Kittel wins Tour stage as Froome crashes

Froome fell along with multiple riders in soaking wet conditions about 20 miles from the finish of the 126-mile leg from Duesseldorf, Germany to Liege, Belgium, but the British star did not lose any time.

Although the race jury said there was nothing illegal, at least two teams complained, saying there was an obvious gain in aerodynamics.

“I’m not sure if it was a bit of oil or the tram tracks, I don’t know when the wheel went first”.

And on the track dominated “Team Sky” – Geraint Thomas scored a debut win in the three-week stage race and became the first holder of the yellow Jersey.

Asked by a reporter if he had used the jersey before Saturday and what effect it had had on his performance, Thomas replied with sarcasm, saying: “You can borrow the suit if you want, see what time you do”.

But once the sprint happened, it was a chaotic one with no-one’s sprint train able to function and set up their leader.

Sky’s team principal Dave Brailsford has said there were “process failures” but has denied any wrongdoing.

A four-man breakaway was allowed to go clear, and Tour debutant Taylor Phinney (Cannondale-Drapac) crested the day’s two climbs first to take the first polka dot jersey of the Tour.

Frenchman Arnaud Demare was second and German Andre Greipel third in the bunch sprint, with Briton Mark Cavendish fourth as he challenged for a 31st stage win.

The quartet once extended their lead from the main group of riders to almost three-and-a-half minutes, before that was shortened to two-and-a-half minutes around 145 kilometres as riders left Germany for Belgium.

Froome’s main rivals – Nairo Quintana, Romain Bardet and Fabio Aru – for the general classification were all in the main group while Richie Porte launched an audacious bid to win the stage 500 meters out. But Sagan was watching closely behind him and never let Porte get far ahead.

Thomas was quickly back up and away but Froome needed to chase hard to get back to the peloton.

With the roads underwater at one point, Porte was left with nowhere to go when a mass crash hit the field as it negotiated a roundabout.