Tour De France 2017 Stage 1

Stage 1

Britain's Geraint Thomas won his first Grand Tour stage with victory in the opening 14km time trial of the 2017 Tour de France in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The Team Sky rider clocked 16 minutes four seconds to take the yellow jersey, with team-mate and defending champion Chris Froome 12 seconds back in sixth.

Swiss Stefan Kung (BMC Racing) was second with Belarusian Vasil Kiryienka (Team Sky) third in wet conditions.

Movistar's Alejandro Valverde is out of the race after crashing into a barrier.

Thomas, the first Welshman to win a stage on the Tour, told BBC Sport: "I just wanted to give it everything, get out there, try and pace it well and go as fast as I could and it couldn't have gone any better.

"I knew I could do a decent time trial on the day if I paced it well and I think I nailed that," added the 31-year-old.

"I didn't expect this when I woke up - I grew up watching the Tour and to be on the other side of that camera, putting on the yellow jersey, is amazing."

Tony Martin (Katusha-Alpecin) was faster than Thomas at the checkpoint but the German, who was the favourite to win the stage, faded to finish eight seconds behind in fourth.

Thomas is the eighth British rider to wear the yellow jersey and the first Welshman.

Sunday's 203.5km second stage goes from Dusseldorf to Liege, Belgium.


Stage one result and general classification

1. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) 16mins 4secs
2. Stefan Kung (Swi/BMC) +5secs
3. Vasil Kiryienka (Blr/Team Sky) +7secs
4. Tony Martin (Ger/Katusha) +8secs
5. Matteo Trentin (Ita/Quick-Step) +10secs
6. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +12secs
7. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol/Team Sky) +15secs
8. Jos van Emden (Ned/LottoNL-Jumbo) +15secs
9. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/Dimension Data) +16secs
10. Marcel Kittel (Ger/Quick-Step) +16secs

Selected others

29. Simon Yates (GB/Orica-Scott) +37secs
49. Richie Porte (Aus/BMC) +47secs
53. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) +48secs
63. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R) +51secs
66. Fabio Aru (Ita/Astana) +52secs
68. Alberto Contador (Spa/Trek-Segafredo) +54secs