Gilbert wins Stage 1, Contador struggles

By JAMEY KEATEN

updated 3:25 p.m. ET July 2, 2011

LA BARRE-DE-MONTS, France - Philippe Gilbert won Saturday's first stage of the Tour de France to take the yellow jersey, while defending champion Alberto Contador lost more than a minute because of a late crash.

The Belgian champion, who dazzled fans by winning three key classics in April, left it late before speeding ahead from the pack and kissing his jersey as he crossed the line.

"It was the last 500 meters, I had a lead ... (and) I went for it," Gilbert said. "It was an extreme effort and I was able to take advantage."

Gilbert, who has notched 13 victories between race and stage wins this year, had been a favorite to win the opening stage.

He clocked 4 hours, 41 minutes, 31 seconds for the sun-baked 191.5 kilometer (119 mile) ride from La Barre-de-Monts to Mont des Alouettes in the western Vendee region.

Two-time Tour runner-up Cadel Evans of Australia was second, three seconds back - making him the best performer among the expected title contenders. Norway's Thor Hushovd was third, six seconds off the pace.

The 3,430-kilometer (2,131-mile) race that ends July 24 on Paris' Champs-Elysees is shaping up as a battle among riders like Contador and last year's runner-up Andy Schleck of Luxembourg. Three-time champion Contador, a Spaniard, beat Schleck by just 39 seconds last year.

But they both ran into trouble towards the end of Saturday's stage.

With nine kilometers (5.5 miles) left, Astana rider Maxim Iglinskiy knocked shoulders with a fan on the roadside, causing a mass crash that delayed Contador and split the pack. Contador finished 1:20 after Gilbert, and trails 82nd overall.

The Spanish champion didn't stop to speak to reporters afterward.

Many fans and riders have questioned Contador's presence after his positive test for the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour, the results of which were made public afterward. He could be stripped of all his titles back to last July if the Court of Arbitration for Sport rules against him next month.

Leopard Trek teammate Brian Vandborg put his leader's race setback Saturday into some perspective.

"I have faith in Alberto and I believe that he will be back showing what he's best at in the mountains," he said, referring to the punishing climbs that Contador excels in and riders face in weeks two and three. "There are still 20 demanding stages to go and anything can happen."

Schleck too got slowed down by yet another crash near the end, and finished the stage in 39th place. But according to race rules about crashes within last three kilometers, he was credited with the same time as the bunch he was in - six seconds behind Gilbert - and placed 33rd overall.

"It was a pretty nasty crash but I was really lucky that I didn't fall myself," said Schleck, who sought to stay near the head of the pack to stay away from trouble. "I pushed myself to stay in front."

Among other possible Tour title contenders, Belgium's Jurgen Van den Broeck lies fifth overall, Levi Leipheimer of the United States is 38th, and Briton Bradley Wiggins trails in 50th place - all six seconds behind Gilbert.

A total of five crashes took down riders in the nervous debut stage, including David Arroyo of Spain and Linus Gerdemann, the Leopard Trek rider who won the Tour of Luxembourg this year. Two injured Movistar teammates of Arroyo, Andrey Amador and Benat Intxauti, were taken to hospital for X-rays.

Belgium's Jelle Vanendert paid for his sense of courtesy. Near the front of the main pack around the 63-kilometer (39-mile) mark, the Omega Pharma-Lotto rider held out his left arm to warn those behind him of a roadway median - a gesture that caused him to lose control of his bike. He tumbled to the ground with his helmet bouncing and his sunglasses skidding away, while several others fell in his wake. All of those involved returned to the race.

While the stage was mostly flat, the end was tricky. Riders had to scale the bumpy Mont des Alouettes - a three-kilometer (1.8-mile) hill - up to the finish, so it was not tailor-made for traditional sprinters.

The stage was suited for Gilbert. Just like he did in winning the Amstel Gold, Walloon Arrow and Liege-Bastogne-Liege races in April, he outsprinted and overcame his rivals in the final uphill climb.

"It's true that I've achieved a pretty extraordinary series of wins this year," said Gilbert, whose goal in the Tour has been to win a stage - but his first yellow jersey was an unexpected plus. "But in a few seconds, I realized the magic" of the coveted leader's shirt, he said.

For only the second time since the 1960s, the Tour opener this year was not an individual time-trial prologue, with riders instead embarking right away on a full stage.

Three breakaway riders - Jeremy Roy and Perrig Quemeneur of France, and Dutch rider Lieuwe Westra - bolted out of the peloton right at the start and built a lead of 6- 1/2 minutes.

Unable to stay ahead after nearly 170 kilometers (105 miles) on their own, they were caught by the pack with 18 kilometers (11 miles) left.

Stage 1 featured an unusual 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) ride along the 'Passage du Gois,' a causeway connecting Noirmoutier island to the mainland that is submerged at high tide.

Sunday's second stage is the team time trial, a 23-kilometer (14.3-mile) ride in and around Les Essarts. The discipline features teams riding together on special bikes designed for the race against the clock.

AP Sports Writer Samuel Petrequin contributed to this report.

� 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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