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Stage 1 break led by Michael Schar of CCC Team (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Tour de France phase 1 in Nice (Image credit: Getty Images).
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Nices mayor Christian Estrosi 2nd L present beside his partner Laura Tenoudji L Princess Charlene of Monaco 2nd R and Prince Albert II of Monaco at the start of the 1st phase of the 107th edition of the Tour de France cycling race 156 km between Nice and Nice on August 29 2020 Tour De France 1st stage start and surface line on the Promenade des Anglais will permit just 100 viewers Photo by Kenzo Tribouillard AFP Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARDAFP by means of Getty Images (Image credit: Getty Images).
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NICE FRANCE AUGUST 29 Start Tom Dumoulin of The Netherlands and Team Jumbo Visma Primoz Roglic of Slovenia and Team Jumbo Visma Julian Alaphilippe of France and Team Deceuninck QuickStep Remi Cavagna of France and Team Deceuninck QuickStep Peloton Nice City throughout the 107th Tour de France 2020 Stage 1 a 156km phase from Nice Moyen Pays to Nice TDF2020 LeTour on August 29 2020 in Nice France Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images (Image credit: Getty Images).
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Ben Hermans of Israel Start-Up Nation on phase 1 (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Crash in peloton with 3km to go in stage 1 put Thibaut Pinot (Groupama – FDJ) on the deck, as evidenced by torn jersey at goal (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Egan Bernal of Ineos Grenadiers at Grand Départ in Nice (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Riders take the start line for phase 1 at the 2020 Tour de France (Image credit: Getty Images).
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Russian Pavel Sivakov of Team Ineos flights in peloton prior to his pair of crashes (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Egan Bernal at phase 1 at the 2020 Tour de France (Image credit: Getty Images).
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The early breakaway: Michael Schär (CCC Team), Cyril Gautier (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) and Fabien Grellier (Total-Direct Energie) (Image credit: Getty Images).
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Peter Sagan of Bora-Hansgrohe on phase 1 (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Colombian Nairo Quintana (Team Arkea Samsic) in the peloton before the rain drenched roadways (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Italian sprinter Giacomo Nizzolo of NTT Pro Cycling beings in the peloton during stage 1 (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Julian Alaphilippe waits for his group car during Tour de France stage 1 in Nice (Image credit: Getty Images).
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GREAT FRANCE AUGUST 29 Start Sergio Andres Higuita Garcia of Colombia and Team EF Pro Cycling Mask Covid Safety Measures Nice City throughout the 107th Tour de France 2020 Stage 1 a 156km phase from Nice Moyen Pays to Nice TDF2020 LeTour on August 29 2020 in Nice France Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images (Image credit: Getty Images).
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GOOD FRANCE AUGUST 29 Start Christian Estrosi of France Mayor of Nice and his wife Laura Tenoudji of France Mask Covid safety measures during the 107th Tour de France 2020 Stage 1 a 156km stage from Nice Moyen Pays to Nice TDF2020 LeTour on August 29 2020 in Nice France Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images (Image credit: Getty Images).
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European Champion Giacomo Nizzolo at phase 1 at the 2020 Tour de France (Image credit: Getty Images).
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Team UAE Emirates rider Norways Alexander Kristoff celebrates as he crosses the finish line of the 1st stage (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) takes award and flowers for winning phase 1 in Nice (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Norwegian Alexander Kristoff of UAE Team Emirates commemorates on podium after stage 1 win (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Giacomo Nizzolo (NTT Pro Cycling) riding early on stage 1 (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Pavel Sivakov during the opening phase at the Tour de France (Image credit: Getty Images).
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Tadej Pogacar of UAE-Team Emirates trips an early climb in peloton (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Thibaut Pinot at Tour de France stage 1 in Nice (Image credit: Getty Images).
Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) took phase 1 and the first yellow jersey on phase 1 of the 2020 Tour de France. The Norwegian won ahead of Mads Pedersen (Trek Segaredo) and Cees Bol (Sunweb) after a chaotic phase that was overshadowed by a run of crashes and bad weather. At one point the stage was reduced the effects of by the riders, such was the high volume of falls on the slick roadways around Nice.
Even after the racing resumed with 25km to go the falls continued with a significant pile-up just inside the final 3km removing several riders including French house Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ). All of the riders associated with the fall or held up were provided the same time as the winner. However, the stage belonged to Kristoff who timed his sprint to excellence after a disorderly sprint.
The knowledgeable rider had no results coming into the race and few selected him as a favourite for the sprints in this years Tour. He came through with a powerful sprint after Bol had taken the lead inside the final 100m.
Pedersen ended up highly after a good lead-out from his team, but the doubt with 1,000 m to go appeared to break the rhythm for a number of lead-out trains. Sam Bennetts train ultimately took control after some strong work from NTT Pro Cycling and Mitchelton-Scott but Kristoff picked the ideal wheel with Bol as numerous pre-race favourites either failed to deliver or faded prior to the line.
For Kristoff, this was another timely reminder of his nearly everlasting class. Every time hes crossed out or passed over he provides another crucial success, and now after stage 1 of the Tour hes made his race which of UAE Team Emirates.” I always dreamt about wearing the yellow jersey and now its a dream come true,” the Norwegian stated.
” You cant dream of a better start. We have a team of climbers and didnt think of winning the sprints, a minimum of not so early on but I felt actually strong in the last kilometres and going to the line, I saw Im going to win. It was an incredible feeling. Im actually happy of what I was able to do. The boys kept me safe throughout the phase however I was alone in the final kilometers. But I still discovered a great wheel. I was sitting on Sagan for a long period of time. Then I got boxed in but I saw Cees Bol beginning on the right and tried to follow. I saw he was fading but I still had legs, so I went. It was a fantastic minute for me.”.
