Lang the best for Gerolsteiner

German Sebastian Lang was the best rider for Gerolsteiner in the Dauphiné prologue, placing fourth at 6.91 seconds and missing the podium by under a second. "Seppl can be very satisfied with his result, however," said team director Christian Henn. "That was a start, we can all live with that."

The same applied to captain Levi Leipheimer, who lost 16 seconds and finished in only 48th place. But Leipheimer remains one of the favourites for the overall victory. "This is in no way dramatic," said Henn. "Levi lies with his people" (referring to the positions of the other GC riders).

Henn further explained the time loss: "There were technical problems with his handlebar during the race. That cost him some seconds. But in any case, it should go ok now."