Hushovd offers first surprise of drugs-hit Tour de France

Norwegian Thor Hushovd was the surprise winner of time trial prologue yesterday when the Tour de France, shorn of its pre-race favourites, began under a doping cloud. The Credit Agricole rider set a time of eight minutes 17 seconds on the 7.1-km flat course along the wide avenues of Strasbourg.

George Hincapie, the new leader of the Discovery Channel team, was less than a second behind after being last down the starting ramp.

Another American, David Zabriskie (CSS), had to content himself with third place, four seconds adrift of Hushovd. The American rider, who defeated Lance Armstrong by two seconds in last year's Tour prologue and won the Dauphine Libere's opening short time trial last June, was regarded as the hot favourite.

Sebastian Lang of Germany was fourth and Spain's Alejandro Valverde fifth.

Hushovd is one of the best sprinters in the peloton but is not regarded as a time trial specialist.

David Millar, winner of the 2000 Tour prologue, was making his return to action after a two-year doping ban. He was 17th, 15 seconds behind Hushovd.

Hushovd will wear the race leader's yellow jersey during today's 184.5-km first road stage around Strasbourg but his leadership should be short-lived.

His win confirmed the 2006 Tour could be the most open race for years after Armstrong's retirement and the withdrawal of the two main pretenders to succeed the American, Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso.

The German and the Italian were swept away by a doping tidal wave on the eve of the start of the race. The top five from the 2005 race have either retired or been withdrawn.