BRIGNOLES, France — Denis Menchov of Russia still believes he can finish on the Tour de France podium despite a dismal time trial to the start the three-week race.

After winning the Giro d’Italia in May, Menchov was one of the pre-race favorites in a bid to become the first man to win both races in the same year since the late Marco Pantani in 1998.

But he lost 1 minute, 31 seconds in Saturday’s first stage to Fabian Cancellara, who overtook the Russian after starting 90 seconds later in the race against the clock. Menchov also has a 1:13 deficit to Alberto Contador, the 2007 Tour winner who finished second in the first stage.

“I lost a little bit more time than expected, but there’s no problem,” Menchov told The Associated Press before Sunday’s second stage. “The most difficult part of the Tour is the last week.”

On his way to his Giro win, Menchov had to fight every day to stave off Italian Danilo Di Luca’s challenge — raising questions about whether he had fully recuperated from his efforts.

Cancellara’s first-day flair: Fabian Cancellara, winner of the opening day time-trial in Monaco, earned his 10th career day in the leader’s yellow jersey.

The Swiss rider wore the coveted shirt for two days in 2004 after he won the prologue in Liege, Belgium, in his Tour debut, and for seven days after his 2007 prologue win in London.

With his win in Monaco, Cancellara joined cycling legend Eddy Merckx, Thierry Marie and Chris Boardman, who also won the Tour’s opening time trial three times. Bernard Hinault won a record five and Lance Armstrong won it twice: in 1999 and 2002.

The polka-dot Finn: Jussi Veikkanen became the first Finnish rider in the Tour history to earn the polka-dot jersey given to the race’s best climber.

The 28-year-old Francaise des Jeux team rider is competing in his first Tour this year. The former mountain bike specialist arrived first at the top of three of the four small ascents of Sunday’s stage to take the polka-dot jersey from Alberto Contador.