Tour de France - report stage 1

Under sunny but windy skies the 2008 Tour de France hit the road. With no prologue this time round, stage one offered a blank canvas for riders to work on. As was expected a lead group went clear featuring eight riders, including all but one of the French teams in the race.

Valverde wins - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

Ruben Preez (Euskatel), Luis Arrieta (AG2R), Geoffroy Lequatre (Agritubel), Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom), Lilian Jegou (FD Jeux), David De La Fuenta (Saunier Duvall), Stéphane Auge (Cofidis) and Björn Schröder (Milram) built a lead of over five minutes before the race began to pull them back.

On the way a number of crashes occurred claiming the number of Hervé Duclos-Lassalle (Cofidis) with a broken hand, whilst Yaroslav Popovych (Silence Lotto) and others were able to remount and ride to the finish. Popovych's crash must have given Cadel Evans kittens, as .Popovych is viewed as his right hand man for the mountains.

With the pack bearing down on the escapees, De La Fuenta and Jegou went clear and held out for sometime before they too were caught and the race was back as one. (Well, not quite as Mauricio Soler (Barloworld) lost over a minute when he went off the back)

Stefan Schumacher (Gerolsteiner) and then Kim Kirchen (Team Columbia) both attacked in the final kilometers before Alejandro Valverde went past all to grab the stage and the yellow jersey.

1 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse D’epargne 4h 36' 07"
2 Philippe Gilbert 165 Francaise Des Jeux 4h 36' 08" + 00' 01"
3 Jérôme Pineau 145 Bouygues Telecom 4h 36' 08" + 00' 01"
4 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 4h 36' 08" + 00' 01"
5 Riccardo Ricco 171 Saunier Duval - Scott 4h 36' 08" + 00' 01"
6 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 4h 36' 08" + 00' 01"
7 Frank Schleck 17 Team Csc Saxo Bank 4h 36' 08" + 00' 01"
8 Filippo Pozzato 61 Liquigas 4h 36' 08" + 00' 01"
9 Oscar Freire 133 Rabobank 4h 36' 08" + 00' 01"
10 Oscar Pereiro 37 CAISSE D’EPARGNE 4h 36' 08" + 00' 01"
11 David Millar 198 Garmin Chipotle 4h 36' 08" + 00' 01"
12 Jose Cobo 173 Saunier Duval - Scott 4h 36' 08" + 00' 01"
13 Matteo Carrara 93 Quick Step 4h 36' 08" + 00' 01"
14 Carlos Sastre 11 Team Csc Saxo Bank 4h 36' 14" + 00' 07"
15 Thor Hushovd 81 Credit Agricole 4h 36' 14" + 00' 07"
16 Fabian Cancellara 13 Team Csc Saxo Bank 4h 36' 14" + 00' 07"
17 Andy Schleck 16 Team Csc Saxo Bank 4h 36' 14" + 00' 07"
18 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 4h 36' 14" + 00' 07"
19 Samuel Sanchez 27 Euskaltel - Euskadi 4h 36' 14" + 00' 07"
20 Stefan Schumacher 111 Gerolsteiner 4h 36' 14" + 00' 07"

General Classification (Yellow jersey)
1 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse D’Epargne 4h 00' 36"
2 Philippe Gilbert 165 Francaise Des Jeux 4h 00' 00"
3 Jérôme Pineau 145 Bouygues Telecom 00' 00"
4 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 00' 00"
5 Riccardo Ricco 171 Saunier Duval - Scott 00' 00"
6 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 00' 00"
7 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 00' 00"
8 Filippo Pozzato 61 Liquigas 00' 00"
9 Oscar Freire 133 Rabobank 00' 00"
10 Oscar Pereiro 37 Caisse D’Epargne 00' 00"
11 David Millar 198 Garmin Chipotle 00' 00"
12 Juan Cobo 173 Saunier Duval - Scott 00' 00"
13 Matteo Carrara 93 Quick Step 00' 00"
14 Carlos Sastre 11 Team CSC Saxo Bank 00' 00"
15 Thor Hushovd 81 Credit Agricole 00' 00"
16 Fabian Cancellara 13 Team CSC Saxo Bank 00' 00"
17 Andy Schleck 16 Team CSC Saxo Bank 00' 00"
18 Christian Vandevelde 191 Garmin Chipotle 00' 00"
19 Samuel Sanchez 27 Euskaltel - Euskadi 00' 00"
20 Stefan Schumacher 111 Gerolsteiner 00' 00"
21 Damiano Cunego 71 Lampre 00' 00"
22 Erik Zabel 151 Team Milram 00' 00"
23 Carlos Barredo 92 Quick Step 00' 00"
24 Mikel Astarloza 22 Euskaltel - Euskadi 00' 00"
25 Manuel Beltran 62 Liquigas 00' 00"
26 Denis Menchov 131 Rabobank 00' 00"
Plus
120 Mark Cavendish 43 Team Columbia 00' 02"
178 Magnus Backstedt 192 Garmin Chipotle 00' 04"

Sprint (Green jersey)
1 Alejandro Valverde 31 Caisse D’Epargne 35 Pts
2 Philippe Gilbert 165 Francaise Des Jeux 30 Pts
3 Jérôme Pineau 145 Bouygues Telecom 26 Pts
4 Kim Kirchen 41 Team Columbia 24 Pts
5 Riccardo Ricco 171 Saunier Duval - Scott 22 Pts
6 Cadel Evans 1 Silence - Lotto 20 Pts
7 Frank Schleck 17 Team CSC Saxo Bank 19 Pts
8 Geoffroy Lequatre 128 Agritubel 18 Pts
9 Filippo Pozzato 61 Liquigas 18 Pts
10 Oscar Freire 133 Rabobank 17 Pts

Mountains (Polka Dot jersey)
1 Thomas Voeckler 149 Bouygues Telecom 8 Pts
2 Björn Schröder 156 Team Milram 8 Pts
3 David La De Fuent 174 Saunier Duvall 4 Pts
4 Lilian Jegou 166 Francaise Des Jeux 3 Pts
5 Geoffroy Lequatre 128 Agritubel 1 Pts