Josef Cerny powers to Tour de Romandie Prologue Victory

Hayter, Badet and Yates best placed GC favorites after short sharp time trial shock in Switzerland

Josef Cerny of the Soudal-Quick Step team was a surprise winner of the short, flat prologue of the Tour of Romandie on Tuesday raced on the shores of Lake Lehman.

World champion Tobias Foss of Norway was second and Remi Cavagna third in the five-stage race that has two hilly stages, one mountainous and one long individual time-trial remaining.

Surrounded by the stunning snowcapped Alps which await the peloton on Thursday's Queen stage, Cerny completed the 6.8km course in 7min 25sec.

"That was really close, I'm a very happy man. I worked hard for this, look at the start list. It was painful," said the Czech rider.

Of the eventual overall contenders for the title, Ineos rider Ethan Hayter was five seconds off the pace and Team UAE's great hope for the future, Juan Ayuso, was at 12sec, the 20-year-old Spaniard targetting triumph at the 2023 Vuelta.

Adam and Simon Yates were divided by a single second with the UAE man at 19 and the Jayco Alula rider 20sec off the pace.

Returning Ineos star Egan Bernal lost 25sec on the day with the slender Colombian primed to show in the Alps on Thursday.

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome lost 51sec over the 6.8km course with the Israel Premier Tech rider targetting a start run on the Tour de France.

The biggest losers on GC were Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) 52nd (+0.26) and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan Team) 92nd (+0.35).

2023 Tour de Romandie Prologue Top 10

1  CERNÝ Josef Soudal - Quick Step 7:25
2  FOSS Tobias Jumbo-Visma 0:01
3  CAVAGNA Rémi Soudal - Quick Step 0:01
4  DENZ Nico BORA - hansgrohe 0:04
5  SUTER Joel Tudor Pro Cycling Team 0:05
6  HAYTER Ethan INEOS Grenadiers 0:05
7  BJERG Mikkel UAE Team Emirates 0:09
8  SOBRERO Matteo Team Jayco AlUla 0:09
9  OLIVEIRA Ivo UAE Team Emirates 0:09
10  VERNON Ethan Soudal - Quick Step 0:10

2023 Tour de Romandie CG Favorites Top 10

1  CERNÝ Josef 7.25 0.00
6  HAYTER Ethan 7.30 0.05
26  BARDET Romain 7.41 0.16
30  CARUSO Damiano 7.43 0.18
33  YATES Adam 7.44 0.19
37  JORGENSON Matteo 7.44 0.19
38  YATES Simon 7.45 0.20
46  MÄDER Gino 7.47 0.22
64  VAUQUELIN Kévin 7.50 0.25
69  HIGUITA Sergio 7.51 0.26