Crash delays Contador as Gilbert wins

MONT DES ALOUETTES, France, July 2 (Reuters) - Alberto
Contador started his Tour de France title defence in the worst
possible manner, losing one minute 20 seconds to the other
favourites after being held back by a crash nine kilometres from
the finish of the 191.5-km first stage on Saturday. 

The stage win and the first leader's yellow jersey in this
98th edition of the race went to Belgian champion Philippe
Gilbert, who surged ahead in the last 400 metres to snatch his
13th victory of the season.   

Recently crowned Belgian champion and number one in the
world rankings, Gilbert grabbed more honours with his first Tour
stage win and his first yellow jersey.   

On the finish line, Gilbert beat the last two road world
champions - Australian Cadel Evans, who finished three seconds
adrift and Norway's Thor Hushovd, who came home six seconds
behind.      

"It was my goal, I knew I had a great opportunity to win the
stage and take the yellow jersey, which I had never done
before," said Gilbert, who had shunned the Tour in the last two
seasons.   

Nine kms from the finish line, Kazakh Maxim Iglinskiy rode
into a spectator on the roadside and crashed, halting more than
half of the main pack. 

The spectator was unhurt.  

While some 40 riders who had already passed the spot were
left to battle for stage victory, Contador was stuck in the
delayed half of the peloton. 

"In today's cycling, races are won and lost by seconds and
it is going to take some time to make up for the 1:15 I lost to
the other favourites," said Contador. 

"It's one of these unfortunate accidents that often occur at
the beginning of the Tour de France," Contador's Saxo Bank team
manager Bjarne Riis said.  

"Alberto is simply unlucky now to be behind some of his
opponents for the overall victory, but the Tour has just begun
and luckily there is a long way to Paris from here."  


SECOND CRASH 

The 2007, 2009 and 2010 Tour winner chased with his team
mates but was unable to make up the lost time, especially when a
second pile-up quashed his hopes of making it back to the front. 

The second big crash involved other favourites such as
Luxembourg's Andy Schleck, Briton Bradley Wiggins and Dutchman
Robert Gesink, but it took place less than three kms from the
finish, meaning they were awarded the same time as the first
bunch.      

"A stage like this is a great result for us. I always make
sure I'm near the front of the peloton in the last 25
kilometres," said Schleck.      

Last year, the Leopard Trek team leader finished second
overall, losing 39 seconds to Contador after his chain slipped
on a climb.      

RadioShack team director Johan Bruyneel, who coached
Contador in his 2007 and 2009 victories, said: "Obviously, it's
pure bad luck for Alberto. Who would have expected him to lose
so much time on such a stage? It proves that on the Tour de
France, danger is everywhere."   

Contador was already under a cloud because of the impending
appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) next month
against his national federation's decision to clear him of a
doping charge for clenbuterol in last year's Tour.   

Gilbert had been so confident of taking the Tour lead that
he had put a yellow watch in his bag to match the leader's
jersey.     

Evans, the 2009 world champion, reacted too late to beat the
Belgian but was by far the most successful of all the favourites
for final victory.      

"It was a good day today. I would have loved to win this
stage because you only have chances like this every now and then
but it's not easy," he said.      

"What better way to finish the day than by making gaps over
your rivals?"      

Sunday's second stage is a 23-km team time trial around Les
Essarts.