Hello and welcome to live coverage of the opening stage of the Tour de France, a 13.2km time trial around Copenhagen. The COVID-19 pandemic and a clash with the European Championships meant that Denmark had to wait an extra year to host the Grand Départ, but that has done nothing to dampen enthusiasm for the occasion.
Jérémy Lecroq (B&B Hotels-KTM) will be the first rider down the start ramp, at 16.00 CET, and the 176 starters set out at one-minute intervals thereafter. Defending champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) has passed up on the honour of setting off last. The Slovenian, mindful of the rain forecast later in the afternoon, will instead set out at 17.05, while his teammate Marc Soler will bring the curtain down on the opening stage at 18.55.
Rain is already splattering gently over Copenhagen, and it’s striking that the bulk of the GC men and time triallists are setting out early in a bid to avoid the worst of it, including Daniel Martinez (16.19), Primoz Roglic (16.20), Geraint Thomas (16.41), Jonas Vingegaard (16.42), Filippo Ganna (17.03) and Wout van Aert (17.04). The full start order is here.
The headlines this afternoon, however, are dominated not by the bike race, but by the storm clouds looming over Bahrain Victorious. The team's hotel in Copenhagen was raided on Thursday morning after the homes of riders and staff in Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Belgium, Spain and Poland were searched earlier this week. Europol issued a statement today confirming that the ongoing inquiry is focused on “the use of prohibited substances in cycling races." Eurojust followed with a statement of their own shortly afterwards, revealing that "412 capsules with undetermined brown content and 67 capsules with undetermined white content” were found during a search earlier this week in Slovenia. Read more here.
Neither the UCI nor ASO have yet seen fit to issue any statement whatsoever on the fact that one of the participating teams at the Tour is subject to a doping investigation involving the coordinated efforts of law enforcement officers from no fewer than eight European countries. Their silence is deafening. Their failure to take action, to take a stance or even to issue a statement is nothing short of an embarrassment.
As things stand, Bahrain Victorious remain in the Tour, with Jan Tratnik their first starter at 16.13. Yesterday, Bahrain Victorious made a show of themselves in their pre-Tour press conference, where they seemed to labour under the misapprehension that anybody cared one jot for what they had to say about the race. The only relevant subject is the ongoing investigation, and they refused to answer any questions about it. There endeth the press conference. Stephen Farrand has the full story here.
The Bahrain Victorious inquiry was started by the public prosecutor in Marseille last summer and their hotel in Pau was raided on last year’s Tour. In October of last year, the team shrugged off suggestions that hair testing on three of their riders who had been search revealed traces of the powerful muscle relaxant Tizanidine.
Meanwhile, Jérémy Lecroq (B&B Hotels-KTM) readies himself in the start house and then rolls down the ramp to begin his time trial. The 2022 Tour de France is formally underway.
It's drizzling gently over Copenhagen on a slate grey afternoon that brings back memories of standing against a roadside barrier in Dublin on the opening day of the 1998 Tour. The grey sky is not the only thing that puts one in mind of the 1998 Tour today, of course.
Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), the newly-crowned Dutch time trial champion, starts his effort. He is the day's fifth starter. Next up is Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal).
The on-screen graphic claims that Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-Easypost) is pushing a 64-tooth (!) chainring. Whatever the gear ratio, the Swiss rider is a real contender for the first yellow jersey of the Tour. He ought to be the early pace-setter, but remember that the bulk of the contenders are setting out early today.
Bissegger almost comes a cropper on a rain-slicked section of road, but he quickly rights himself and his rhythm doesn't appear to have been unduly interrupted.
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) begins his effort. The Dutchman is an outsider for today's stage but, above all, he knows a good time trial will put him within touching distance of yellow even before the race hits the cobbles on stage 5.
Stefan Bissegger has crashed.... The Swiss rider slides out on a tight right-hand corner and his hopes of yellow disappear with 8km of his effort to go. Bissegger remounts and continues, but there will be no stage win this afternoon for him.
We assume Jan Tratnik (Bahrain Victorious) is out on the course but, curiously, the host broadcaster has neglected to show images of the first rider from the team in the eye of the storm to begin his Tour. Odd.
