Crash delays Alberto Contador as Philippe Gilbert wins

Alberto Contador started his Tour de France title defense in the worst possible manner, losing one minute 20 seconds to the other favourites after being held back by a crash nine kilometers from the finish of the 191.5-km first stage on Saturday.

The stage win and the first leader's yellow jersey in this 98th edition of the race went to Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert, who surged ahead in the last 400 meters to snatch his 13th victory of the season.

Recently crowned Belgian champion and number one in the world rankings, Gilbert grabbed more honors with his first Tour stage win and his first yellow jersey.

On the finish line, Gilbert beat the last two road world champions - Australian Cadel Evans, who finished three seconds adrift and Norway's Thor Hushovd, who came home six seconds behind.

"It was my goal, I knew I had a great opportunity to win the stage and take the yellow jersey, which I had never done before," said Gilbert, who had shunned the Tour in the last two seasons.

Follow us

Nine kms from the finish line, Kazakh Maxim Iglinskiy rode into a spectator on the roadside and crashed, halting more than half of the main pack.

The spectator was unhurt.

While some 40 riders who had already passed the spot were left to battle for stage victory, Contador was stuck in the delayed half of the peloton.

"In today's cycling, races are won and lost by seconds and it is going to take some time to make up for the 1:15 I lost to the other favourites," said Contador.

"It's one of these unfortunate accidents that often occur at the beginning of the Tour de France," Contador's Saxo Bank team manager Bjarne Riis said.

"Alberto is simply unlucky now to be behind some of his opponents for the overall victory, but the Tour has just begun and luckily there is a long way to Paris from here."

SECOND CRASH

The 2007, 2009 and 2010 Tour winner chased with his team mates but was unable to make up the lost time, especially when a second pile-up quashed his hopes of making it back to the front.

The second big crash involved other favourites such as Luxembourg's Andy Schleck, Briton Bradley Wiggins and Dutchman Robert Gesink, but it took place less than three kms from the finish, meaning they were awarded the same time as the first bunch.