World time trial champion Fabian Cancellara (CSC) has won a victory in front of his compatriots. Cancellara won Stage 1 of the Tour de Suisse, a 3.8 km time trial in Olten, in 4:20.90. Daniele Bennati (Lampre) finished second at 0:07.96, and Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d? Epargne) took third at 0:08.13.

Gianni Meersman (Discovery Channel) set the early standard with a 4:34. Thirteen riders later, Swiss rider Beat Zberg (Gerolsteiner) pipped Meersman by 0:02. Just minutes later, however, Stuart O?Grady (CSC) took the lead with a 4:30.

Bennati outdid O?Grady with a 4:28. When riders such as Gutierrez, Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner), Andreas Kloden (Astana), Vladimir Karpets (Caisse d?Epargne), Frank Schleck (CSC), and Thomas Dekker (Rabobank) could not better Bennati?s time, the Italian began to look like a winner. Cancellara, however, was the penultimate starter.

Cancellara powered over the course and won by a huge margin for such a short time trial. Two-time world time trial champion Michael Rogers (T-Mobile), the last starter, had to settle for 38^th place at 0:16. Cancellara will wear the yellow jersey in front of his compatriots.

In the overall, Cancellara leads Bennati by 0:08 and Gutierrez by 0:09. Stage 1, a 157-km run from Olten to Lucerne, could end in a bunch sprint, but an escapee could win the day as well. The stage has an Category 3 climb and a Category 4 ascent in the last 25 km. An escape or a cavalry charge? Which will it be? Who will win? Will anyone take Cancellara?s yellow jersey? For the answers to these questions and others, check in at www.roadcycling.com!