Let’s be honest: the start of the Tour de France can tend to be a little dull. Long and flat stages, sprint finishes — the opening days often feel like the entree before the main course that is the Alps and the Pyrenees. But the start of the 2019 Tour has been a little different.
Sure, we’ve had long stretches in the middle of stages where not much has happened, but we’ve also had some intriguing racing on some great courses. Stage 1 around Brussels went up one of the sport’s most iconic climbs — the Muur van Geraardsbergen — and ended in an uphill sprint and delivered an unlikely winner. Stage 2 was a fiercely contested team time trial with astounding average speeds. Stage 3 was something of a mini-Amstel Gold Race through the vineyards of Reims, and stage 4 delivered a chaotic and unpredictable bunch kick.
Those opening four days also delivered the first French leader of the Tour since 2014, a handful of crashes, and some early movement in the GC battle. In short, it’s been an engaging start to the 2019 Tour and there’s plenty more action to come.
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- The team bus area at the Tour de France is a hive of activity — the busiest pits area in the sport.
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- The peloton battles up the famous Muur on stage 1.
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- The climb was too far from the finish to affect the race, but massive crowds turned out regardless.
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- Jakob Fuglsang, a big GC favourite, crashed on the opening day.
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- So too Dylan Groenewegen, who had been one of the big favourites for the stage 1 sprint. He crashed with just a couple kilometres to go.
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- Thankfully for Jumbo-Visma, Groenewegen’s lead-out man, Mike Teunissen, had the presence of mind to switch to sprinting duties …
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- … and managed to get the better of Peter Sagan among others.
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- In winning the stage, Teunissen became the first Dutchman to wear the maillot jaune for 30 years.
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- Eddy Merckx was on hand to present the yellow jersey, 50 years on from winning the first of his five Tours.
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- Greg Van Avermaet was first over the Muur from the break, earning the polka dot jersey after stage 1.
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- Stage 2 was the team time trial.
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- Despite his crash on stage 1, Groenewegen was able to take part.
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- EF Education First took extra care with its chains to reduce friction as much as possible.
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- Richie Porte and his Trek-Segafredo team lost over a minute to the Australian’s GC rivals on the stage.
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- Jumbo-Visma started the team time trial last but was fastest around the course in Brussels.
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- The win gave Teunissen another day in yellow.
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- Team time trials are arguably the hardest discipline in road cycling.
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- Tony Martin spent a good chunk of stage 3 on the front.
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- The stage took the riders into the Champagne region …
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- … where Tim Wellens attacked from the break …
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- … and took the KOM jersey.
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- Julian Alaphilippe put in a big attack on the penultimate climb, 15km from the finish …
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- … and went on to win his third Tour de France stage.
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- Michael Matthews was second, winning the bunch kick.
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- The win meant a lot to Alaphilippe …
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- … who became the first Frenchman to wear yellow since Tony Gallopin in 2014.
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- At the start of stage 4 the riders passed by the spectacular Reims Cathedral.
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- The day’s break was doomed …
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- … with the sprinters rumbling into Nancy for a bunch kick.
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- Elia Viviani came out on top in the chaotic dash …
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- … snagging his first-ever Tour de France stage win.
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- Could more stage wins be on the way for the Italian?
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