Italy's Paolo Savoldelli has made the Tour de Romandie prologue his private property, winning the 3.5-km curtain-raiser for the second year in succession to take the Swiss race lead.

The twice Giro d'Italia winner, in 2000 and 2005, had also finished second in the ProTour race prologue two years ago.

This time, the leader of Kazakh team Astana was even more impressive than in the past, clocking four minutes 35.12 seconds in the winding streets of the medieval town of Fribourg.

Savoldelli, who came to Switzerland to gear up for the Giro, beat up-and-coming Czech Roman Kreuziger by five seconds, American Chris Horner taking third place a further two seconds behind.

Kreuziger, 21, had already finished second in the Paris-Nice prologue while Horner, a team mate of defending champion Cadel Evans of Australia, had won a stage in Romandie last year.

"I didn't come here to win but to test myself ahead of the Giro," said Savoldelli, the race winner in 2000.

"I'm confident here because it took very good legs to complete the course today," he added, hinting he would not save his strength for the Italian race, his main objective.

Horner said he felt there were two leaders in his Predictor-Lotto team. "Cadel is very good but there is not a big difference between us," he said.

Disappointments came from Briton David Millar and Spain's Oscar Pereiro, both expected to reach their peak next July in London for the start of the Tour de France.

Millar, arguably the best time trial specialist in the field, finished 15 seconds off the pace and made it clear he was in "a training phase".

"My goal is the Tour de France," he said, determined to wear the yellow jersey at home.

Pereiro, who won the Tour de Romandie prologue in 2005, is like many of the riders only taking the race as a warm-up for the big tours to come.

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