Armstrong takes yellow after prologue

Lance Armstrong began his bid for a fourth straight Tour de France title by winning the prologue and taking the leader's yellow jersey.

The 30-year-old Texan completed the 4.34-mile individual time-trial in 9 minutes and 8 seconds, beating Laurent Jalabert by nearly two seconds. Raimondas Rumsas of Lithuania was third, three seconds behind Armstrong.

Armstrong, of the US Postal Service team, rode during a break in rain that had threatened to make the course slick in Luxembourg.

"The weather was so-so, but I saw that the sun was coming out just before I started," Armstrong said on France-2 Television shortly after the win.

As reigning champion, Armstrong was the last rider to start.

Asked whether he would try defending his yellow jersey in the next few stages, Armstrong said, "I think probably not. We'll wait for the team time-trial (on Wednesday)."