Froome big loses on tough day for Tour top guns

FONTENAY-LE-COMTE, France (Reuters) – It was supposed to be a relatively quiet day for the overall contenders on the Tour de France, defending champion Chris Froome and other big guns Saturday's opening stage.

The Team Sky rider escaped unhurt from a fall but he is already in a position as his rival, France's Romain Bardet, ended the 201-kilometer ride from Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile safe in the hand bunch.

Froome went on the road, but he was quickly back on his bike, he could not make it back to the peloton and finished 51 seconds off the pace.

Australian Richie Door faces a similar deficit after being held up behind a pile-up and it was even worse for twice runner-up Nairo Quintana as the Colombian lost one minute 15 seconds after suffering to puncture 3.5-km from the finish.

"There were a lot of crashes out there today," Froome, who is looking to become the first rider in 20 years to achieve the Giro d'Italia-Double Tour, told reporters.

"We always knew the first few days were going to be tricky, sketchy and that's part of the game unfortunately.

"We were riding in the top third of the peloton, but it was not much more the team than it was getting chaotic with the sprinters' teams, but that's bike racing.

"I'm just grateful I'm not hurt or injured in any way."

At least, Froome got a regular welcome from the crowd before the start, when it was booed during the team presentation by fans upset a positive test for Salbutamol in last year's Vuelta.

"You hear boos in every football stadium every weekend," said Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme.

"But we are not used to it in cycling. It's best for everyone, including Froome's rivals, if the atmosphere is serene. "

PHILOSOPHICAL DOOR

Froome will be hoping to get some time back in Monday's time trial team, where Sky is expected to tame most of their opponents.

His form team mate Gate, who crashed out of the Tour last year, was philosophical about his poor start.

"I do not know what happened," the BMC rider told reporters. "It's one of those things, one minute you're okay and there's a crash in front. It's the first day of the Tour it's not ideal but it's a long race.

"Guys took time today but they could lose time tomorrow."

According to his AG2R-The World Team Manager Vincent Lavenu, Bardet was all over the team bus.

"We knew there would be narrow roads and there would be a lot of tension," said Lavenu. "Romain is happy, he's got the feeling he got away with it."

The mood was different in the Movistar camp after Quintana suffered a front wheel puncture when he hit a traffic island.

Had Quintana changed his wheel within the three-kilometer mark, he would have been credited with the same time as Fernando Gaviria's stage winner in accordance with the regulations.

"If he could have reached the three-kilometer mark obviously he would have done it," said team manager Eusebio Unzue.

"Alejandro (Valverde) and Mikel (Landa) are co-leaders so it was out of the question that they would wait for him."