Jasper Philipsen powered to victory in a reduced bunch sprint to claim his 10th career Tour de France stage win and seize the yellow jersey, as Jonas Vingegaard showed aggressive intentions in the opening stage on Saturday.
Belgian Philipsen outsprinted Eritrean Biniam Girmay and Norway's Soren Waerenskjold in impressive fashion while Dane Vingegaard and defending champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia crossed the line in the leading group.
"It was a perfect team performance; we were there all day in a really nervous stage, and we knew we had to be at the front when the split happened. The team was amazing, and I just had to finish it off," Philipsen said.
Philipsen, who won the green jersey for the points classification in 2023, now has the most prestigious shirt in cycling.
"I could not have dreamed about this – wearing the yellow jersey and having something like that hanging in my house is going to be amazing," he said.
Absent from the mini peloton were podium contenders Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic, who were caught at the wrong end of a split caused by a brutal acceleration from Vingegaard's Visma-Lease a Bike 17km from the line, and finished 39 seconds behind.
The decisive move on narrow roads with crosswinds caught the duo off guard, while Pogacar stayed alert.
"It was a hectic day and just like we thought there were splits in the end but we were in front, thanks to a good job from the team, it paid off in the end," UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Pogacar said.
The stage had already been marked by drama and disappointment, with Italy’s Filippo Ganna the first rider to abandon the race, soon followed by fellow time-trial specialist Stefan Bissegger after both crashed.
Adding to the day’s surprises, Giro d’Italia champion Simon Yates, riding in a supporting role for Vingegaard, struggled to hold the pace of the front group and was distanced in the finale.
The chaotic opening day lived up to its reputation, with multiple crashes heightening the nervous atmosphere and underlining the unforgiving nature of the Tour’s early stages.
Sunday's second stage is a 209.1km hilly ride from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
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SPECS
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Live: On beIN Sports HD
