For the third successive year, the race began with a short individual time trial in around the city of Lugano. Although starting and finishing at relatively the same height above sea level, the stage had a small hill - the western flank of Monte Brè - around midway through the parcours, being used in the race for the second year in succession, after then-world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara won the stage in a time of 9' 41 in 2011. Race organisers expected the best time for the stage to be four seconds slower than Cancellara's time from 2011, predicting a winning time of 9' 45 for the stage. After returning from injury in May's Bayern-Rundfahrt, Cancellara of RadioShack-Nissan was the undoubted favourite for the stage, having won the opening stage of the race on five separate occasions.