Green jersey here I come?

ByEurosport

Published 05/06/2006 at 12:09 GMT

The Dauphiné has always proven a fine prologue for the Tour, and in Monday's sprint stage the green jersey pretenders will be out in force. Thor Hushovd, last year's points winner at the Tour de France, has already made his intentions clear for Stage 1 of

CYCLING 2006 Gent-Wevelgem Petacchi Hushovd Kopp

Image credit: Reuters

The 207-kilometre trip from Annecy to Bourgoin-Jallieu is the longest of the Criterium Dauphiné Libéré, but before a tricky week in the Alps, the first stage is one of the flattest, easiest rides.

Crédit Agricole's Hushovd finished an impressive 14th in the race's opening time-trial, nine seconds behind overall leader and prologue winner David Zabriskie.

"I'm happy with my performance, I didn't finish very far behind the best specialists," Hushovd told Cyclingnews after Sunday's race.

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"Now I hope for a bunch sprint tomorrow, then everything can happen. My form is very satisfying these days."

Hushovd has had a satisfying season thus far winning the points classification at the Volta à Catalunya and claiming his first victory in a spring semi-classic with a victory at Gent - Wevelgem - Wevelgem back in April.

The big Norwegian beat out David Kopp and Alessandro Petacchi in that bitter bunch sprint, and his rivals at the Dauphiné will be equally hungry.

Zabriskie's CSC team-mate Stuart O'Grady put on an excellent time-trial with a third-place showing on Sunday, and should be a player in any final sprint at Bourgoin-Jallieu.

Italians Filippo Pozzato, Francesco Chicchi (Quick Step) and Danilo Napolitano (Lampre) also hope to play a part, with the Milan-Sanremo victor Pozzato challenging Hushovd in classics credentials.

Overall contenders George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Alexandre Vinokourov and Alejandro Valverde will be content to conserve energy and stay in the peloton, but with the point bonuses watch out for a new race leader by the end of the day.

The fastest to the line on Monday should be wearing yellow on Tuesday.

Follow LIVE coverage of the Criterium Dauphiné Libéré all week long right here on www.eurosport.com.