Cycling:Overall leader Bradley Wiggins took another important step towards his dream of Tour de France glory with an emphatic victory in the race's first major time trial this afternoon.
The Team Sky leader clocked 51 minutes and 24 seconds on the winding 41.5-km course between Arc et Senans and Besancon, to leave all his major rivals gasping for air.
Defending Tour champion Cadel Evans now trails Wiggins by 1:53 overall before the first rest day in the race and with the Alps looming. Vincenzo Nibali, never a specialist against the clock, limited the damage by finishing eighth, 2:07 adrift, but the Italian is already 2:23 behind the Wiggins in the general classification.
Most Tour contenders made it clear a first survey of their chances would be made after the ninth stage but the main lesson learned was that the Wiggins's leading rival in the two weeks to come could be in his own ranks.
Christopher Froome finished second, 35 seconds off the pace. He even beat Olympic and multiple world champion Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, the prologue winner, by 22 seconds. Winner of the first mountain stage of this Tour at La Planche des Belles Filles, the Kenyan-born Froome shines on all terrains and could be a match for his team leader, as was the case in the last Spanish Vuelta, when the pair finished second and third.
Ireland’s Nicolas Roche finished in 23rd place today and remains in the top 10 in the overall standings while Dan Martin came home in 51st place and is 67th overall, some 32 minutes off the lead.