Multiple crashes caused by rain-drenched, slippery roads brought a bit of chaos to stage 1 in Nice for the start of the 2020 Tour de France. Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) crossed the line on the Promenade des Anglais to secure the stage 1 victory and the first yellow jersey.
“I always dreamt about wearing the yellow jersey and now it’s a dream come true. You can’t dream of a better start," the Norwegian said.
Mads Pedersen (Trek Segaredo) and Cees Bol (Sunweb) finished second and third, respectively, on the opening stage, which at one point was neutralized by the riders because of the slick roads around Nice.
There was a major pile-up just inside the final 3km of stage 1, taking down several riders including Frenchman Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ). All of the riders involved in the fall or held up were given the same time as the winner.
The stage belonged to Kristoff, who timed his sprint to perfection for a key victory to begin the three weeks of racing.
Watch the Tour de France stage 1 highlight video above.
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