Dusseldorf, Germany: Frenchman Elie Gesbert was the first rider on the road as the 2017 Tour de France began in rainy Dusseldorf on Saturday.
The 22-year-old former French junior champion was the first to tackle the opening stage 14km time-trial in Germany, setting off at 3.15pm local time.
In damp conditions, 198 riders signed on for the start of the 104th edition of the world’s greatest bike race.
Although fans with colourful brollies crowded around the start and finish areas, further along the course the lack of supporters was disappointing at a race that usually brings out hoards thronging every inch of vantage points to watch the action.
German four-time world time-trial champion Tony Martin is the favourite to win the opening stage and wear the yellow jersey in his homeland on Sunday’s second stage.
Australia’s only ever Tour de France winner Cadel Evans has meanwhile urged compatriot Richie Porte to take advantage of his strengths in his bid to beat three-time champion Chris Froome.
Evans caused a sensation in 2011 when he won the Tour, beating top Luxembourger climbers Andy and Franck Schleck in a thrilling battle.
And the popular Aussie, who like Porte rode for BMC, said he had learnt to make the most of his strengths against better climbers and time-triallers, and Porte must learn to similarly take his chances wherever they fall.
“If I were riding this Tour I’d be looking for opportunities, as I always did, in the cross winds, bad roads, difficult conditions, because that’s where my biggest strengths were as a Grand Tour rider,” he said.
“I played on my strengths and that was in my consistency across the three weeks and being there every day.”
Evans wasn’t the best climber, although he was capable of battling his way up the mountains and keeping close to the specialists.
He had come agonisingly close to winning both the 2007 and 2008 Tours before surprisingly strong final time-trials by Spanish climbers Alberto Contador and Carlos Sastre proved enough to hold off the charging Australian in successive years.
Porte produced his best Tour performance last year in finishing fifth.
But for an inopportune puncture in the second stage which cost him close to two minutes, he might even have come home second.
“From what I see, Richie knows he’s got a great opportunity right now and it’s an opportunity not to be overwhelmed by, but an opportunity to take and make the most of,” said Evans.
“And if they (BMC) do everything right, it’s certainly not an unrealistic goal, but it’s a very achievable goal to be on the podium (top three) in Paris.”
Evans insisted Froome was still the favourite, despite being off the pace at the Criterium du Dauphine in early June, where he finished fourth as Porte lost out on overall victory by just 10 seconds to Jakob Fuglsang after making tactical errors on the final stage.
“Of course Chris is the man to beat at this Tour, his results clearly show he’s the best Tour rider of this generation now, certainly in these last four years.
“He’s not a year younger, he’s a year more experienced but it’s not going to last forever and Richie’s now coming into his prime and now’s the time Richie needs to think about taking him on.”
