Switzerland's Olympic time-trial champion Fabian Cancellara won the first stage of the Tour de France on Saturday in a time of 19 minutes 32.14 seconds in the 15.5km time-trial around Monaco to claim the yellow jersey.

The 28-year-old 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, showed he still has the potential to worry the leaders as he finished 10th in a time of 20min 12sec - 40 seconds behind the winner.

Armstrong's Astana team-mate Alberto Contador, the 2007 Tour winner, claimed second 18 seconds behind the winner while defending champion Carlos Sastre finished one minute and eight seconds off Cancellera's pace.

AFP

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