Another crash for the unfortunate Bissegger. This time he slips out on a Danish flag painted onto the road. The combination of rain and paint - not to mention the cobblestones in the finale - makes this a most treacherous course.
Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) goes through his stretching routine behind the start gate. One imagines Bissegger's travails will make the GC men even more cautious. Meanwhile, Dani Martinez is the first Ineos rider to set off.
Bauke Mollema, incidentally, is the quickest man at the finish to date. The Dutchman clocked 15:34 for an average speed of 50.9kph.
Primoz Roglic begins his Tour de France to generous applause from his Danish hosts.
Van der Poel was half a second down on Mollema at the intermediate check, and it will be fascinating to see if he recoups that ground on the more technical second portion of the route. Meanwhile, a disappointed Bissegger comes home 55 seconds down on Mollema after his two crashes.
New best time from Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck). His time of 15:30 is 4 seconds quicker than Mollema. His average speed is 51.1kph.
Fourth-best time at the finish for David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), 37 seconds down on Van der Poel.
Roglic had the third-best time at the time check, a second down on Mollema and half a second behind Van der Poel.
The television cameras have studiously avoided Jan Tratnik of Bahrain Victorious, and it's hard not to wonder if that's to allow television commentators avoid mentioning the ongoing doping inquiry into Tratnik's team. Anyway, the Slovenian has the third best time at the finish, 12 seconds down on Van der Poel.
Time at finish
Into the final 2km for Roglic, who is fluid around the corners albeit without taking any undue risks. Can he overhaul Van der Poel and Mollema?
The rain falls every more heavily as Daniel Martinez (Ineos) comes up the finishing straight in 6th place, 30 seconds down on Van der Poel. Roglic will be rather quicker...
Second-best time so far for Roglic, whose 15:33 is 2.5 seconds down on Van der Poel. The Slovenian was obviously keen to avoid risks on the worst corners but that has the look of a solid display in the circumstances - not least because the conditions seem only to be worsening.
Time at finish
Jack Haig, the second Bahrain Victorious rider in the start order, is out on the course. And, as in the case of Tratnik, the host broadcaster has elected not to show us any images of him. It's almost like they want to pretend Bahrain Victorious aren't in the race at all.
Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) rolls down the start ramp with what looks like a balaclava under his aero helmet. The last time a Russian rider made a fashion statement like this in a Tour time trial was at Val d'Isere in 1996, when Evgeni Berzin wore his famous blue socks.
Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) produces a remarkable effort to perhaps put himself within touching distance of yellow before the race leaves Denmark. He's second best at the finish, 1.83 seconds behind Van der Poel. Meanwhile, Nairo Quintana has gone past his minute man Caleb Ewan...
Geraint Thomas starts his effort and he is followed by Jonas Vingegaard, who gets a thunderous reception from the home crowds...
Time at finish
A solid effort from Quintana, who clocks the 10th-best time so far. Out on the course, meanwhile, Vingegaard is rolling along on a tide of noise.
Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies), like Vlasov, is wearing the combined snood-aero helmet from Specialized. The Frenchman begins his effort just as his fellow countryman Romain Bardet (DSM) is reaching the finish with a solid 16:02, good enough for 10th place so far.
Neilson Powless (EF-Easypost), incidentally, clocked a decent time of 16:05, which puts him 11th of the early starters.
Time at finish
16th best time at the finish for Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious), who did not appear on television screens over the course of his ride.
Both Geraint Thomas and Ben O'Connor have been cautious through the opening half of the course, hitting the check point 18 and 35 seconds behind Mollema, respectively.
Vingegaard, on the other hand, was only 5 seconds behind Mollema at that point, and he is still smooth through the corners in the latter part of this course...
Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) comes home 8th for the time being, 18 seconds down on Van der Poel. A solid opening gambit from the man forced out of the Tour de Suisse with COVID-19.
Geraint Thomas has finished strongly and he comes home with the provisional 8th best time, just under 12 seconds down on Van der Poel. Now, what can Vingegaard do?
