Belgian wins opening stage of Tour

Associated Press

MONT DES ALOUETTES, France

Philippe Gilbert won the first stage of the Tour de France on Saturday to take the yellow jersey, while defending champion Alberto Contador lost more than a minute because of a late crash.

The Belgian rider, who dazzled fans by winning three classics races in April, sped ahead from the pack in the final several hundred yards and kissed his jersey as he crossed the line.

“It was the last 500 meters, I had a lead ... I went for it,” Gilbert said. “It was an extreme effort and I was able to take advantage.”

Gilbert, who has notched 13 victories between race and stage wins this year, had been a favorite to win the opening stage.

He clocked 4 hours, 41 minutes, 31 seconds for the sun-baked 119-mile ride from La Barre-de-Monts to Mont des Alouettes in the western Vendee region.

Two-time Tour runner-up Cadel Evans of Australia was second, three seconds back — making him the best performer among the expected title contenders. Thor Hushovd of Norway was third, six seconds off the pace.

The 2,131-mile race ends July 24 on Paris’ Champs-Elysees. It’s shaping up as a battle among riders like Contador and last year’s runner-up Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.

However, they both ran into trouble toward the end of the stage on Saturday.

With about 5.5 miles left, Astana rider Maxim Iglinskiy knocked shoulders with a fan on the roadside, causing a mass crash that delayed Contador and split the pack. About 40 riders stayed in front. The Spaniard finished 1:20 after Gilbert and is 82nd overall.

Schleck too got slowed down by yet another crash near the end, and finished the stage in 39th place. But according to race rules about crashes within last three kilometers, he was credited with the same time as the pack he was in — six seconds behind Gilbert.