'The drag race will start really, really early' - Tour de France sprinters prepare for stage one showdown

Which sprinter will take the race's first yellow jersey?

Tour de France sprinters
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The opening stage of the Tour de France will crackle into life several hours before the finish in Lille, the favourites have predicted, with more than a dozen teams working to ensure that their chosen sprinter wins the race’s first yellow jersey.

For the first time since Alexander Kristoff won in Nice in 2020, a sprinter has the opportunity of winning stage one of the race, and there will be a fierce battle on the roads of northern France.

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Chris Marshall-Bell

A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and long reads across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013. In 2024 he released a seven-part podcast documentary, Ghost in the Machine, about motor doping in cycling.

Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains. He lives in Valencia, Spain.

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