After months of anticipation, on a rainy day on the French Riviera, the Tour de France finally began. It was a more eventful day’s racing than most in the race would have wished for. Newly surfaced roads were turned slick by the rain, and riders were sent clattering across the tarmac – domestiques and leaders, debutants and veterans alike. Jumbo-Visma tried to call a truce, but by the time the peloton reached the finish line back in Nice, swathes of the peloton were sporting road rash and torn kit nonetheless.
Against that backdrop, the day’s winner – UAE-Team Emirates’ cagey Norwegian sprinter, Alexander Kristoff – kept his head down and glided through the carnage to take the first yellow jersey of the race and fourth Tour stage win of his career. He’ll wear the sport’s most famous symbol tomorrow as the race tackles two Category 1 climbs before making its way back to Nice.
Here’s how an action-packed first stage of the 2020 Tour de France played out through the lenses of our photographers.
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- Greg van Avermaet, reigning Olympic champion, strikes a casual pose before the stage starts.
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- The clouds over Nice were an ominous shade of grey.
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- Before the weather set in, the crowds were out in force.
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- Say ‘fromage!’
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- The day’s breakaway (foreground) rides past a big yellow boat (background).
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- Casper Pedersen (Sunweb), blatantly infringing traffic directions.
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- The peloton gracefully arcs around a corner.
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- Up in the mountains over Nice, Denmark’s new national champ, Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck Quick Step) at the head of the peloton.
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- This picture doesn’t advance the narrative in any meaningful way, but the Grubers are very good at their job and I like it, so here it is.
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- The peloton rides through the valley.
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- Leonard Kamna (Bora-Hansgrohe) went sliding across the road, leaving his bike behind him.
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- By lap two, things were getting moody in the mountains.
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- At points, the sinuous twists and turns of some of the descents looked like the roads were folding back in on themselves.
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- Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and a string of other Jumbo-Vismas.
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- Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) makes his way down a descent.
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- Pavel Sivakov (Ineos) had a day he’d rather forget, crashing twice.
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- Pierre Latour (AG2R-la Mondiale) was one of the revelations of the 2019 race. After crashing on stage one, it’s only up from here this year.
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- Giacomo Nizzolo, who’s on a hot streak of form that has seen him crowned European (and Italian!) champion in the past week, was not having quite as good a day, appearing to have an upset stomach midway through the day.
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- As Colombian national champ, Sergio Higuita (EF Education First) is sporting a distinctive yellow jersey and helmet in the race this year.
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- The unmistakable Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe).
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- Steff Cras /Lotto-Soudal) was another crash victim.
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- The peloton going around the bend.
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- Even one of the most gifted bike handlers of the peloton, Julian Alaphilippe, was not immune to crashing on the slippery roads.
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- Key climbing domestique George Bennett (Jumbo-Visma) gets to his feet after the first of what would be two crashes for the day.
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- Because of the treacherous conditions, the peloton self-neutralised the last descent.
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- That helped keep things tidy until the run in to the finish line. Then, just under 3km to go, a massive crash brought about half of the peloton to a standstill. Here’s Niklas Eg (Trek-Segafredo) and Marc Soler (Movistar), left wondering what just happened.
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- Rafael Valls (Bahrain-McLaren) fractured his right femur and was taken away in an ambulance.
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- Say it ain’t so, Thibaut.
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- With the dreams of France riding on his newly-battered shoulders, Thibaut Pinot will be hoping his luck turns around soon.
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- Meanwhile, at the finish line, Alexander Kristoff (UAE-Team Emirates) timed his run to perfection, roaring to the stage win…
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- …ahead of world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and Cees Bol (Sunweb).
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- In doing so, Kristoff scored the green jersey (complete with a terrifying soft toy)…
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- … and the first yellow jersey of the 2020 Tour.
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