Tour de France stage 1 LIVE: Result and reaction as Julian Alaphilippe wins amid major crashes
The primary favourites to be wearing yellow in Paris - Tadej Pogacar, Primoz Roglic and Geraint Thomas - crossed in group a further eight seconds back. “It’s a scenario I imagined and I really wanted to do it but of course I had to do it and it’s really super,” Alaphilippe said.
There was French delight as Alaphilippe swapped his world champion’s rainbow jersey for the famous yellow with his sixth career Tour stage win.“My team did a great job and controlled it all day. At the end I was caught in a crash but we got back and I really had to make the last climb. I had to get rid of the sprinters, it wasn’t easy but I gave my best and that was it.”
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