American David Zabriskie rode into the yellow jersey Sunday on the prologue of this week's Dauphiné Libéré bike race.
Finishing less than 2 seconds behind in the 2.5-mile time trial was George Hincapie, another American favorite. Still another American finished in the top 10 — Floyd Landis — at 9th.
The Dauphiné Libéré runs through next Sunday, finishing in Grenoble. Considered the best and last warm-up for the Tour de France, which begins July 1st, the bicycle race includes a finish atop the steep Mont Ventoux. (Jan Ullrich favors the upcoming Tour de Suisse.)
Zabriskie, from Utah, is trying for a spot on Team CSC's Tour de France squad. Even though the cyclist became only the third American to wear the Tour's yellow jersey when he won the prologue last year, he has to earn a place on this year's squad because the team is riding for the goal of placing Ivan Basso as this year's Tour champion.
This is Hincapie's (Discovery Channel) first race since crashing in the Paris-Roubaix due to a bicycle malfunction. Floyd Landis of Phonak has won three one-week races this year — the tours of California and Georgia and the Paris-Nice.
Monday's stage is 128 miles from Annecy to Bourgoin-Jallieu.
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