France’s Romain Bardet wins Tour de France opening stage to take yellow jersey
RIMINI – French climber Romain Bardet of the DSM team claimed the overall leader’s yellow jersey when he won the opening stage of the Tour de France on June 29, with a late escape on a 206km run from Florence to Rimini.
Searing summer heat of 30 deg C blighted the peloton as it set off from downtown Florence in Italy on the 21-day epic race, leaving many riders suffering.
British sprinter Mark Cavendish was trailing by 30 minutes when the winner crossed the finish line.
Bardet’s teammate Frank van den Broek finished at the same time in 5hr 7min 22sec, while Visma-Lease a Bike’s Wout van Aert was five seconds back in third.
All the main contenders for the Tour title – including Tadej Pogacar of Team Emirates and Soudal-Quick-Step’s Remco Evenepoel – crossed the line five seconds adrift in the first of four stages featuring racing in Italy.
Van den Broek was part of an early break and he and Bardet – who had announced he would retire in June 2025 – survived a reel-in effort from a fast-closing peloton for victory on the Rimini seafront.
“I didn’t know the course particularly well but Frank was really strong out in front,” Bardet, who launched his initial move from the peloton with 50km to go, told the Cyclingnews website. “Because Frank was so strong, we were able to work together and go for it and he really deserves this win as much as me. We had really hard conditions up there... It was hot, then we had the wind in our faces.”
On taking the yellow jersey, the 33-year-old added: “It’s certainly one of the goals I set for my career. Today I just wasn’t sure that it was going to be able to happen. But I had a great teammate with me. When I reflect on this victory, I will look back and remember just how special it was.”
While the hills of Tuscany made for some eye-catching vistas for worldwide audiences, the riders had to battle not only the heat but also seven ascents.
Cavendish was left periodically vomiting as the pace picked up. Chasing a record 35th Tour stage win the “Manx Missile” was cheered over every hill as he dug deep to keep his bid alive.
His Astana teammate Michele Gazzoli pulled out halfway through, the Italian exhausted from helping Cavendish.
Stage 2 takes the peloton through the Emilia-Romagna region from Cesenatico to Bologna over another hilly route on June 30. AFP, REUTERS