Tour de France: Chris Froome back up after crash, Marcel Kittel wins stage - radio & text

Summary

Marcel Kittel wins sprint finish in Liege, Belgium
Defending champion Chris Froome crashes in wet
Team Sky rider completes stage after changing bike
Geraint Thomas retains race lead
Commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra (online only)

Live Reporting

Peter Scrivener

Geraint in yellow beforepublished at 12:13 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
Geraint Thomas started his racing career at the Maindy Flyers...and they've helpfully tweeted an excellent pic of the young G in the days when his bike was almost bigger than him.
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Who are the Brits to wear yellowpublished at 12:12 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
A few correct answers in...these are close but no yellow jersey...#bbccycling
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BeSpoke podcastpublished at 12:09 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
The riders still have 175km remaining on today's stage. The four out front have a lead of three minutes 20 seconds. It has hovered around that level for a while now, indicating the peloton is happy with that lead.
So that gives us plenty of time to have a look at who might win in Liege but first, can I point you in the direction of yesterday's daily BeSpoke podcast from our team out with the race.
OJ Borg, Simon Brotherton and Rob Hayles discuss the gripping first stage and you can listen to what stage winner Geraint Thomas had to say.
How the breakaway workspublished at 12:02 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
Image source, EPA
The riders who have shot out of the peloton have done so chiefly to get exposure for their team sponsors, knowing that they will have the television cameras on them.
The peloton is happy to let them go because they can now ride in a controlled fashion, without the threat of attacks from other riders, and thus saving a bit of energy for what should be a bunch sprint on a flat finish in Liege.
Expect the teams of the main sprinters to control the pace of the peloton. They will allow the escaped quartet to build up a lead of several minutes but will then use their collective pace to catch the men up the road, ideally in the final 10km.
That will then allow them to set up the sprint for their fast men and hopefully a stage win.
The four out frontpublished at 11:58 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
Image source, Getty Images
Official confirmation from Le Tour website of the four riders out front.
They are Lauren Pichon of the Fortuneo-Oscaro team, Direct Energie's Thomas Boudat, Yoann Offredo of Wanty and, of course, Taylor Phinney from Cannondale-Drapac).
If you are new to bike racing and the Tour de France - here's how today's stage should work...
A man in demandpublished at 11:53 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
Geraint's stage win is great for a number of reasons. Clearly for the man himself, but also for the team.
The man in yellow is in huge demand at the Tour, with numerous media commitments and then fans wanting the obligatory selfies and autographs.
Geraint can soak all that up, leaving his Team Sky leader Chris Froome to prepare out of the limelight.
Team Sky also have no pressure today. They don't have to do any chasing and can let other teams worry about trying to wrestle the jersey off them.
Image source, Reuters
Who are the Brits to wear yellow?published at 11:46 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
Good to see no cheating going on here...answer coming up at 13:00 BST if nobody gets all eight...
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Today's stagepublished at 11:44 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
The second category four climb, the Cote d'Olne, comes around 20km from the finish. Will our escapees still be out there? They will certainly hope so.
In between, the road is reasonably flat and a massive bunch sprint is expected in Liege.
BBC Radio 5 live's expert summariser Rob Hayles gave us his thoughts on stage two in his stage-by-stage guide.
First points to Phinneypublished at 11:41 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
The quartet out front are on the first of the day's two category four climbs - the Cote de Grafenberg. It's only a 1.4km tiddler and American Taylor Phinney of the Cannondale Drapac team is the first to jump out of his saddle.
He comfortably takes the solitary point on offer to become the leader in the King of the Mountains classification.
The peloton ambles over a little over three minutes later.
Get involvedpublished at 11:35 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
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Stage two is gopublished at 11:32 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
Image source, Reuters
Here's race director Christian Prudhomme, appearing out of the sunroof of the bright red car getting ready to set the riders on their way.
He waves his white flag and stage two is officially under way.
Two riders make an initial bid to get in the break. They are joined by two more.
The peloton has a quick look around, they seem pretty pleased with the make up of the quartet who have escaped and sit up.
Quiz timepublished at 11:29 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
Geraint Thomas is the first Welshman to wear the Tour de France leader's yellow jersey and eighth from Britain. A nice easy quiz question for a lazy Sunday morning to get you into the Tour...name the other seven - and no cheating.
#bbccycling for your answers
'I didn't expect this'published at 11:26 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
Thomas on wearing yellow
I've just been watching highlights of yesterday's 14km time trial. The French TV director didn't cover himself in glory, missing pretty much the whole of Geraint's ride, choosing instead to focus on home rider Romain Bardet, who was out a minute ahead of Thomas.
But the shots of Geraint in the leader's chair, watching everyone else coming in, are priceless. There was a huge puff of the cheeks as Stefan Kung crossed the line five seconds back and then the dawning realisation as last man Chris Froome came down the finishing straight.
A shell-shocked Thomas told BBC Sport: "I didn't expect this when I woke up. I grew up watching the Tour and to be on the other side of that camera, putting on the yellow jersey, is amazing."
They went to the same school...published at 11:26 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
From one former Whitchurch High School pupil to another. British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton has sent his congratulations for overcoming the odds yesterday to fellow Cardiffian Geraint Thomas
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Time for the anthemspublished at 11:18 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
Here is Geraint Thomas on the start line. He was joking about Dusseldorf being pretty close to Paris and whether there was any need to head any further south.
Sorry G, another 20 stages and around 2,200 miles between now and the finish on Sunday, 23 July.
He is currently sitting respectfully listening to an orchestra belting out the French and German national anthems as part of the ceremonial start. All the German riders have removed their helmets.
It even looks like Napoleon is there, although his bicorne hat is staying firmly on his bonce.
Image source, Reuters
Postpublished at 11:08 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
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"What a day!!! Massive thanks for all your messages, means a lot! Bit of a cliche but a Special thanks has to go to @saraels90, external honestly would not be where I am without her. And also to my mam and family back home. I hope Auntie Christine was watching from above."
Stage two under waypublished at 11:05 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
Hello and welcome to live coverage of stage two of the 2017 Tour de France.
The riders are just leaving Dusseldorf in the ceremonial start to stage two as they set off on a 203.5km race to Liege in Belgium.
Geraint Thomas has a huge smile on his face as he leads the peloton over the cobbles. The start of the stage will come once the riders clear the city centre. Thousands upon thousands lining the route.
More on that later, but for now let's bask in the glory of another amazing day for British riders at the Tour de France.
G forcepublished at 11:00 British Summer Time 2 July 2017
Hands up. Who expected to see Geraint Thomas win stage one of the Tour de France? Be honest now.
A sensational result. Yes, we all know he's an excellent time triallist but even the man himself was a little taken aback by what he achieved in Dusseldorf on Saturday.
Image source, AFP