Prologue   TT

Moreau's Day For Yellow Under the cover of dark grey clouds, Christophe Moreau arrived at the finishline of the 8.2 kilometer prologue course with a golden glow. As the fourth last rider to start - a position earned courtesy of his fourth-place overall in last year's race - he had to cope with the threat of rain and the knowledge that he could do nothing about the strength of two other time trial favourites who would follow: Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong. With his open-mouthed, shoulder-rocking style which milks every ounce of power from his tall frame, he pushed on to post an average speed of 52.714kph. The standard was set and he had to wait a tortorous fistful of minutes to realize the reality that he'd not only earned his first yellow jersey, but the first yellow moment in the history of the Festina team. As the favourites prepared for their assault on the flat course around the streets of Dunkerque, the clouds couldn't conjure rain, the wind eased and Moreau eclipsed the time of ONCE's Igor Gonzalez Galdeano. From then, it was wait and see... and eventually celebrate. In a day void climbs, it was Festina - a team formerly renown for it's mountain goats - which worked its way into two of the three leaders' jerseys on offer. The yellow (for Moreau) and the white of Best Young Rider for Moreau's apprentice Florent Brard who finished fifth. The defending champion, Lance Armstrong, need not risk falling for the gain of a few seconds so early, and his third place today was an impressive sign of his intentions this July. And a fall by last year's first time trial victor, David Millar, in the closing kilometers proved that being caught in the hype of the Tour can cost you dearly. Jan Ullrich confirmed his consistency with his fourth place, but why battle for seconds now when it'll be the minutes in the mountains which matter most for his ambitions of dethroning Armstrong from his position as king of the Tour?