprise. I went into today assuming that I was just riding to get through to the sprint stages and I happened to have a good ride," commented Farrar on his performance. "I think I'm as surprised as anyone. And pleased."
The high placing will certainly help Farrar in the chase for the maillot vert.
General Classification After Prologue
1. Fabian Cancellara (Team Saxo Bank)
2. Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia)
3. David Millar (Team Garmin-Transitions)
4. Lance Armstrong (Team Radio Shack)
5. Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)
6. Alberto Contador (Astana)
7. Levi Leipheimer (Team Radioshack)
8. Tyler Farrar (Team Garmin-Transitions)
9. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky)
10. Janez Brajkovic (Team Radio Shack)
Jersey Leaders After Prologue
maillot jaune - Fabian Cancellara (Team Saxo Bank)
maillot vert - David Millar (Team Garmin-Transitions)
maillot blanc - Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia)
Next: Stage 1 - Rotterdam to Bruxelles (225.5km)
A long, but relatively flat stage awaits. Look for the sprinters to have their day. Follow our LIVE Tour de France coverage of Stage 1 on LIVESTRONG.com.
Photo: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images
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