Kittel wins opening stage
July 5, 2014
On Saturday, the 198 competitors in this year's Tour de France started their grueling three-week ride through four countries. Among them was 42-year-old German Jens Voigt taking on his record 17th ride.
By the end of the day, German Marcel Kittel had claimed the first yellow jersey of the tour, comfortably holding off Slovakian Peter Sagan. Kittel won four stages in last year's competition and has now twice claimed the yellow jersey.
"It's unbelievable I've won stage one again. I had good legs today and my guys did an excellent job," said Kittel afterwards.
The day ended traumatically for local lad Mark Cavendish though.
Cavendish, cycling in his mother's home town of Harrogate, seemed too eager to succeed in the closing stages and collided with Australian Simon Gerrans and both riders tumbled.
After being helped by the race doctor, Cavendish crossed the finish line with his right arm folded and clearly in pain, before he left in an ambulance shortly afterwards.
Busy start in excited countryside
The 190.5-kilometer (118.4-mile) Stage 1 took the pack on a wide tour of the bucolic English countryside from Leeds to Harrogate in Yorkshire, England - a layout tailor-made for sprinters.
A three-man breakaway got out early, including two Frenchmen, Benoit Jarrier and Nicolas Edet, and Germany's Jens Voigt, the oldest rider in the pack this year, who established a three-minute lead after 35 kilometers.
And although the peloton weren't far behind, Voigt did eventually make a move - one that earned the 42-year-old the polka dot jersey for the mountain classification.
The stage was no walk in the park and several riders, including Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez and top French hope Thibaut Pinot, were caught off guard when the peloton split.
They made it back to the bunch who were slowed by the big crowds on some narrow roads.
Defending champion Chris Froome of Britain was sixth, although Team Sky chief Dave Brailsford will be trying to shepherd Froome to glory in Paris later this month.
Brailsford said the excitement in Leeds was extra special for Britain's home team.
"To have the Tour here is incredible for us considering where we were just a short time ago," said Brailsford. "We need to remain focused and dialed, but we will take it in and enjoy it."
Royals do scissor-work
The Duchess of Cambridge cut the race ribbon at the start of the leg, under the watchful eye of her husband Prince William and his brother Prince Harry.
Sunday's second stage is a 201-km ride between York and Sheffield with some two million spectators expected along the route.
In all, the riders will cover 3,664 kilometers (2,277 miles) of roads in England, France, Belgium and Spain.
bk/jh (Reuters, AP)