I was just looking at this:

2003
1 Bradley Mc Gee (Aus) FDJeux.com 7.26.16 (52.45)
2 David Millar (GBr) Cofidis, Credit Par Telephone 0.00.08
3 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0.02.09
4 Jan Ullrich (Ger) Team Bianchi 0.02.11
5 Victor Hugo Pena (Col) US Postal-Berry Floor 0.06.08
6 Tyler Hamilton (USA) Team CSC 0.06.27
7 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal-Berry Floor 0.07.39
8 Joseba Beloki (Spa) ONCE-Eroski 0.09.17

2001:
1 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Festina 9.20 (52.714)
2 Igor Gonzalez De Galdeano (Spa) ONCE-Er 0.03
3 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service 0.04
4 Jan Ullrich (Ger) Telekom 0.07
5 Florent Brard (Fra) Festina
6 Santiago Botero (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca 0.10
7 Joseba Beloki (Spa) ONCE-Eroski 0.13

2000:
1. David Millar (GBr) Cofidis 19.03.11 (51.968 km/h)
2. Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service 0.02
3. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 0.13
4. Jan Ullrich (Ger) Telekom-ARD 0.14
5. David Canada (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche Bank 0.16
6. Alex Zulle (Swi) Banesto 0.20
7. Vjatceslav Ekimov (Rus) US Postal Service 0.21

So this year's margin is the largest (edit: of the most recent four), but not by much. Still given how tight last year's race was, I wouldn't be blase about giving up time anywhere if I were trying to win. Again, no disrespect to Jan, I just find the idea of being "unconcerned" about losing time puzzling, even if it's "only" the prologue.

Ken