Jonas Vingegaard stops the clock in 15:32, just 2.3 seconds down on Van der Poel. That's good enough for third best so far and it puts him just ahead of Roglic in the standings...
Time at finish
The host broadcaster finally, finally gives us a - very fleeting - glimpse of a Bahrain Victorious rider. Damiano Caruso, whose home in Sicily was raided by police this week as part of the internationally coordinated investgation into alleged doping at the Bahrain Victorious team, has begun his Tour.
World time trial champion Filippo Ganna (Ineos) rolls down the start ramp to begin his effort. This next quarter of an hour is the most important of his entire season and his focused expression says as much. In a seat behind the start house, meanwhile, Tadej Pogacar is smiling.
Wout van Aert is the next man to start after Ganna, and then comes Pogacar. This trio could - should? - define the outcome of today's stage.
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) begins his Tour, chasing Van Aert and Ganna.
Pogacar tackles the first corners quite gingerly. Sagely, the Slovenian looks to be channelling Miguel Indurain at Saint-Brieuc in 1995 on this rain-slicked course.
Filippo Ganna has a scare on a zebra crossing, but he manages to keep it in a straight line. One wonders if Van der Poel's bike handling could yet win him the day on rain-slicked course like this. Van Aert might have something to say about that, of course.
Time at finish
Fifth best time for Filippo Ganna at the midpoint, 2 seconds down on Mollema. The on-screen graphic suggest Van Aert is tracking 3 seconds quicker than Ganna, but we await confirmation at the intermediate checkpoint.
Fourth-best time at the midpoint for Wout van Aert, just a second down on Mollema. This will be very tight between Van der Poel, Van Aert and Ganna...
10th best time at the intermediate checkpoint for Pogacar, 6 seconds behind Mollema. What can he do over the second half of the course?
The rain is starting to abate slightly, so - perhaps like Sky in 2010 - the GC contenders got their information wrong about the weather conditions this afternoon. Pogacar, meanwhile, seems to be pulling back time on Ganna over the second half of the course...
Filippo Ganna had work to do in the second half of the course and he did it... The Italian comes home in 15:28, 2.64 seconds up on Van der Poel, for the new best time and an average speed of 51.2kph.
But Wout van Aert has beaten Ganna's time convincingly... 15:22 might well be enough to put him into yellow this evening....
And yet, and yet... Tadej Pogacar is finishing like a train but the Slovenian leaves himself with just too much to do. Pogacar takes provisional second in 15:24, 2.48 seconds behind Van Aert. The Tour favourite is ever more resoundingly the Tour favourite.
Time at finish
It appears that Geraint Thomas forgot to take off his gilet before beginning his time trial, which was quite an oversight. Despite the aerodynamic disadvantage, the Welshman limited his losses on Van Aert to 20 seconds.
There is another hour and a half left of this time trial, but it's hard to imagine the top placings being challenged by the men still to come. That said, Kasper Asgreen (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) is out on the course and eager to make a big impression.
And yet, and yet... A new quickest time at the intermediate checkpoint, as Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) zips through in 7:29, some two seconds clear of Bauke Mollema. He can't, can he?
He can't.... Christophe Laporte's wheels slip from under him with 4.5km to go and he crashes. Although he immediately remounts, his hopes of taking yellow have been dashed.
Christophe Laporte comes home 30 seconds down with the 21st best time to date. A case of what might have been after that late crash.
Matej Mohoric, who remained zip-lipped on the Bahrain Victorious raids during yesterday's press conference, is out on the course now, Brandon McNulty (UAE), meanwhile, finishes with provisional 24th place, 38 seconds down on Van Aert.
Geraint Thomas (Ineos) has confirmed that his gilet wearing was inadvertent rather than some manner of cutting-edge marginal gain. "That was the first worst half a time trial I’ve ever done. When everyone’s telling you to go easy on the corners, it did my head in and in the first few corners, I cornered like my wife and she hasn’t ridden a bike in twelve years." Thomas said. "And then I realised I still had my gilet on. I zipped it up, it was nice and snug, and I didn’t realise. The guy at the start didn’t notice, not that it was his fault. Then once I went through that time check and I I was 18 seconds down at the check point and then I just took the pin out. But the cornering was just absolutely terrible, I overthought it." Thomas still limited his losses to 20 seconds on Van Aert, mind.
