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Kittel wins chaotic first stage of Tour de France

Roar Guru
29th June, 2013
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German Marcel Kittel of Team Argos-Shimano has won a remarkable first stage of the historic 100th edition of the Tour de France in Corsica, edging out Norwegian Alexander Kristoff of Russian Team Katusha.

Danny van Poppel of Dutch team Vacansoleil-DCM was third.

The race almost ended in farce, with the Orica-GreenEDGE bus becoming stuck under the banner at the finish line in the small streets of Bastia and unable to be moved as the riders closed in on the end of the stage.

Race organisers moved the finish line three kilometres ahead of the original mark instead and duly informed the riders, only for the bus to finally be freed and the original finish line reinstated.

This made for a chaotic final few kilometres that resulted in a crash and accounted for the top three favourites to win the sprint finish; Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) and Peter Sagan (Cannondale).

Overall contender Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) also went down in the crash, but finished unhindered.

Race organisers awarded all riders the same time as the German winner (04h 56′ 52”) for the confusion.

Kittel, who will now where the yellow jersey leading into the 173 kilometre second stage from Bastia to Ajaccio, also heads the green and white jersey classifications after day one.

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The 218 kilometre stage from Porto-Vecchio to Bastia began with much excitement and fanfare, the history of the race a main feature to both riders and spectators alike.

The stage was also the first on the small island of Corsica.

The riders made their way in close proximity along the less-than-expansive roads for most of the route, the peloton stretching out to over three hundred metres at one stage.

A breakaway group of riders that included Cyril Lemoine (Sojasun) and Jerome Cousin (Europcar) challenged the main group, but was reeled in comfortably before the last 25 kilometre mark.

The main contenders, including Australian Cadel Evans, controlled the front of the peloton with the view to staying out of trouble until the sprinters moved up closer to the finish.

Evans, Chris Froome (Sky) and Contador will be satisfied after the first day and looking to stay out of trouble again on day two

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