Well it’s official! The Tour de France is off and running. But what was supposed to be a relatively routine opening stage was transformed into chaos when a summer storm rolled into Nice.
The day opened with the women’s race La Course by Le Tour. The ladies did two laps around the back hills of the Côte d’Azur and through Nice. The rolled through the Old Port of Nice and along the Promenade des Anglais past the historic Negresco Hotel, with Britain’s Lizzie Deigan outsprinting Marianne Vos, Annemiek van Vlueten and other to the line. So far, so good!
And the men’s race seemed to start in much the same fashion as the Tour riders rolled out through the heart of Nice. But almost immediately they were hit with steady rains. And in the sinuous back hills of Nice, that spells trouble.
Experienced riders like Philippe Gilbert went down. Hopeful Tour neophytes like Pavel Sivakov went down as did Tour favorites like Thibaut Pinot. By the end of the day, those still standing seemed to be a distinct minority.
“Guys were crashing in every corner, and it was really slippery out there,” said Alexander Kristoff, who somehow managed to stay upright and win.
But Kristoff is one of the world’s great rain riders. That is how he won his memorable Milan-San Remo victory back in 2014. And that is how he scored his fourth stage win in the Tour de France, not to mention his first stint in the yellow jersey—a fitting recompense for one of cycling’s grittiest riders.
Julian Alaphilippe was in good spirits at the stage’s start. At stages’s end… not so much.
This is why it’s called the Cote d’Azur. Unfortunately for the riders, the water they saw on the roads didn’t look as tranquil.
Annemiek van Vleuten before the start of La Course.
Coronavirus precautions have drastically altered the look and feel of the Tour de France.
The women’s peloton in full flight at La Course.
U.S. national champion Ruth Winder prior to the start of La Course.
Julian Alaphalippe chats before the stage.
Some fans come out for La Course.
Giacomo Nizzolo (NTT) rolls over to Sign In.
Sign In at the Tour is typically a crowded, raucous affair. This year, of course, is far from typical.
With everyone in masks, many riders can be hard to recognize – but not Daniel Oss.
The start of stage 1 was pretty and dry, if sparsely attended by local regulations.
Interviews before the stage are normally done outside team busses or at Sign In. This year, however, journalists must request time with riders and meet them at a dedicated spot with enforced social distancing.
The Tour de France gets underway in Nice.
Fans can’t get as close to the Tour this year.
The Promenade des Anglais is a gorgeous place to start and finish a bike race.
The riders wouldn’t have been any wetter if they jumped into the Mediterranean just alongside the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.
A breakaway that came to naught on the Promenade des Anglais.
Philippe Gilbert motors along after crashing.
Jérôme Cousin (Direct Energie) fights to get back on terms.
Pavel Sivakov hit the deck at least twice on stage 1.
Toms Skujins brings it home.
Geoffrey Soupe (Total Direct Energie) rolls across the line.
Pinot and several of his teammates crashed under the 3km remaining banner. Photo: James Startt.
Julian Alaphilippe received the same time as the front group because of the Tour’s 3km rule.
Scores of riders finished in small groups after a huge crash just inside the 3km banner blocked the race.
Tour rookie Neilson Powless was nonplussed at the crash-filled finish of the stage.
