Rohan Dennis vowed to keep hold of the yellow jersey for as long as possible after winning the Tour de France’s opening stage.
The 25-year-old Australian upset two former world timetrial champions in Tony Martin and Fabian Cancellara to take victory in the 13.8km race against the clock in Utrecht on Saturday.
Sunday’s pan flat 166km second stage from Utrecht to Zeland was expected to end in a bunch sprint before Monday’s third stage will see some potentially significant time gaps on the Mur de Huy as the 157km run ends with a brutally steep, if short, climb.
Unless strong crosswinds create splits in the peloton on Sunday, that stage should see everyone come home together.
It means the Mur de Huy will be Dennis’s first challenge to keep the yellow jersey, although the specialist punchers that might worry him, such as Alejandro Valverde, Michal Kwiatkowski and Dan Martin, are all around a minute or more behind in the standings.
Dennis wants to hold onto the jersey but he knows that it’s not a priority for his BMC team, whose main aim is to help American Tejay Van Garderen’s overall ambitions.
“The team is obviously 100 per cent for Tejay but I don’t want to lose the jersey after one day,” said Dennis.
“It’s always a bit rough losing the jersey after one day. If I can hold it for (another) one, two, three (days) or until the team timetrial (on stage nine) that would be great.”
That would be a tough ask by any stretch of the imagination with the cobbled stage four and another brutal tough uphill finish on stage six with the Mur de Bretagne offering various riders a chance to create time gaps.
Dennis, though, is just happy to have been able to wear the yellow jersey, and become only the seventh Australian to do so.
“A dream come true was the best way to put it, I’m in a very elite group when it comes to Australians who’ve worn the yellow jersey,” he said. “It’s a huge honour.”
The last Australian to do so was Orica GreenEdge’s Simon Gerrans in 2013 while Cadel Evans, a former BMC teammate of Dennis, last held the honour in 2011, when he won the Tour.
Dennis knows he has no chance of keeping the jersey right to the end but the former team pursuit specialist on the track does have big ambitions when it comes to the road.
After Saturday’s stage, his girlfriend, Mel told reporters that he wants to win the Tour one day.
“(Riding) the Tour de France is the first step to experience this pressure or the media and everything around it,” he said.
“It’s much bigger than most races. Mel could slip in that my long-term goal in cycling is to win one of the Grand Tours.
“I’ve still got a long way to go but this is a step in the right direction.”
He may now have to settle into a support role but his team leader had encouraging words for Dennis.
“Couldn’t be more proud of my boy @RohanDennis,” tweeted Van Garderen.
“Filthy mouth, strong legs, short temper, best teammate you could ask for.”
Attention will now turn to the sprinters for Sunday’s stage where the absence of Marcel Kittel, winner of eight sprint stages over the last two years, leaves the field wide open.
Mark Cavendish, a winner of 25 Tour stages since 2008, will fancy his chances but the likes of Peter Sagan, Alexander Kristoff, Johan Degenkolb and France’s Nacer Bouhanni all know they can beat the Briton in a dash to the line.
The main challenge will be to ensure they all stay at the front and avoid being caught in the wrong place if the wind causes havoc.
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Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
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What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Company%20Profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
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