Meanwhile, it was a very solid showing from Adam Yates (Ineos), who clocked the 11th best time so far, 18 seconds down on Van Aert. The rain has abated but the road doesn't appear to be drying considerably, so it's not clear how much of an advantage the later starters will have here.
Time at finish
Yves Lampaert (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) was 8th at 5 seconds at the time check, but the on-screen graphic suggest he is recouping a lot of ground on the back end of the course... An upset might be in the offing.
Matej Mohoric, whose Bahrain Victorious team are at the centre of a Europol doping investigation, crosses the finish line with the 25th-best time to date, 38 seconds down on Van Aert.
Yves Lampaert is closing in on the finish at a rate of knots and an anxious Wout van Aert watches from the hot seat...
New best time from Yves Lampaert (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl). The Belgian clocks 15:17, some 4.55 seconds quicker than Van Aert at an average speed of 51.8kph.
Lampaert was 2 seconds down on Van Aert at the intermediate checkpoint, but he turned it around considerably over the second half of the course. The dryer roads probably helped, and maybe so did his noticeably long - but presumably within regulation height - socks, but that was a remarkable display from Lampaert.
Time at finish
Yves Lampaert pauses in the finishing straight to speak to a group of Francophone reporters, and he is congratulated on his display by Van Aert, who has vacated the hot seat. "There are still a lot of riders to come who could do a better time trial than me, but for now I’m happy to have beaten the great last Belgian time trial champion," Lampaert says as Van Aert approaches. "I hope it’s enough to win the stage. It’s incredible, I didn’t expect that and for now, I don’t really understand how it happened. It’s the Tour and I'm first for now, but we’ll see, there are still a lot of riders to come."
In the 1995 prologue in Saint-Brieuc, Jacky Durand took yellow after starting in dry conditions before the heavens opened and Chris Boardman crashed, which prompted Miguel Indurain to tackle the course on a regular road bike. Today's stage could be a reverse Saint-Brieuc... The favourites set off in the worst conditions and the roads have been seemingly less treacherous for men like Lampaert.
Chris Froome (Israel Premier Tech) is the next man to start his Tour. The four-time winner knows he won't win this year's race, but he admitted yesterday that he still dreams of recapturing his former glories.
Froome is, understandably, cornering quite gingerly. The conditions have improved since earlier in the afternoon, but the roads remain wet and, tellingly, none of the recent starters have troubled the leaderboard at the intermediate check or at the finish.
Specialized's rather unhip snood-helmet combinations have made their competitive debut this afternoon, but it was noticeable that Lampaert opted for a more traditional aero helmet for an effort that looks set to give him the first yellow jersey of this Tour.
Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious) begins his time trial to some jeers from the crowd at the start. News of Europol and Eurojust's investigation into the alleged use of prohibited substances at Bahrain Victorious has travelled to the roadside in Copenhagen - but not, apparently, to the ears of Eurosport's analysts. Teuns, incidentally, wrote about the raids in Het Belang van Limburg. "Anyone who knows me knows that I want nothing more than to provide clarity," Teuns said. "I won't do that this time though. This investigation has been going on for a year now. Last year, after a raid by the French police [in Pau] I had to hand over my laptop and mobile phone. Well, I never got it back. And I'm afraid things are being taken out of context and things could escalate. Just at a time when I have to focus on my job.” Read more here.
Chris Froome comes in with the 85th best time so far, 1:15 down on Lampaert.
We're into the final wave of starters and the order is as follows:
Time at finish
Filippo Ganna was the favourite for the first yellow jersey but it appears that he sustained a puncture in the final kilometre, although he downplayed its impact on his eventual result. "It’s not an excuse, I don’t think I lost because of that, but it went like that," said Ganna, who didn't seem to know precisely when he punctured. "The pain in my legs was considerable, I was trying to limit the damage. With the rain, I didn’t feel at my ease on the corners but on the straights I was quite constant. It went like that. It was supposed to be dry when I set off, but it was already wet and then it started raining. Like everybody, like Wout and Tadej, we set out early for that reason. We can’t have any regrets. There were just stronger riders today."
