Gaviria wins the Tour de France opener and takes yellow

The 23-year-old professional cyclist from the Quick-Step Floors team won the 201 km long first stage from Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile to Fontenay-le-Comte on Saturday.

The top German sprinter Marcel Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin) came third behind world champion Peter Sagan (Slovakia/Bora-hansgrohe). “It was a hard sprint. Third place is okay. “I played a little bit of poker, but in the end I was too late,” said Kittel. “Of course we wanted to win. I'm sure we can do it. The power is there.”

The German runner-up John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) came eighth. Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) had no chance in 26th place.

The controversial defending champion Froome (Great Britain/Sky), who was acquitted shortly before the tour after long discussions in his asthma medication affair, crashed spectacularly five kilometers before the finish and flew over a fence. The top favorite continued the race with a damaged shoulder, but was no longer able to reach the racing field and lost 51 seconds, as did fellow favorite Richie Porte (Australia/BMC).

After the 33-year-old Froome was vehemently attacked by the spectators at the team presentation on Thursday, there were only a few expressions of displeasure on the first stage - but there was also cheering when he fell. Co-favorite Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) suffered a tire defect just outside the three-kilometer mark, after which punctures and falls have no consequences in terms of time measurement, and even lost 1:15 minutes. The treacherous approach to the final with narrow streets, several roundabouts and finally a 90-degree curve took its toll, as Kittel, among others, feared. As usual, a group of outsiders practically left with the sharp start on Saturday in wonderful summer weather on the French Atlantic coast. The three Frenchmen Jerome Cousin (Direct Energy), Yoann Offredo (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Kevin Ledanois (Fortuneo-Samsic) gained a lead of around four minutes to the cheers of their compatriots on the side of the track before the large field got active.

The only small mountain classification 28 km before the finish overtook the trio at the top, but the field was together at the 10.000 m mark perfectly according to plan.

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Gaviria wins the Tour de France opener and takes yellow

The Colombian professional cyclist Fernando Gaviria sprinted into the yellow jersey at the start of the 105th Tour de France.

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