To ensure that only a strong rider would prevail in the opening stage of cycling’s most revered race, the finish line at the end of stage one sits at the end of a 2 km uphill stretch. Not a surprise, 28 year-old Belgin, Philipe Gilbert, known for his powerful acceleration and power, won the opener.
Australian cyclist Cadel Evans, age 34, finished a close second to Gilbert only missing the win by about three seconds. Following about 6 seconds behind Evans, Thor Hushovd crossed the finish of stage one in third.
A crash in the race left top contenders Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck 1:20 back from the lead. The crash occurred about 9 km from the finish when Kazakh Maxim Iglinskiy ran into a spectator. No one, including the spectator was injured, but the crash tied up nearly half of the lead group. The spectator was unhurt.