Geraint Thomas put in a solid time trial display to lead Team Sky home in 15th position on the prologue at Paris-Nice.

The Welshman thundered around the 8km route out of Montfort-l'Amaury in 11 minutes 16 seconds but that time proved to be 20 seconds slower than Rabobank's Lars Boom, who will don the leader's yellow jersey when the race gets underway proper on Monday.

Boom holds a three-second advantage over Saxo Bank rider Jens Voigt, with Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) and Alberto Contador (Astana) both a further three seconds behind him.

The course proved a tricky one and began on the cobbled streets of the town centre before heading out across the countryside. A category 3 climb up the Côte de Boursouffle followed at the 6km mark before the riders turned back into a headwind for the final sprint towards the finish line.

Greg Henderson was Team Sky's second-fastest rider after clocking a time of 11min 25sec to claim 28th position. Simon Gerrans ended the day three seconds slower but that still proved quick enough for 33rd place overall.

Stage One will see the riders take on a 201.5km ride south between Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines and Contres.