Prologue in progress

Sebastian Lang of Gerolsteiner, the German time trial champion, is the early leader, finishing the 7.1 kilometers in 8:21. Stuart O'Grady of CSC is 2nd, for now, 13 hundredths behind.

Chris Horner was briefly the prologue leader, coming in in 8:32.

All the serious GC threats are yet to come, and Lang's time is unlikely to stand at day's end.

Discovery Channel will be starting George Hincapie last today, right after CSC sends David Zabriskie.

Yaroslav Popovych and Bobby Julich are on the course. Julich is so smooth, even with the funky elliptical chainrings. He's got a very quiet upper body, where Popovych is more of a rocker.

Here comes Patrik Sinkewitz in 8:33, and the French TT champion, Sylvain Chavanel of Cofidis is out of the start house.

Julich 8:35.84, Popovych 8:37.02. Viatcheslav Ekimov finished in 8:34.

Chavanel finishes in 8:39 or so.

Robbie McEwen comes in with an 8:45.33, pretty good for a pure sprinter.

T-Mobile's Andreas Klöden is on the course.

Discovery Channel's 2005 Giro d'Italia winner Paolo Savoldelli is on the course. He's hit the midpoint in 4:05, tied for best with Joost Posthuma.

Saunier Duval's David Millar is off! Millar is 5 days off suspension, and will clearly have something to prove.

Brad Wiggins goes next, pedaling hard out of the starthouse. The Cofidis track rider is on the team primarily to try to win this stage.

Klöden comes in at 8:34.41.

Savoldelli 8:25.02 is 3rd place at the moment.

Hushovd is off, and now Tom Boonen.

Props to Chris Horner; we're down into the last 20, and he still sits 7th.

Floyd Landis missed his start! Something delayed him, and he wasn't waiting when the countdown started, and he pretty much rolled through the starthouse. I think he lost 8 seconds. Maybe he can make it up from the adrenaline.

David Millar comes in at 8:31. So much for my pick on the day. Wiggins came in a little faster, top 10 for now.

God of Thunder! Thor Hushovd sets a new best at 8:17!

Moreau on the course.

Boonen 8:28.21. Landis was 8 seconds off the best time at the intermediate check, which is about what he lost. Zabriskie is counting down, and he's off. Hincapie is off, last man on the course.

Alejandro Valverde brings an 8:21.92. Cunego is finishing now, with an 8:58.44, not good.

Here's Landis, with an 8:26.26, pretty much the difference he lost in the start house.

Cadel Evans 8:30. World TT champion Michael Rogers is coming on fast, he was 4 seconds back at the time check. Zabriskie is 1 second off at the time check.

Leipheimer isn't going to be top 5 -- he's come in at 8:38.6. Hincapie is exactly tied with Zabriskie at the time check.

Moreau is in at 8:30.73, 12th at the time. Rogers 8:23.3.

Here comes Zabriskie. He doesn't make it: 8:21.21.

Hincapie is the only one who can catch Hushovd! Hincapie coming up the last stretch, looks like he can get it, and he's come in at 8:17.73, just edged out by Hushovd!

Credit Agricole's Norwegian Thor Hushovd will take the race lead.