Tour de France result Stage 1: How South Africa’s 3 riders fared

It was a brutal start to the 108th Tour de France over 197.8km between Brest and Landernea on Saturday, 26 June.

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Not one but TWO mass pile-ups left a number of battered and bruised riders strewn across the tarmac of France.

When all was said and done, the world champion darling of French cycling, Julian Alaphilippe, crossed the line first to take position of the famed yellow jersey.

He boasts a handy 12-second overall lead and will look to defend it in Sunday’s 183.5km Stage 2 from Perros-Guirec to Mûr-de-Bretagne Guerlédan.

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But how did the three South Africans in the field fare?

Louis Meintjes, riding for his Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux team, finished 61st, some 2:26 behind Alaphilippe.

Stefan de Bod, riding in his first Tour de France, also finished 2:26 adrift in 67th place for his Astana-Premier Tech team.

Nicholas Dlamini, making history as South Africa’s first black rider to compete in the world’s most famous cycling race, took 98th place, some 5:43 behind for his newly named Team Qhubeka NextHash.

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