Froome Starts Pursuit Of 5Th Tour De France Title
The full peloton of 176 riders split between 22 teams got rolling Saturday morning for the mostly flat 201-kilometer (125-mile) first stage from Noirmoutier-en-l’Ile to Fontenay-le-Comte. Three French riders — Kevin Ledanois (Team Fortuneo-Samsic), Jerome Cousin (Direct Energie) and Yoann Offredo (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) — attacked at the start flag and quickly established an advantage of more than a minute. After crossing a bridge to the mainland, the route will take riders along the coastline before heading slightly inland for the finish....