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Evans finished fifth in a technically-demanding time trial won by Swiss Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara who rides with Stuart O'Grady at the Saxo Bank team.

But arguably the most notable result was enjoyed by the Astana team of 2007 champion Alberto Contador and seven-time winner Lance Armstrong, the Kazakh-backed outfit placing four riders in the top ten.

Contador finished second to Cancellara but only 18secs adrift while two-time runner-up Evans stayed in touch with a promising fifth place finish at 23secs behind the Swiss.

Some other Tour contenders, such as Denis Menchov of Russia and defending champion Carlos Sastre, both finished over a minute in arrears.

Although only the first skirmish in a battle that will really only get nasty in the mountains of the Pyrenees and the Alps, Evans has already been given plenty of food for thought.

With four riders in the top ten - Contador, fourth-placed Andreas Kloden, sixth-placed Levi Leipheimer and Armstrong, who was 10th - Astana have already thrown down the gauntlet.

Evans was disappointed at coming fifth, but it could have been worse. And, as he said, there is still a long way to go.

"It's not bad, but it could be better," he said.

"I still have to look at the results and make a bit of an assessment, but I was beaten by four guys (on the stage). I didn't win so obviously I wasn't the best here but there's a long way to go yet.

"I'm on track. Not right there, but I'm on track."

Contador meanwhile put paid to the speculation which suggested that Astana would not fully support the Spaniard, who beat Evans into second place in 2007.

Any disappointment he felt at not taking the race lead will be shaded by the fact that he is now undoubtedly the man to lead Astana's charge towards the yellow jersey.

The Spaniard, absent last year because Astana were not invited, now has a 48sec lead on defending champion Carlos Sastre, who finished in 21st place, and a 1:13 lead on recent Tour of Italy champion Menchov, who finished in modest 53rd place.

Saxo Bank team leader Andy Schleck was slightly better off at 42sec behind Contador.

Although Cancellara is not an overall yellow jersey contender, Saxo Bank said they will do everything to hold on to the lead at least up until the team time trial on Tuesday, the race's next big rendezvous.

Three days later the race will head into the Pyrenees for three days of climbing, with Contador expected to try and distance his rivals even further.

Contador will go into Sunday's second stage wearing the best climber's polka dot jersey, but said he doesn't aim to keep it.

"I'd like to switch this jersey for the yellow one," said the 26-year-old Spaniard.

Sastre had little to say after what must be seen as a mediocre result, despite the fact he is not as strong in the time trial as Contador and Evans.

However his team manager Alex Sans Vega was quick to play down talk of any damage being done.

"It's never good to lose any time, but for us this isn't a catastrophe," he said.

"He doesn't have as much punch as younger guys like Contador. He needs some days in the mountains before his body starts to fire up. In the third week, when it matters, he will be up there."

Having started and finished his race much earlier in the day, Armstrong was happy with a performance which, at the time, he could not gauge against the bigger stage favourites.

"I didn't have any illusions (about winning the stage), which is logical given I've been four years away," said the 37-year-old Texan, who only returned to professional racing in January after a three-and-a-half year hiatus.