The first stage of the Tour de France, between Florence and Rimini (Italy), resulted in a French victory, with first place for Romain Bardet.
The 33-year-old runner won at the end of the effort.
For his last Grand Boucle, the Frenchman took the leader’s yellow jersey.
First day of the 2024 Tour and first French victory! Frenchman Romain Bardet (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) won the start stage of the 111th edition of the Grande Boucle, this Saturday, between Florence and Rimini (Italy). On the shores of the Adriatic Sea, the 33-year-old rider, second in the event in 2016 and third in 2017, beat his teammate Frank van den Broek, who started in the day’s breakaway and led the leader of his team to victory.
Having set off 50 kilometres from the finish of a very hilly stage (seven climbs), Romain Bardet had joined Van den Broek at the head of the race. The two men then took off as a duo. After the last climb of the Côte de San Marino, the peloton of favourites, which was lurking behind the leaders, increased the pace, leaving the two riders with only a twenty-second lead. But the two champions did not give up until the final straight. With the sprinters in their sights a few metres behind them, Romain Bardet finally managed to win in the finale, with Van den Broek sacrificing himself to give him first place.
The Frenchman, who is experiencing his last Grand Boucle this year, had announced at the start of the Tour de France that he was not interested in the general classification in order to aim for one or more stage victories. He finally did a double take at the end of the first stage, since he will wear the yellow leader’s jersey tomorrow, for the second Italian day of the competition. The other favourites, such as Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel, all finished in the same group, just behind the Frenchman.
