2011 Tour de France, Stage 1 to Stage 11#Stage 1
(40,8 km / h)
Perrig Quemeneur (EUC )
The first stage of the Tour de France 2011 on July 2, led over 191.5 kilometers from the Passage du Gois to Mont des Alouettes and was not as usual a prologue or a longer time trial. On the flat stage it was like at each stage of the Tour de France a sprint, and there was a mountain stage of the fourth category. All 198 registered riders took to the start.
Race course
Shortly after the start behind the Passage du Gois to Lieuwe Westra, Jeremy Roy and Perrig have sold Quemeneur and out drive fast over six minutes ahead. Then the distance shortened again. During the stage, there were several falls, although all drivers were able to continue. Jeremy Roy won the intermediate sprint of the day, the field was led by Tyler Farrar on the sprint, followed by André Greipel.
A few kilometers before the finish, the three escapees were caught again. Shortly thereafter, there was a fall, a plurality of the standings drivers, including last year's winner Alberto Contador, were stopped. In the final climb initially attacked Alexander Vinokourov and Fabian Cancellara. Then, however, Philippe Gilbert and Cadel Evans could easily settle with Gilbert won the victory. With six seconds behind the first group followed, led by Thor Hushovd.
The group around Contador came with a gap of 1:20 minutes on the winner or 1:14 minutes on the first group to the finish. Before the final climb another group with Andy Schleck was also involved in a crash and was overtaken by the Contador group. Since the second incident had occurred but on the last three kilometers, the Schleck group was evaluated with only six seconds behind.
Climbs
- Mont des Alouettes (Les Herbiers ), category 4 ( km 191.5, 228 m, 2.2 km at 4.7%)
Scoring
- Intermediate sprint in Avrillé ( 87 km, 48 m)
- Target on the Mont des Alouettes ( km 191.5, 228 m)