Annecy, France, July 23 (DPA) The 18th stage of the 2009 Tour de France, a crucial individual time trial, got under way Thursday in the Alpine city of Annecy when Yauheni Hutarovich of Belarus rolled down the starting ramp.

The 40.5km course around the Lake of Annecy contains a 3.7km climb at an average gradient of 6 per cent and is made to order for riders such as Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland, who won the shorter time trial that opened the Tour on July 4.

However, all eyes will be focussed on the top six riders in the overall standings - Alberto Contador of Spain, Andy and Frank Schleck of Luxembourg, seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong, Germany's Andreas Kloeden and the surprising British rider Bradley Wiggins.

The 29-year-old Wiggins is a multiple track cycling world champion and is considered one of the favourites, with Cancellara, to win the stage. He currently stands sixth, 4 minutes 53 seconds behind Contador.

The Spaniard showed in the opening time trial, where he finished second, that he has vastly improved in the discipline. Barring a crash, he should be able to maintain his hold on the race leader's yellow jersey.

But the Schleck brothers, who dislodged Armstrong and Wiggins from the second and third spots in Wednesday's mountain stage, are considered only mediocre time trial riders.