5... 4... 3... 2... 1... The Tour de France is go!
Corsica plays host to the start this year, with the opening stage from Corte to Bastia. A flat stage, but theres an uphill kick at the end, and plenty of hills along the way. Top sprinters in the race include Ben Swift, Romain Vanderbiest, Ivano Lo Cicero, and Michael van Stayen. But with the hilly nature of the route, Francisco Ventoso is surely one to watch.
The first attacker is Kevin Lalouette:
Forero and Vaugrenard follow him.
And it's not long before the first crash of the race. Unbelievably, its Damiano Caruso!
He crashed out of the Giro in the first road stage there, and is already on the floor here. He makes it back on his bike this time though.
The Cote de Saint-Pierre-de-Cardo is the first KoM of the race. The 3 first attackers lead, but more are racing across to challenge them.
1
S. Duret
2
B. Vaugrenard
3
JA. Flecha
And from this, the breakaway is formed.
B. Vaugrenard
G. Steurs
JA. Flecha
JP. Forero
K. Lalouette
M. Bernaudeau
S. Duret
Onto the 2nd KoM, and Duret's assault on the jersey continues
1
S. Duret
2
B. Vaugrenard
3
G. Steurs
While in the first intermediate sprint of the race, it's Steurs
1
G. Steurs
2
K. Lalouette
3
S. Duret
88km to go, and the peloton is 5 minutes behind.
As Dan Martin and his team recover from that scare, we have had the 3rd KoM.
1
G. Steurs
2
S. Duret
3
JA. Flecha
And that has also led to the first dropped rider of the race. Cameron Meyer
58km to go and already the break's lead is down to 2'30. Small enough for a couple of new attackers to fancy their chances of making it across the gap.
D. Summerhill
F. Cancellara
Along with a 3rd attacker: G. Veloso, they make it across to the break. Theyre on the last climb, 33km to go - and now the break's lead is only 1'30.
Cancellara takes the points at the top - Duret attacked but left it too late. Not too late to secure the jersey however, having collected 22 points in total - Steurs being the next best on 13.
1
F. Cancellara
2
S. Duret
3
G. Steurs
Not long after that climb, this happens:
While up front, J. Fiedler has now attacked across the 45 second gap to the breakaway. But this is no longer the lead group!
Duret wasnt just attacking for points, he has decided that rather than stay in a group powered by the fresher legs of Cancellara and co, he can do it better solo - and he has quickly built up a 48 second lead on his fellow companions. Thats a 1'30 gap on the peloton, and just 15km to go.
10km to go
The Peloton may be chasing, but Duret is staying strong up front and keeping a good gap. Are we looking at a French stage win and maillot Jaune from the start?
What seems certain though, is that Kashechkin will be losing time thanks to his crash. Almost 3 minutes behind the peloton with 10km to go, it was the worst possible timing for him to go down.
5km to go.
Duret
+ 36 Breakaway
+ 1'08 Peloton
Here's the final kilometres by video. For the usual report style, read on!
And with 3km to go, Duret is still going! This is the ride of his life and the crowd are driving him on.
Vesuvio are sensing the danger, and Mehr-Wenige immediately launches his sprint leadout.
Ignore the kilometre to go banner, theres actually still 2km to go, as the break are swallowed up by the German's acceleration. Ben Swift is 3rd in line and it is Trofimov who has his wheel!
D. Mehr-Wenige
M. Paterski
B. Swift
Y. Trofimov
M. Kreder
D. Cunego
D. Holloway
M. Goss
M. Van Stayen
R. Vanderbiest
L. Rowe
D. Impey
Above is the order of the train behind Vesuvio as the gap to Duret is clearly reducing - but so is the distance to the finish line - and Duret is keeping calm and maintaining his rhythym
Paterski takes over, sprinting alongside Summerhill - while Merino Criado has moved up to bring Ventoso into play. There is now 1 kilometre to go.
Yuri Trofimov surges clear of everyone, as the road kicks uphill slightly. But Duret can see the finish line banner!
It's so close for Duret, but is it too far away? Trofimov is flying up to his back wheel
And on the 4% gradient, Trofimov kicks past on the final bend to win the first stage of the Tour de France here in Bastia!
It's Sony Ericsson's first Tour de France stage win in their 3rd attendance of the race - denying Pendleton's Twicer on their race debut.
Duret takes 2nd, while Ben Swift edges the aggressive Cancellara for 3rd.
Already flexing his muscles, Damiano Cunego finished 5th ahead of last year's double stage winner Van Stayen.
But is there still more drama to come? Theres quite a gap behind 55th over the line Costagli...
Medvedev does his best to close it - with team leader Uran being amongst the big names who could lose out. Fothen and Phinney being two others.
Kashechkin's group finishes 4 minutes down.
And as Trofimov celebrates on the podium, it is confirmed that no time gaps were awarded within the peloton. Lucky escape for Uran, Fothen, Phinney and others.
