CyclistWas that the best first week of racing in Tour de France history?The Tour de France is the greatest cycling race in the world. Over the three weeks, the crme de la crme of the sport battle in one the hardest races in road cycling.This edition of the Tour has been particularly sweet in the first week of racing, with introductions, farewells, history-makers galore and some chaos-inducing gravel. Related Posts The winners and losers of the first week of the Tour de France 2024 Cyclists Tour de France predictions 2024 How to watch the Tour de France 2024 Mens Tour de France 2024: Route, how to watch and all you need to know The feel-good momentsA.S.O./Billy CeustersPerhaps we could tell how the first week of the Tour de France would go based on the very first day, which featured a daring breakaway staged by DSM-Firmenich-PostNLs veteran Romain Bardet and rookie Frank van den Broek. Bardet announced his plans to retire from road racing at the Critrium du Dauphin in 2025, making this his last participation in his home Grand Tour. Van den Broek is a neo-pro and at just 23 years of age, is making his debut. A teacher and his student. A passing of the torch.The entertainers managed to outfox the peloton and made it into the final kilometre unscathed, but they werent exactly home safe. A large chasing group all wanted their opportunity to fight for the win and were determined to claw back the escapees. They wouldnt get the chance. Bardet crossed the line first, arms outstretched, pointing towards his younger teammate. The duo had pulled off an opening stage heist for the ages. Bardet stepped into the maillot jaune for the first time in his career a feat that took 196 stages to achieve and said it was the ultimate dream. @JulienBernard17 on home roads! @JulienBernard17 la maison !#TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/I42jlmEc7e Tour de France (@LeTour) July 5, 2024Its not often that riders get to experience a big race on their home roads. But when Lidl-Trek rider Julien Bernard set off on Stage 7s 23.5km individual time-trial from Nuits-Saint-Georgesto Gevrey-Chambertin, he was greeted by hundreds of adoring friends and family who donned shirts and waved flags with his face on. He briefly stopped to kiss his wife and young child, then carried on after what must have been an emotional moment. Bernard said, Its these moments that keep me going and cycling.Thats where the joy ended, however. After the stage, Bernard was fined 200CHF (approx 175) by the UCI. The charge? Unseemly or inappropriate behaviour during the race and damage to the image of the sport.Bernard replied, Im sorry UCI for damaging the image of the sport, but Im willing to pay 200 Swiss francs every day and experience this moment again.Another thing to celebrate has been the lack of crashes so far. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) hit the deck on Stage 5 and was forced to abandon on Stage 8 with an eye on the upcoming Olympics, and Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) has withdrawn from the race on the first rest day after crashing and fracturing his ankle on the gravel stage. Not to jinx things, but it feels as though there have been fewer crashes than usual in whats normally a very nervous first first week, which is great to see.The history makersA.S.O./Charly LopezBiniam Girmay was flying in the first week of the Tour de France. The Eritrean, who has continuously been making cycling history since joining Intermarch in 2021, has written his name in the record books once again. On Stage 3, a flat day from Plaisance to Turin, his Intermarch-Wanty team led the field into the final 500m. But they were delivering Gerben Thijssen, while Girmay was detached from the train but free to do his own thing. Thijssen was nowhere, but Girmay surged to the front of a pack with rivals snapping at his heels, and kept pushing to win by a bike length.It wasnt just the sprinters on his back, but the hopes of a nation and a continent. The importance of his representation cannot be understated, the scenes back home in Eritrea demonstrate what it means. Girmays post on social media following his win simply read, Let me open the door.The 24-year-old was also the only rider in the first week to double up on victories. On a short and sharp end to Stage 8 in Colombey-les-Deux-glises, where the peloton faced with a tough uphill sprint finish, Girmay narrowly beat Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck for his second stage win. He crossed the line resplendent in the green jersey, sitting on top of the classification by 96 points ahead of Philipsen with a firm grip on the lead.A.S.O./Charly LopezWhen Mark Cavendish crashed out of the Tour last year, he sat in the back of the ambulance clutching his broken collarbone and staring into the distance. The silence spoke volumes. It was scheduled to be his final participation in the race that has given so much to the Manxman over the years. It was never meant to end like that. In the throes of a chase for a record-breaking 35th stage victory that he had come so close yet so far to on the previous day.The wheels were in motion for a return soon enough. Phone calls were made by Astana boss Alexander Vinokourov, with Cavendishs former teammates Michael Mrkv and Davide Ballerini