Kittel sprints to win

German rider Marcel Kittel (pictured) won the first stage of the 100th Tour de France in a sprint finish with Alexander Kristoff on Saturday at Porto Vecchio, Corsica. Former champion Alberto Contado was involved in a crash near to the end of the flat, 132-mile stage. Sprinter Peter Sagan was also among those hitting the ground. They were able to continue, with Contador’s shoulder cut and bruised. British sprinter Mark Cavendish appeared to be affected by the crash and was not among the stage challengers at the end. Today’s stage takes the 198-rider pack over four midgrade climbs along the 97-mile jaunt that cuts a diagonal line through Corsica’s jagged mountains from Bastia to Ajaccio. If breakaway riders don’t hold off the pack, the stage could be set for another sprint finish on the flat western coast. – AP