Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland won the prologue of the Tour de France on Saturday, with the seven-time champion Lance Armstrong finishing an impressive fourth at the start of what he is saying will be his last Tour.
Cancellara, who won the prologue of the Tour of Switzerland last month, clocked 10 minutes for the individual time trial along 8.9km (5.5 miles) of rain-dampened roads in Rotterdam. Germany's Tony Martin, who led for most of the day, was second, 10 seconds back, and David Millar of Britain came third 20 seconds off the pace.
Armstrong trailed 22 seconds back in fourth. Perhaps most impressively, the American edged out Alberto Contador of Spain, the defending Tour champion and runaway pre-race favourite.
Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) took to the road in a downpour and finished 77th on the day, 56 seconds adrift of Cancellara and 34 behind Armstrong.
Cancellara will wear the race leader's yellow jersey for Sunday's 223.5km first stage across wind-swept lowlands from Rotterdam to Brussels.
The three-week race ends on 25 July in Paris.