Tour de France standings 2017: Geraint Thomas wins yellow jersey after Stage 1

Geraint Thomas won the first yellow jersey of the 2017 Tour de France with a time of 16:04 during a Stage 1 time trial. He finished seven seconds ahead of Team Sky teammate Vasili Kiryienka on wet roads through Düsseldorf. Sky dominated the day, placing four riders among the top seven finishers on the stage, including yellow jersey favorite Chris Froome in sixth.

The stage was short, just 14 kilometers, but it was a technical ride made worse by the nuisance of the rain. What seemed like a drizzle became a downpour midway through the start list. Several riders fell, beginning with Dylan Groenewegen, who slid several feet on his butt into a barricade.

There were no casualties until late in the day after the rain stopped, when disaster struck for Spanish veteran Alejandro Valverde on a lefthand turn.

Soon after the crash, it was announced that Valverde was being taken to the hospital for a potential leg fracture, and had been forced to abandon the Tour de France. He was a dark horse contender for a podium place in Paris on a Tour route that suited his climbing skillset. His abandonment also significantly damages the yellow jersey ambitions of his teammate, Nairo Quintana.

The top of the general classification is now stuffed with the Tour’s best time trial specialists. It will certainly look much different by the time the Champs-Élysées rolls around, but it could look more or less the same until Stage 5, with mostly flat stages before Wednesday’s mountain top finish atop La Planche des Belles Filles.

Team Sky, and particular Froome, set an important precedent, however. Their dominance portends yet another yellow jersey finish in Paris for the British rider. His biggest challengers mostly held serve. Richie Porte finished in 48th place, 47 seconds back of Thomas and 35 seconds back of Froome. Quintana was one second back of Porte in 50th place.

Froome, however, was much better than expected, and given how well his teammates performed, he is now even more of a favorite than he was entering the day.

Results and Standings after Stage 1:

1. Geraint Thomas, Team Sky - 16:04

2. Stefan Küng, BMC Racing - +0:05

3. Vasili Kiriyenka, Team Sky - +0:07

4. Tony Martin, Katusha-Alpecin - +0:08

5. Matteo Trentin, Quick-Step - +0:10

6. Chris Froome, Team Sky - +0:12

7. Jos van Emden, LottoNL-Jumbo - +0:15

8. Michal Kwiatowski, Team Sky - +0:15

9. Marcel Kittel, Quick-Step - +0:16

10. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Dimension Data - +0:16

Full general classification at the Tour’s official site.