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Tour de France Stage 1: Mark Cavendish takes stage and yellow jersey

Contador loses skin in crash earlier in the stage but doesn’t lose time

Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data) has won stage one of the 2016 Tour de France, a 188km stage from Mont-Saint-Michel to Utah Beach, Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. The Manxman takes the yellow jersey for the first time in his career having edged out Marcel Kittel (Etixx-Quick Step) with world champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) finishing third.

- Tour Tech 2016: Mark Cavendish’s Cervelo S5

It was widely expected that the exposed route would see the race affected by crosswinds. While there were occasional injections of pace when opportunities presented themselves, the peloton approached the closing kilometres pretty much intact.

The last two breakaway riders, Anthony Delaplace (Fortuneo-Vital Concept) and Alex Howes (Cannondale-Drapac), were caught with around 4km to go and despite a major crash in the finishing straight, the majority of the main sprinters were able to contest the finish. Cavendish timed his effort perfectly, coming round Sagan with just 100m to go.

Cavendish said: “It was a big goal for Dimension Data to win a stage at the Tour de France. To add the yellow jersey is a reward for our sponsors and for the Qhubeka charity. I did it for my team, for the ‘kids on bicycle' campaign. I can't believe it. Regardless of who was there, the Tour de France is the Tour de France. To win a stage is incredible. I'm very emotional about it. It's going to be a special day tomorrow to ride a stage in yellow. There was no better place to achieve this than Utah Beach where soldiers died for us.”

Earlier in the day, Alberto Contador was one of several riders who crashed on a corner with 80km to go, landing on his right side and tearing his jersey and shorts. Team Sky’s Luke Rowe also went down in the incident, while Geraint Thomas was caught up in it and needed a wheel change. All three eventually made their way back to the peloton.

Paul Voss (Bora-Argon 18) secured the polka dot jersey for tomorrow after leading over the Cote d'Avraches and the Cote des Falaises de Champeux.

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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17 comments

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HarrogateSpa | 7 years ago
4 likes

I imagine that Phil and Paul are making ill-informed comments to each other in Phil's back garden. In the meantime, the Boulting & Millar duo is a big improvement.

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Jonny_Trousers replied to HarrogateSpa | 7 years ago
0 likes
HarrogateSpa wrote:

I imagine that Phil and Paul are making ill-informed comments to each other in Phil's back garden. In the meantime, the Boulting & Millar duo is a big improvement.

I was a big fan of their ill-informed waffle. They were the voice of the TDF for me.

I suspect Ned will become household soon, but David Millar just sounds so dull. 

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Jonny_Trousers | 7 years ago
0 likes

Sod all that! Where's the Liggett and Sherwen show gone!!!

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MartyMcCann replied to Jonny_Trousers | 7 years ago
0 likes
Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Sod all that! Where's the Liggett and Sherwen show gone!!!

 

They are still commentating except only viewers in the US and Australia can hear them now. They were always an international feed and this year ITV decided to let Ned and David Millar provide their own commentary instead.

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wrevilo | 7 years ago
0 likes

The crash at the finale was brutal. Hope those that went down are OK today.

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LaVieEnVelo | 7 years ago
1 like

Great day for Britain in Europe. Got this nice pic of soeme of our finest while one of our groups had lunch in the middle of a 93mile ride round beautiful Normandy, and we get to see Cav in yellow tomorrow too! Magic!

www.lavieenvelo.com if you fancy doing trips like this by the way!

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tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
3 likes

Almost as silly as going to The Guardian and complaining they have an article with the election results.

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Nixster | 7 years ago
2 likes

Thought he'd lost it at one point but then he came round Sagan and just out dragged Kittel to the line. Quite emotional for him, well done Mark Cavendish!

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fustuarium | 7 years ago
7 likes

I don't know why Road.cc does this. During Grand Tours I avoid the site like the plague until I've seen each days stage. I watched this stage live today so not an issue, but why not have a headline that says 'TdF Stage X Result and Anlysis'? Folk who come here must have at least a passing interest in cycling, and therefore quite probably the Grand Tours.

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Kadinkski replied to fustuarium | 7 years ago
5 likes
fustuarium wrote:

I don't know why Road.cc does this. During Grand Tours I avoid the site like the plague until I've seen each days stage. I watched this stage live today so not an issue, but why not have a headline that says 'TdF Stage X Result and Anlysis'? Folk who come here must have at least a passing interest in cycling, and therefore quite probably the Grand Tours.

Maybe you should drop road.cc an email when you've managed to catch up with the rest of the world and see the biggest cycling race on the planet. Then they could write their editorial as they wish - probably catering to the folks that come here with at least a passing interest in cycling, and therefore quite probably the Grand Tours.

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crazy-legs replied to fustuarium | 7 years ago
3 likes
fustuarium wrote:

I don't know why Road.cc does this. During Grand Tours I avoid the site like the plague until I've seen each days stage. I watched this stage live today so not an issue, but why not have a headline that says 'TdF Stage X Result and Anlysis'? Folk who come here must have at least a passing interest in cycling, and therefore quite probably the Grand Tours.

Every sports and news website in the world, every cycling forum, not to mention Facebook & Twitter will have the result more or less instantly. Either you make a conscious effort to avoid all media until you've seen it or you put up with coming onto a cycling site and seeing the result.

It surely can't be that much effort to avoid road.cc for a couple of hours can it??

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Stumps | 7 years ago
2 likes

Well done Cave it shows you don't need a lead out train all the time.

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Jimnm | 7 years ago
2 likes

I love Cav he's a great rider with a great team behind him. Congrats mate 

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HalfWheeler | 7 years ago
2 likes

Hell yeah!

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handlebarcam | 7 years ago
3 likes

Well done Mark Cavendish. It must be great to be free to earn a living by using your strengths and skills on the continent of Europe.

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Leviathan replied to handlebarcam | 7 years ago
2 likes
handlebarcam wrote:

Well done Mark Cavendish. It must be great to be free to earn a living by using your strengths and skills on the continent of Europe.

The Isle of Man is not part of the UK or the EU, but that has never troubled Cav.

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jasecd | 7 years ago
2 likes

Fuck yeah!

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