Our busy 5 live team are also bringing you The Daily Pain (reads like the suffering, sounds like French for bread, geddit?)

Here OJ Borg and Rob Hayles bring you a round-up of all things Tour de France as stage one begins in Dusseldorf.

Enjoy!

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Groenewegen goes downpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 1 July 2017

14:52 BST 1 July 2017

First crash of the day, sadly inevitable on these wet corners.

It's Dylan Groenewegen, the LottoNL-Jumbo sprinter, who goes down. Fortunately he's back up and running quickly.

Where were we? Ah yes, OJ Borg sat down with BBC Radio 5 live team-mate Rob Hayles and cycling journalist Jeremy Whittle last night to preview this opening stage.

You've got plenty of time before the big hitters are out, so why not use your time wisely and watch the video below?

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You'll be able to listen to live commentary of stage one, courtesy of the BBC Radio 5 live team of Simon Brotherton and Rob Hayles, from 15:30 BST by clicking the tab at the top of this page.

Cannot wait to hear from the team, though? Grand. I've got a couple of preview videos to share with you...

...can you wait a little longer? Good. Andrey Grivko has just smashed Tim Wellens' previous fastest time by posting 16 minutes 21 seconds.

Image source, EPA

Lotto-Soudal's Tim Wellens has just posted the fastest time of 16 minutes 28 seconds, beating Sonny Colbrelli.

So who will master the rain in Dusseldorf today? Here are some names to look out for, according to my back-of-an envelope scribblings mixed with the odds.

Be prepared for someone completely different to take the yellow jersey now. It is hard to look past Tony Martin, though. All times in BST...

Vasil Kiryienka - Team Sky - 15:42

Jonathan Castroviejo - Movistar Team - 16:24

Jos van Emden - Team LottoNL-Jumbo - 16:54

Taylor Phinney - Cannondale-Drapac - 17:14

Primoz Roglic - Team LottoNL-Jumbo - 17:16

Tony Martin - Katusha-Alpecin - 17:20

Steve Cummings - Dimension Data - 17:23

Stefan Kung - BMC Racing Team - 17:28

Chris Froome - Team Sky - 17:32

Probably the least interesting stage profile of all 21 in this year's Tour, but confirmation that the time trial course is almost pan flat.

The rain is the big challenge today.

Image source, .

Gesbert holds that mark for a matter of moments as Italian sprinter Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Merida) takes the line in 16 minutes 36 seconds to go first.

His fellow sprinter Nacer Bouhanni has no interest in posting a fast time, taking the wet corners very gingerly with the flat stages to come this week.

The youngest man in the race, Elie Gesbert, comes through to finish in a time of 17 minutes 24 seconds to become the virtual yellow jersey.

It is indeed pretty grim out there and could get worse later.

It's a flat, fast course but these conditions should prove challenging for even the best time triallists.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Richard Conway
BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent in Dusseldorf

It's damp in Dusseldorf and the heavy rain may be on its way. That hasn't dampened the spirits of thousands of fans who have flocked here to see the Grand Depart.

The paddock area is alive with teams and riders preparing for their individual time trial.

Team Sky's Chris Froome went out on his bike earlier, accompanied by teammate Geraint Thomas for a lap or two of the course.

Froome then went back to his hotel but he'll be returning to the course soon to start his warm-up and then set out on his quest for a fourth Tour de France title.

Gesbert won't win the Tour, but what about the people who could? Here are the stage one start times for the riders likely to trouble the top 10 of the general classification come Paris. All times in BST...

Thibaut Pinot - FDJ - 15:13

Pierre Rolland - Cannondale-Drapac - 15:24

Simon Yates - Orica-Scott - 16:40

Jakob Fuglsang - Astana - 16:43

Romain Bardet - AG2R La Mondiale - 16:47

Daniel Martin - Quick-Step Floors - 17:00

Esteban Chaves - Orica-Scott - 17:02

Richie Porte - BMC Racing Team - 17:06

Bauke Mollema - Trek-Segafredo - 17:07

Alejandro Valverde - Movistar Team - 17:08

Louis Meintjes - UAE Team Emirates - 17:26

Fabio Aru - Astana - 17:27

Alberto Contador - Trek-Segafredo - 17:29

Nairo Quintana - Movistar Team - 17:30

Christopher Froome - Team Sky - 17:32

The first rider off the ramp is Team Fortuneo-Oscaro's Elie Gesbert, who has just got under way.

The Frenchman also happens to be the youngest rider in the race - turning 22 today.

Cracking birthday present that.

Oof, nearly a memorable start for a bad reason as he slips rolling out - the rain is beating down in Dusseldorf. He's fine and away though.

There are nine British riders racing in this 104th edition of the Tour de France and here are their start times on stage one. All times are BST...

Luke Rowe - Team Sky - 14:36

Scott Thwaites - Dimension Data 14:49

Mark Cavendish - Dimension Data - 16:39

Simon Yates - Orica-Scott - 16:40

Ben Swift - UAE Team Emirates - 16:42

Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 16:48

Daniel McLay - Team Fortuneo – Oscaro - 17:11

Stephen Cummings - Dimension Data - 17:23

Chris Froome - Team Sky - 17:32

As is customary in modern Tours de France, the race starts in another country on alternating years.

Last year it was in France, so this year it's the turn of Dusseldorf in Germany, the city stepping in after London u-turned on hosting the Grand Depart.

We begin with a 14km time trial around the city centre. It looks set up for home favourite Tony Martin, a four-time world time trial champion, who goes off at 17:20 BST.

Plenty of others will be desperate to claim the first yellow jersey of the Tour, though.

Defending champion Chris Froome could be up there - the Team Sky rider goes off last at 17:32 BST.

The biggest race in cycling. One of the world's biggest sporting events.

Three weeks. 21 stages. 3,540km (2,200 miles). 22 teams. 198 riders.

Brutal climbs. Daring descents. Breakneck sprints. All against the most gorgeous backdrop in sport.

Heroes. Villains. Triumphs. Tragedies. Sub-plots galore.

Are you ready? Here we go...