Tour de France

Firenze – the place where our team won the 2013 World TTT Championships – was a moveable feast Saturday afternoon, as huge crowds flooded the streets to see the riders gather in the historic center of the city for the start of the 111th Tour de France. For Soudal Quick-Step, the Grand Départ marked our team’s 22nd consecutive presence at the race where until now we’ve won a total of 50 stages and six distinctive jerseys.

Traveling to Rimini, on the Adriatic coast, this 206km opening stage had an elevation gain of 3600 meters spread over the day’s seven classified climbs, the last of which came less than 30 kilometers from the finish. It didn’t take long for a breakaway to form, a total of seven riders booking a place in the first move of this year’s Tour de France. From a maximum gap of five minutes, they had only one minute left in the last 50 kilometers, when Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich) attacked from the bunch and joined teammate Frank Van den Broeck.

The duo stayed at the front despite some fierce chasing from the teams who wanted a reduced bunch sprint, and Bardet took the win for a handful of seconds. Remco Evenepoel concluded with the main group in eighth place, an encouraging result for the 24-year-old Belgian, who had Soudal Quick-Step teammates Mikel Landa and Ilan Van Wilder for company in the final part of the stage.

“I had a good feeling today, better than the one in the Dauphiné a couple of weeks ago. My teammates did a great job, making sure I was well positioned the entire time, I didn’t suffer from the heat, so overall I think it was a good day. On Sunday things should be more hectic, with even more riders involved in the fight for victory, so it will be important to stay focused and always up there”, Evenepoel explained after the stage.

Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images