PARIS, (Reuters) – Swiss Fabian Cancellara snatched  the Tour de France yellow jersey with a smashing victory in the  opening time trial yesterday, while seven-times champion Lance  Armstrong made a respectable return to the race he used to  dominate.

Hot favourite and 2007 champion Alberto Contador of Spain  was second, 18 seconds behind Cancellara. Briton Bradley Wiggins  was third, 19 seconds off the pace.

Contador, who was named Astana leader by team manager Johan  Bruyneel, lived up to expectations and stamped his authority on  the squad with a solid performance.

Neither German Andreas Kloeden, fourth, nor Americans Levi  Leipheimer and Armstrong, sixth and 10th respectively, could  upset the team hierarchy on a muggy day in the principality of  Monaco.

“I am in good form, I now hope to stay at that level,”  Contador told reporters.

“The atmosphere within the team is good. We must work  together to win this Tour de France. Of course, I would like to  have another jersey,” he added with a grin after taking the  polka dot one for the best climber.