It's no surprise that Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara, left, would excel at the individual time trial to open the 2009 Vuelta a Espana on Saturday.
The Saxo Bank time trial specialist won a similar opening day at the Tour de France in July and ended up wearing the yellow jersey for nearly the first third of the three-week race.
The big surprise has to be Wenatchee, Washington's Tyler Farrar, who finished in third place. The Garmin Slipstream sprinter finished just 12 seconds out of first place.
The 25-year-old has been on a tear in the second half of August, winning the Vattenfall Cyclassics in Germany and three stages of the Eneco Tour in The Netherlands and Belgium. CyclingNews says Farrar is a favorite to win the sprint stages of the 3-week Vuelta, which opened in Assen, Netherlands, on Saturday.
Stage 2 is a 125-mile flat stage to Emmen that appears to be geared to the sprinters.
And look who finished in 7th place, Alexander Vinokourov, fresh off a two year suspension for doping during the 2007 Tour de France. He's riding for Team Astana.
Although many US cyclists are riding in the US championships in Greenville, South Carolina, this weekend and the Tour of Missouri on Sept. 7 -13, there only two at the Vuelta in addition to Farrar. They are Farrar's teammate, Tom Danielson, and Chris Horner for Astana.
Top 10 overall
1. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Saxo Bank
2. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step – 9 seconds behind
3. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Slipstream – 12 seconds
4. Jens Mouris (Ned) Vacansoleil – 14 seconds
5. Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas – 16 seconds
6. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas – 17 seconds
7. Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana – 18 seconds
8. Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas – same
9. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne – same
10. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas – 19 seconds
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