07.04 - Tour de France: Stage 1

Clocking in - there are some nervous riders signing-in for the start in Rotterdam this morning...

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Boom !- three riders are racing away from kilometre zero, led by Lars Boom..!

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Let's look at Geraint Thomas, new British champion...

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Meet Thomas Voeckler, new French champion...

Meet Christan Knees, new champion of Germany...

He's been known to smile sometimes - meet Martin Elmiger, new champion of Switzerland...

The peloton saunters across an iconic bridge between Rotterdam and Hoogvliet...

Martin Wynants leads the escape on to the first of the day's windy sea-bridges - they have a five-minute lead...

Fabian Cancellara can look forward to a fairly quiet day as race-leader - his team doesn't even need to chase..!

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Even with 150-kilometres to go, Garmin-Transitions is starting to get nervous...

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Power to the peloton - a high-powered speedboat tries to keep pace as the peloton crosses the Zeeland coast for the second time...

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A small crash had caught out people like David Millar...

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Ivan Basso needs a bike change after the crash...

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Liquigas brings Basso back - with Millar as a grateful passenger...

Thor Hushovd needs his bike fixed too...

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The peloton is still compact on the massive bridge across the North Sea at Port Zelande...

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Bradley Wiggins has a few issues with his bike - a Sky mechanic obliges...

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Tour rookie Michael Barry paces Wiggins back to the peloton...

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Meet Alexandre Kolobnev, a very deserving champion of Russia...

Alexandre Kuschinski, of Liquigas and Belorusse...

How about Niki Terpstra, new champion of the Netherlands..?

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The best Champion oi them all - Cadel Evans..?

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Boom leads the escape into Belgium with four minutes advantage...

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Dries Devenyns has crashed...

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Last drinks - Sergio Paulinho loads up with bottles of cool water...

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A skinny Lance needs water, but maybe he also needs to eat some meat..?!

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Johan Van Summeren is launching the final chase for Tyler Farrar...

Perez is trying hard to make the escape stay away...

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Moldovian champion Alexandre Pliuschkin has gone across the Wynants - they suddenly gain 30-seconds more..!

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A series of crashes has decimated the peloton in the last kilometre - but the sprint is on...

Alessandro Petacchi wins stage one of the Tour de France..!

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Tyler Farrar crosses the line with the help of Maaskant - his 4th of July dreams over...

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Lloyd Mondory crosses the finsih line with his shouldered bike, but it hurts...

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He's still smiling - Fabian Cancellara takes on-board another yellow jersey...

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