Gusev upstages Germans

Gerdemann set off at a blistering pace, brimming with adrenaline after being named as co-leader for the T-Mobile team in their home race. Hot on his heels was German time-trial champion Sebastian Lang, and the pair took advantage of a drying course to put time between themselves and the field.

Lang grimaced as he squeezed out every last drop of energy down the final straight under darkening skies, but was ultimately finished just a fraction of a second behind his compatriot.

Gerdemann commented: “Five kilometres is actually not my ideal distance. I prefer it a bit longer, but today everything worked out well for me. I've prepared well for this race. We'll see how it goes.”

Just when it seemed that would be the final result as the rain began to fall again on the banks of the Rhine, Vladimir Gusev shocked the crowd, stopping the clock in 6:42.91 to secure the yellow jersey.

The Russian (left) then faced an anxious wait as Alexander Vinokourov and Levi Leipheimer set off in pursuit, but by the intermediate split after 3.3km it was clear that neither would be in reach of Gusev at the finish.

Vinokourov finished ten seconds adrift, while Levi Leipheimer lost a full forty seconds on the leaders. Gerdemann's co-leader Patrik Sinkewitz recorded a respectable 7'02”.

Erik Zabel set himself up for a possible home victory tomorrow as the stage passes by his home town of Unna, clocking 6'57” and admitted “I was never a great time-triallist. Today I was a little lucky with the weather.”

Far less lucky was Zabel's compatriot, Stefan Schumacher. The Gerolsteiner rider was undone in the slippery conditions and fell on a sharp corner, eventually finishing almost a minute and a half off the pace

“I'm very frustrated. Other riders had warned me beforehand, and I went into the corner very carefully, but it was like sheet ice. Now I'll have to concentrate on stage wins” said Schumacher.

The prologue – though only a short burst - underlines Gusev's potential. His excellent form for Team CSC last season, in which he became the Russian time-trial champion, earned him a move to Discovery Channel for 2006, and though he narrowly missed out on selection for the Tour de France, he has an opportunity to shine in Germany this week.