Pereiro out for top 10

Oscar Pereiro, who placed an overall tenth last year at his first Tour de France, would like to improve on that performance this year. "All spots between nine and one are very good. It's very difficult to make your way up to the podium. It's one of my dreams and at the same time something I'm hoping for," he said. At yesterdays' time trial, he limited his losses, but nevertheless finished only 58th at 2.06 off Tabriskie.

"I had hoped for a better result," he said, "but at the same time I lost only one minute on the main favourites except Armstrong of course. The parcours wasn't my cup of tea at all: I like it when there are lots of curves. But this was just dead straight."

As for his GC aspirations, experience is on the side of Tour de France favourite Lance Armstrong, Oscar Pereiro openly admits. "But on the downhill sections and in the peloton I'm stronger," he said, summing up his advantages over the American. Nevertheless, the team's result is the most important thing for the 28 year-old Spaniard, who will support his teammates Floyd Landis or Santiago Botero all the way. "I like the course [of this year's Tour] a lot. But the mountains will be very difficult. I'll have to keep my rear end pressed into the saddle so I'll lose as little time as possible."

Indeed, Landis or Botero are better-placed than Pereiro at the moment, and could become serious threats for Armstrong's seventh Tour de France bid. Floyd Landis is only one minute down of his former teammate, and the Columbian Botero 1.28. "I'm very satisfied with my time trial," Landis said. "I knew that Armstrong was going to be good as it has always been like that. No need to get hyped though, it's only the first day."