Dylan Teuns of the notorious Bahrain Victorious crosses the line with the 10th best time to date, 20 seconds down on Lampaert.
Time at finish
Alexey Lutsenko (Astana-Qazaqstan) begins his effort. The wind has relented since earlier in the afternoon and the roads are a little less treacherous too. It will be interesting to see what the Kazakhstani can do here after he took 7th overall a year ago.
A sigh of relief for Yves Lampaert. Alberto Bettiol and Lutsenko were the late starters who posed a possible threat, but they were both 22 seconds down at the intermediate checkpoint.
Jakob Fuglsang (Israel Premier Tech) was cheered all the way along the course, but he came home over 50 seconds down on Lampaert.
Tom Pidcock is the last of the Ineos riders to start. The Briton's bike handling might serve him well on this course, but Lampaert is looking increasingly like the first maillot jaune.
Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) is the last man to start the time trial. The inverted start order has perhaps divested the finale of this time trial of suspense, but Lampaert's likely victory is certainly a surprise.
Mikkel Honore (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) slides out on a right-hand bend. The Dane remounts and continues, but his hopes of a high finish have been thwarted.
Alexey Lutsenko comes in 44 seconds down on Lampaert, good enough for provisional 33rd place.
None of the riders who have passed the intermediate checkpoint are in a position to challenge Lampaert's lead this afternoon and only four more riders - Oliver Naesen, Tom Pidcock, Nathan Van Hooydonck and Marc Soler - have yet to pass that mark.
Michael Storer (Groupama-FDJ) comes in 137th at 1:37. Lampaert remains in the hot seat with a growing sense of expectation. He will almost certainly be the first yellow jersey of this Tour.
Tom Pidcock comes through the checkpoint 12 seconds down at the intermediate checkpoint, which places him 7 seconds behind Lampaert.
Neither Soler nor Van Hooydonck were in sight of Lampaert at the checkpoint, incidentally. The Belgian may as well start making his way towards the podium, even if protocol insists he must stay in the hot seat until everybody has crossed the line.
Pidcock cruises past Oliver Naesen on the run-in. The Briton is sweeping very gracefully through the corners but he won't trouble Lampaert's winning time.
15th place at 23 seconds for Tom Pidcock, two places and one second behind teammate Adam Yates.
Yves Lampaert crosses his fingers in the hot seat but, deep down, he knows he is the first yellow jersey of the 2022 Tour de France. After a spring ruined by illness and a controversial disqualification at the Baloise Belgium Tour, this puts a rather different slant on Lampaert's 2022 campaign.
Yves Lampaert (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) wins stage 1 of the Tour de France. Marc Soler can't beat Lampaert's time. It's been obvious for a while, but Lampaert now breaks into tears and realises that all is true. He is the first yellow jersey of the Tour.
Result
A disbelieving Yves Lampaert blinks back the tears. "My mind is exploding. I came with the expectation that a top 10 would be great. Now I've beaten all the best riders in the world - I'm just a farmer's son from Belgium, eh - to do this, I never expected it. I cannot believe it. I know I'm in good condition but, guys, to win a stage in the Tour de France, the first stage? This is something I never could dream of and I did it."
Lampaert: "Everybody is free to pedal as hard as he can in a time trial, but to beat Van Aert, Van der Poel, Ganna, it's unbelievable for me. The roads were still really wet when I went, so I think I had the same conditions as the main favourites. I always thought on the corners, 'Yves, go faster, trust in your tyres, or you'll lose seconds in the corners.' And in the end I came in 5 seconds up on Van Aert. I think I'll only realise what I've done when the Tour is over and I go back to my family. Or maybe on Monday when I see my girlfriend and my son. I think I have to be proud of myself. I'll be thinking of the team on the podium and also my best friend Tim Declercq, who had to go home [due to COVID-19 - ed.] I really wanted to celebrate this moment with him, even if I didn't expect to have it. It's a pity he's not here."
The day's full results are available here
And Alasdair Fotheringham's full report is landing here imminently.
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