Philippe Gilbert wins Stage 1 of 2011 Tour de France

A brief look at Saturday’s first stage of the Tour de France:

Stage: As in 2008, the Tour started with a road stage instead of a short time trial or prologue. It was a 119-mile ride between Passage du Gois and Mont des Alouettes, featuring a slight uphill finish.

Winner: Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert, who continued his excellent season with a first stage win on the Tour. Gilbert also won three prestigious classic races this spring.

Yellow jersey: Gilbert. He leads Australian Cadel Evans by three seconds and third-place Thor Hushovd of Norway by six seconds.

Where’s Contador? Slowed by a crash involving others, overall favorite Alberto Contador finished 1 minute 20 seconds behind Gilbert, placing 82nd.

Quote of the day: “Cycling is not just about pedaling; it’s also important to ride with your brain and stay up front in such conditions.” — Andy Schleck, reflecting on the way he finished 1:14 ahead of rival Contador on general classification.

Next stage: A 14.3-mile team time trial in Les Essarts. The short stage will be on flat roads sheltered from the wind.

Overall standings after Stage 1

1. Philippe Gilbert, Belgium, 4:41:31

2. Cadel Evans, Australia, :03 behind.

3. Thor Hushovd, Norway, :06 behind.

4. Jose Joaquin Rojas, Spain, same time.

5. Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Belgium, same time.

6. Geraint Thomas, Britain, same time.

7. Andreas Kloeden, Germany, same time.

8. Rein Taaramae, Estonia, same time.

9. Chris Horner, U.S., same time.

10. Tony Martin, Germany, same time.