enlisted to bolster the sprint train, and his old leadout Mark Renshaw and his QuickStep coach Vasilis Anastopoulos brought onto the staff. Cavendish announced his return to the peloton in October on a one-year contract extension.Yet, upon arrival at the Tour, with expectations high, Cavendish immediately began to struggle. Not in a regular sprinter-struggling-through-a-mountain-stage way, although the route did immediately take riders into the Apennine mountains, but one that set alarm bells ringing. The 39-year-old was in a bad way, needing an endless supply of water bottles poured on his head while being sick off his bike. By the time he crossed the line, Cavendish was with a group that finished 40 minutes down, just inside the time cut. Questions arose as to whether he could continue the next day, let alone contend for the one victory he so desperately wanted.Fortunately, he was in good spirits and quickly looked in better shape, making it through the first sprint battle on Stage 3 although he wasnt able to contest it himself. By the time the next opportunity rolled around on Stage 5, Cavendish was back to his old self. The turquoise of Astana Qazaqstan stood out like a beacon near the front of the peloton, as they tried to position their man. The stars were aligning. Despite Mrkv being distanced from his sprinter under the flamme rouge, Cavendish swooped from wheel to wheel as he has so expertly done in the past, all his experience coming to the fore in the most stressful and hectic of environments. The speed hit 67kmh. They shot past the 200m to go mark. As the cameras switched to the head-on view, he was already in front he could sniff the victory, almost taste it, and now was the time. Sprints had been launched across the road as the worlds fastest men tried to claim the days honours.But no one could beat Cavendish. He crossed the line to a roaring crowd and roared back. The record was his and his alone. Everyone knew how much it meant, riders from across the peloton came from every direction to give their congratulations, even queuing up to do so. It had been a long road from his first win in 2008 to his 35th in 2024. A journey that packed in the highest highs and the lowest of lows. With 35, he stands alone as a giant of the sport.Gravel chaosA.S.O./Billy CeustersRough roads in the Tour de France will always be divisive, whether it be cobbles or gravel, but it produced one of the most entertaining days yet on Stage 9. The peloton had to cross 14 secteurs of chemins blancs gravel around Troyes over 199km. Tadej Pogaar (UAE Team Emirates) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) burst into action in the final 76km, drawing Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) out with them, though he was less than enthusiastic about taking turns and hovered at the back, much to the annoyance of his rivals. However this is a marathon, not a sprint. Whilst seeing explosive attacks is an enjoyable sight, its understandable that Vingegaard didnt want to start a sparring match on gravel (unfortunately) without his teammates and with two weeks still to go. Vingegaard was also forced to use teammate Jan Tratniks bike for almost 100km. Luckily for him, theyre of relatively similar size with two centimetres between them.After the stage, Evenepoel criticised Vingegaard, saying, We have to accept race tactics and race situations, but sometimes you also need the balls to race, and unfortunately maybe Jonas didnt have them today. But its no problem the race is still very long, and I totally accept the reasons why he didnt pull, why he didnt race. Vingegaard hit back, saying it wasnt a lack of balls, I just rode smart.Meanwhile Primo Rogli (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), the other member of the big four, had a quieter Stage 9 in comparison but came home with the others and sits fourth overall. Its set up perfectly for another entertaining week.The jersey wearersA.S.O./Aurlien VialatteYellow jersey: Pogacar has been in the maillot jaune since Stage 2. He put more time into his rivals with victory on Stage 4 and currently leads by 33 seconds ahead of Evenepoel with Vingegaard third at 1:15.A.S.O./Aurlien VialattePolka dot jersey: Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) has been a delight to watch in the Tour de France (and is a serious contender for the Vibes Classification) with his determined attacking spirit. He is currently keeping Pogaar at bay in the classification.A.S.O./Aurlien VialatteGreen jersey: Girmay is keeping a hold of the green jersey and sweeping up points wherever possible. He could make history (again) by the time the peloton reaches the finish in Nice.A.S.O./Aurlien VialatteWhite jersey: Evenepoel is the man to beat out of the youngsters, beating competition from Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) and Carlos Rodrguez (Ineos Grenadiers) so far. He won the 25km individual time-trial on Stage 7 by 12 seconds from Pogaar. Related Posts The winners and losers of the first week of the Tour de France 2024 Cyclists Tour de France predictions 2024 How to watch the Tour de France 2024 Mens Tour de France 2024: Route, how to watch and all you need to know The post Was that the best first week of racing in Tour de France history? appeared first on Cyclist.