With a long time trial awaiting him, Denis Menchov knew his time in the yellow jersey at the 54th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré would be finite after his win on Mount Ventoux yesterday. And the young Russian was right as he lost more than two minutes to U.S. Postal’s Lance Armstrong, the new overall leader of the eight-day Tour de France warm up.

Perhaps a bigger surprise, however, was that Armstrong finished only second in Wednesday’s 41-kilometer time trial losing by 42 seconds to Kelme’s Santiago Botero, winner of last weekend’s Classique des Alpes. Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel-Euskadi) at 1:49 and prologue winner Brad McGee (La Francaise Des Jeux) and Didier Rous (Bonjour) rounded out the top five.

"I was a little disappointed not to have won at Mont Ventoux yesterday, but the fact that I haven't won a stage yet isn't important, that'll come," said Armstrong. "You can never be at your best in June.”

The TT was Botero's big goal for the Dauphiné.

Photo: Graham Watson

It’s a point that can apply to Botero as a well, as the Kelme rider won Saturday’s Classique des Alpes, but finished Tuesday’s stage to the top of Mount Ventoux more than 15 minutes behind Armstrong. Armstrong said that while he would have liked a stage win, it was obviously not his primary concern.

"In this time trial, which was made all the more difficult with the heat, I knew I wasn't going to win towards the end but I also knew I'd take over the leader's jersey," Armstrong said.

Botero, who describes himself as more of a road racer than a climber, had made winning the time trial as his week's objective.

"The Tour de France isn't one of my priorities this season, but the Vuelta is … because Lance Armstrong won't be there!" Botero said with a smile. "Lance did a great time trial," said Johan Bruyneel, the USPS team's director sportif. "He was very comfortable throughout the race and stayed within himself from start to finish. Bottero is a very strong time trialist and when he has one of those days, nobody can beat him. Yet you see the big difference Lance put into everyone else and realize Bottero is really powerful."

Armstrong entered the stage in fifth place overall, 23 seconds back of yesterday's stage winner Denis Menchov or iBanesto.com. Armstrong finished seventh in yesterday's stage, 37 seconds back of Menchov, while Bottero finished the stage in 69th place, losing 15:06 to Menchov.

It will now be up to the USPS team to defend Armstrong's lead.

"The Dauphine is still the Dauphine, it's a very hard race," said Bruyneel. "Saturday's stage is very, very hard with several climbs including the Joux Plane. On the other hand, it's time for the USPS team to start defending a jersey - we did it for only one day this year at the Midi Libre. It's good training and a good way for us to get used to the team system of defending the jersey. I feel our team here is strong, all are possible Tour (de France) riders. It will be a good test to see how everyone is. It will also be a good test for me, to get used to the tactics again. It's time to get going."

Other top Postal riders in Wednesday's stage were Victor Hugo Pena in 10th place, at 2:50, and Floyd Landis in 17th place, at 3:25.

Landis, following an impressive 10th place finish in yesterday's stage to Mount Ventoux, is in 11th place overall and has impressed Bruyneel.

"Yesterday Floyd was very good - it was the first time I gave him some freedom in a race, the chance to ride his own race and not have to work for Lance," said Bruyneel.

"It is good for us tactically and gives us something else to play with. He did an amazing climb and he was very happy after the stage. The team has expressed confidence in him right from the start of the season and yesterday he really proved us right."

Another pleasant surprise for Postal has been the performance of Viatcheslav Ekimov, who re-joined the team prior to the Dauphine after retiring at the end of last season. Ekimov was solid at Mount Ventoux - 23rd place, at 4:30 - and was 30th today, at 4:27. Overall, Ekimov is in 23rd place, just under eight minutes back.

"Over here, everyone is really surprised at Ekimov's performance, but I'm not," added Bruyneel. "He came with our team to a mountain training camp after the Midi Libre and was already in great shape. We still must be careful with him. He needs to get through this race and then recover from it.

"It's strange to say, but its like he has never left. That is how I feel and that is how the guys feel."

Thursday's fourth stage is a 209km run between Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Digne with the riders having to tackle the second category Corobin climb just 15km from the finish.