Australian team mates Bradley McGee and Baden Cooke took a surprise one-two in Sunday's 3.6km Dauphine Libere prologue.

With race favourites such as Lance Armstong choosing not to take risks, or recovering from the previous day's Classic of the Alps like Colombia's Santiago Botero, the duo took their chance.

McGee won the bronze medal in pursuit at the Sydney Olympics and is a fine time trial specialist.

But he said he did not expect such a good performance after a bad crash last month at the Dunkirk Four Days.

"I was feeling kind of sleepy after the crash," he said.

"But last week I went to see a physiotherapist and he woke me up completely. But I did not expect to win because I have not worked at time trials for some time," he added.

McGee won in four minutes and 14.39 seconds, beating Cooke by one second with Norwegian Steffen Kjaergaard third.

A sprint specialist, Cooke said he hoped McGee would work for him in the stages to come.

"It's the first time I'm glad to be second but only because Brad won," he said.

Three-time Tour de France winner Armstrong finished fifth, with Britain's David Millar in tenth.

1. B McGee (Aus) Francaise des Jeux, 4mins 14.39secs
2. B Cooke (Aus) Francaise des Jeux, one second behind
3. S Kjaergaard (Nor) US Postal,same time
4. S Chavanel (Fra) Bonjour, 3
5. L Armstrong (US) US Postal, same time
6. N Mattan (Bel) Cofidis, 4
7. O Asmaker (Fra) CSC-Tiscali
8. E Seigneur (Fra) Jean Delatour, both same
9. J Durand (Fra) Francaise des Jeux, 5
10. D Rous (Fra) Bonjour
11. D Millar (GB) Cofidis
12. O Sevilla (Spa) Kelme, all same
13. J Enrique Guttierez (Spa) Kelme, 6
14. C Edaleine (Fra) Jean Delatour, same
15. A Tauler (Spa) Kelme, 7