The Saxobank rider from Luxembourg went into the final 26.9km time trial around Liestal, some 38 seconds down on Robert Gesink of Rabobank with Lance Armstrong, 55 seconds back.
Thor Hushovd had the best time early on, until Fabian Cancellara stormed home to record the best time of the day.
It was a time that was not beaten until HTC Colombia's Tony Martin took to the course.
With the German recording the best time, interest was now turning to who would win the actual tour.
Lance Armstrong was eleventh fastest with Frank Schlek finishing 13th. Gesink went last but struggled in the final 1,000 metres and the victory went to Frank Schlek who beat Lance Armstrong by twelve seconds.
Speaking about his time trial win, Tony Martin told the HTC Colombia Press office: "I wasn't really expecting this. "I've not been feeling so good in the last two or three days. It's been very cold and rainy here in Switzerland and I didn't think I had much of a chance today. But I was very motivated, I really wanted to put up a good fight for it, and I think the second half of the stage was where I gained most time on my rivals."
Martin had won the Tour Of California time trial and continued: "It was more or less the same, not too many corners and big roads. You didn't have to brake or accelerate too hard, and you could keep a steady pace. That suited me. I lost a little bit of time on the first half of the course, up to the summit of the climb, but saving some energy was the perfect tactic because then I could go full gas in the second half."
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Team Katusha rider Kim Kirchen has suffered what is believed to be a heart attack.
The rider from Luxembourg collapsed in his room on Friday night at 11.40pm. His heart has been reported has having stopped and he was brought round by team doctor Andrei Mikhailov and family friend Marc Joseph.
Kirchen, whose wife Caroline is pregnant, is being reported in some areas of the Luxembourg press as having had minor heart surgery back in the Spring and as saying: "The cause of my illness cannot be precisely diagnosed.". Kirchen remains in an induced coma in a hospital in Switzerland.
All at Covsupport News Service wish Kim a speedy recovery.
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Following a Union Cycling International conference in Birmingham, the world's cycling body have announced that starting with the Tour De France, bikes will be scanned to make sure they have no batteries to power the bike, hidden within the frame.
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HTC-Columbia's Adam Hansen secured the first stage race win of his career when he finished safely in the main pack on Sunday's final day of the Ster Elektrotoer in Holland. Hansen took the race lead after winning Saturday's hilly stage before making a successful defense of his number one position overall on Sunday's final 174-kilometre stage from Arcen to Helmond.
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Mitchell Docker won the last stage of the Route du Sud today. The 23 years old Australian rider was part of a leading group of ten riders. Docker protected in this group the second place of his team mate Alexandre Geniez in the general classification. The leaders were not caught by the peloton and Docker was the fastest sprinter of this group. Sébastien Duret (Bretagne-Schuller) finished second and Johan Mombaerts (Big Mat - Auber 93) third. It is the second victory for Docker this season and the eleventh of the strongly performing Skil-Shimano squad.
Alexandre Geniez tried to attack the first place of leader David Moncoutie (Cofidis) during this final stage, but he didn't get any space. After his second place in the time-trial yesterday, he also ended up on the second place in the final classification.
Schlek picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM
Kirchen picture copyright of HTC Colombia.