How it unfolded.
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Imanol Erviti of Movistar Team drops from peloton for wheel change (Image credit: Bettini Image).
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Alexander Kristoff of UAE Team Emirates wears first yellow jersey of 2020 Tour de France (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Kevin Ledanois (Arkea-Samsic) crashed in Nice (Image credit: Getty Images).
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Tom Dumoulin at stage 1 at the 2020 Tour de France (Image credit: Getty Images).
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Norways Alexander Kristoff of Team UAE Emirates crosses the finish line to win 1st phase (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Peloton charges to complete of stage 1 in Nice (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
Pos.
Rider Name (Country) Team.
Outcome.
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Primoz Roglic ahead of stage 1 at the 2020 Tour de France (Image credit: Getty Images).
Brief Results.
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Crash with 3km to go on phase 1 has Team Groupama-FDJ rider Frances Thibaut Pinot (L) on the ground next Team Sunweb rider Switzerlands Marc Hirschi (Image credit: Getty Images Sport).
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Julian Alaphilippe waits on service at Tour de France phase 1 in Nice (Image credit: Getty Images).
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2019 Tour de France champ Egan Bernal at Grand Depart for Ineos Grenadiers (Image credit: Bettini Photo).
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Twisting roads outside Nice for stage 1 made treacherous with rain (Image credit: Getty Images Sport).
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Journalism area at the start of phase 1 at the 2020 Tour de France (Image credit: Getty Images).
The days break formed early on stage 1 with Michael Schar (CCC Team), Cyril Gautier (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) and Fabien Grellier (Total-Direct Energie) going clear in the opening kilometres.
The trio never actually established a threatening lead in the race with Deceuninck-QuickStep and Lotto Soudal holding constant to their advantage at less than three minutes.
The stage came to life for all the wrong reasons when the rain began to fall, making the slick tarmac, tight roads and unsafe quantities of road paint all coming together to turn the course into an untraceable surface. Listing out the riders who didnt crash would be easier, but nearly every turn around the very first climb of the Côte de Rimiez found riders striking the deck.
Nairo Quintana, Caleb Ewan, George Bennett, Tom Dumuolin, Wout Poels, Mikel Landa, and Sam Bennett were all among the early casualties however the worst hit were Pavel Sivakov and Julian Alaphilippe..
The Ineos Grenadier rider hit the deck twice, when on each side, and was forced to go back to the medical automobile for assistance, while Alaphilippe fell when on the descent and went through 2 bike modifications before eventually making contact with the peloton.
Even defending champ Egan Bernal was involved, although he was held up by a fall rather than striking the deck himself. Sivakovs 2nd fall with around 70km to appeared to set of a chain reaction as the weather intensified with one fall on the borders of Nice taking down 3 Bahrain-McLaren riders, while another with 68km to go took Ilnur Zakarin, Andrey Amador, Richie Porte and Mikel Nieve.
Martin the marshal.
On the second ascent of the Côte de Rimiez the break was quickly down to 2 riders with Grellier dropped with 62km to go. It took for the veteran rider Tony Martin to call the lot to attention, raising his arms across the field after the rest of the break was captured simply before the descent.
The slowed pace and the neutralization assisted Ewan regain contact with the peloton, regardless of time checks recommending that he had actually been six minutes in defaults. Still the falls came, even with the slower speed and the mood more relaxed. The wet roadways removed George Bennett, with the Jumbo-Visma rider gingerly returning to his feet.
With the race back on flat roadways the riders jointly took it upon themselves to begin racing once again. with Benoit Cosnefroy (AG2R La Mondiale) attacked from the peloton and developing a lead of 16 seconds with just under 25km to go.
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Tom Dumoulin at Tour de France phase 1 in Nice (Image credit: Getty Images).
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Riders being interviewed ahead of stage 1 at the 2020 Tour de France (Image credit: Getty Images).
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Egan Bernal at phase 1 at the 2020 Tour de France (Image credit: Getty Images).
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Alexander Kristoff commemorates as he crosses the goal of the 1st stage of the 107th edition of the Tour de France (Image credit: Getty Images Sport).
1.
Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates.
3:46:23.
2.
Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo.
3.
Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb.
4.
Sam Bennett (Irl) Deceuninck-Quickstep.
5.
Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe.
6.
Elia Viviani (Ita) Cofidis.
7.
Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) NTT Pro Cycling.
8.
Bryan Coquard (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept.
9.
Anthony Turgis (Fra) Total Direct Energie.
10.
Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo.
General classification after stage 1.
Pos.
Rider Name (Country) Team.
Outcome.
1.
Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates.
3:46:13.
2.
Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo.
0:00:04.
3.
Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb.
0:00:06.
4.
Sam Bennett (Irl) Deceuninck-Quickstep.
0:00:10.
5.
Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe.
6.
Elia Viviani (Ita) Cofidis.
7.
Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) NTT Pro Cycling.
8.
Bryan Coquard (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept.
9.
Anthony Turgis (Fra) Total Direct Energie.
10.
Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo.
Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) took phase 1 and the very first yellow jersey on phase 1 of the 2020 Tour de France. The Norwegian won ahead of Mads Pedersen (Trek Segaredo) and Cees Bol (Sunweb) after a disorderly stage that was overshadowed by a run of crashes and bad weather condition. At one point the stage was reduced the effects of by the riders, such was the high volume of falls on the slick roadways around Nice.
The phase belonged to Kristoff who timed his sprint to perfection after a chaotic sprint.
Every time hes composed off or passed over he delivers another crucial victory, and now after phase 1 of the Tour hes made his race and that of UAE Team Emirates.
