Prologue: Gamble Pays Off for Spartacus

Tony Martin sat and waited for over 3 agonizing hours. After setting the best time very early in the stage, he watched rider after rider cross the stripe, most unable to even come close to his mark. In most situations, this would be a comforting feeling but there was something different this time. In addition to watching the riders, he was also watching the weather slowly but surely improve the harsh, soggy conditions that plagued he and the other riders that went earlier in the day. He saw many of the top time trial riders (Zabriskie, Millar, Leipheimer, etc) one by one fall short of his mark even though the track was drying. There was one name at the bottom of the starting board, however, that he could not stop staring at: "Fabian Cancellara".
Cancellara, also known as "Spartacus", blew away the competition finishing over 10 seconds ahead of 2nd place Martin and over 23 seconds ahead of 3rd place David Millar. It is rides like the one he had today that make people wonder if he did have some type of motor on his bike (he was the central focus of the most recent scandal), though it is for sure that the only two motors he has are his own 2 feet. It was actually visible how much faster Cancellara was going compared to the rest of the field, and the dry track certainly helped as well. While Cancellara and Martin fought it out for the stage, there was an equally important battle going on for a mental advantage for the GC.
Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador, the media proclaimed "bitter rivalry", both needed to get a good start on today's time trial. Contador is the favorite in most people's odds books while Armstrong is the favorite in most people's hearts. Though only by a minuscule 5 seconds, Armstrong took the advantage on the defending champion and got the confidence boost that comes with it. Both riders had a great ride though on the overall big picture, finishing 4th and 6th respectively and putting about 3/4 minute on other race favorite Andy Schleck. It was an incredibly poor ride for Schleck, the time trial champion of Luxembourg, who is nursing a knee injury he got in practice last week.
Though most riders were able to successfully navigate the treacherous wet roads, there were a few casualties to the pavement. Both Mathias Frank and Manuel Cardoso suffered nasty crashes on the roads of Rotterdam and required medical attention. Both riders were somehow able to finish the stage despite their injuries and keep themselves eligible for the rest of the race.

Yellow Jersey: Fabian Cancellara