Dauphiné-Libéré Stage 1: Albertville > St Pierre-de-Chartreuse,144kms

Que pasa aqui..? Juan Antonio Flecha and Xavier Zandio are amused by something off-camera at the start...

SKYDAUPHINE

Matthew Busche signs an autograph before his first-ever race as the USA national champion - is that what Flecha and Zandio are laughing at..?

SHACKDAUPHINE

Vincent Jerome is leading the day's hopeful escape up a hill, he has Duque and Vandousselaire with him...

EUROPCARDAUPHINE

The peloton climbs amongst some Savoie wines with views of the Alps, no wonder they are five-minutes behind..!

SCENERYDAUPHINE

Rabobank are now at work chasing - they hope to leap-frog Robert Gesink into the race-lead on the finish ascent...

NIERMANNDAUPHINE

Dan Martin is a man also looking to leap up the G.C on today's final climb...

GARMINDAUPHINE

Cadel Evans has his eyes on winning the Dauphiné - he won't be far off the pace today...

BMCDAUPHINE

Ivan Santaromita loads up with bottles for Evans and BMC - but their VIP guest for the day is fast asleep in the back seat..!

Tony Martin is also loading up with bottles, but only for himself - he wants to win the Dauphiné too..!

HTCDAUPHINE

The escape looks good but the peloton is drawing close as the final hill approaches...

EUROPCARDAUPHINE

BMC are now chasing hard along the valley - led by Michael Schar...

SCHARDAUPHINE

Sivtsov and Van Den Broeck have launched a duel attack on the climb...

ATTACKDAUPHINE

Thomas Voeckler has caught the two and now attacks them..!

Vockler is caught by Van Den Broek who now accelerates away with less than three-kilomtres to go...

OMEGADAUPHINE

Lars Boom has been well and truly dropped - and soon Gesink will be dropped as well..!

RABOBANKDAUPHINE

USA champion Busche is now feeling the strain of climbing and of jet-lag...

SHACKDAUPHINE

Joachim Rodriguez launches a desperate attempt to win the stage...

Jurgen Van Den Broek wins stage one, just ahead of Rodriguez...

OMEGADAUPHINE

Alexandre Vinokourov is the new race-leader - but is that a smile of uncertainty on his face for the coming days..?

ASTANADAUPHINE