French rider Romain Bardet celebrates on the podium with the yellow jersey after the first stage of the 111th edition of the Tour de France on 29 June 2024. (Thomas Samson/AFP)
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 Saturday with a late escape on a 206km run from Florence to Rimini.
Searing heat of 30C (86F) blighted the peloton as it set off from downtown Florence on the 21-day epic leaving many riders suffering, with British sprinter Mark Cavendish trailing by 30 minutes when Bardet crossed the finish line.
All the main contenders for the Tour title crossed the line five seconds adrift in the first of four stages featuring racing in Italy.
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