MONCEAU-LES-MINES, France — Riders began Saturday's Tour de France time trial, a potentially decisive stage that could determine the winner of this year's unpredictable race.

Race leaders Floyd Landis, Carlos Sastre and Oscar Pereiro, who currently holds the yellow jersey, were the last three riders set to go.

The route took riders over 35.4 miles from Le Creusot to Montceau-les-Mines.

Of the trio, Landis is considered the strongest in time trials and is favored to have the overall lead by Saturday evening. He trails Sastre by 18 seconds and Pereiro by 30.

Landis was more than a minute faster than Sastre and nearly two minutes faster than Pereiro on stage seven's time trial.

The Tour, won a record seven straight times by Lance Armstrong until his retirement last year, ends on the tree-lined streets of the Champs Élysées on Sunday.

The final stage is normally a processional ride, but if time margins between the top three remain narrow after Saturday, the Tour could go down to the wire.

Landis can become the third American victor of the race, while victory for either Sastre or Pereiro would be the first for a Spaniard since Miguel Indurain's fifth and final title in 1995.