Armstrong sends a message in prologue

LIEGE, Belgium -- Doubters take note: Lance Armstrong is not playing to lose.

Making an emphatic if not victorious start to his record-chasing Tour de France, Armstrong dealt key rivals a psychological blow by leaving them in his wake in the debut time trial on Saturday.

The Texan, seeking to become the first six-time Tour winner, cast off the stress and murmurs that he is past his prime by speeding to second place in the 3.8-mile prologue race against the clock in Liege, Belgium.

Only an exceptional ride by Fabian Cancellara, a Swiss rider nearly 10 years Armstrong's junior, deprived the 32-year-old five-time champion of a place atop the podium and the overall leader's yellow jersey he covets.

"I'm satisfied by the way I felt, but I'm disappointed to lose by only a couple of seconds. That's the way it goes," Armstrong told reporters after a congratulatory kiss from rocker girlfriend Sheryl Crow. "The most important thing is how does it feel? I was very comfortable, I felt strong, and that feels good."

Armstrong was 15 seconds ahead of his main rival Jan Ullrich and left contenders Tyler Hamilton and Iban Mayo far behind, too. His performance was a strong start to what he fears will be his hardest Tour yet.

"It's just a start. They don't call it the prologue for nothing. It sets the tone of the race for the first week," he said. "There is a lot of dangerous racing to go. Just in three days, we have some sections of cobblestones, that if it rains and is windy, will be very dangerous."

Armstrong, who as defending champion started last of the 188 riders, pedaled furiously to finish just behind 23-year-old Cancellara, who declared himself "the happiest man in the world."

Ullrich, the 1997 Tour victor, was 16th. Last year, the German finished just 61 seconds behind Armstrong in Paris, runner-up for a fifth time.

Hamilton, a former Armstrong teammate, was 18th on Saturday, 16 seconds behind the Texan. Mayo gave up 19 seconds to the five-time champion, placing 26th.

Today, the riders embark on the first full stage, a 125.5-mile trek from Liege to Charleroi, also in Belgium. The route starts with a series of small hills but levels out toward the end -- perfect for speedy sprinters who tend to dominate the relatively flat first week or so of the race.