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Stage 1, Sunday, July 1: Liège - Seraing, 198 km

Rated climbs:

• Km 42.0: Côte de Cokaifagne, 2.9 km @ 5.1% - Category 4
• Km 49.0: Côte de Francorchamps, 1.1 km @ 6.4% - Category 4
• Km 94.0: Côte de Lierneux, 2.1 km @ 5.1% - Category 4
• Km 139.0: Côte de Barvaux, 1.6 km @ 4.2 % - Category 4
• Km 198.0: Côte de Seraing, 2.4 km @ 4.7% - Category 4

The Race: A 6-man break went away early, but Radio Shack-Nissan kept them on a carefully managed leash. Before they were caught, Michael Morkov, first to the top of the day's first three rated climbs, became the 2012 Tour's first KOM.

The field hit the final Côte de Seraing at full speed. Sylvain Chavanel tried to escape, but was brought back. With less than 2 km to go Fabian Cancellara let loose about a million watts, but it wasn't enough to keep Peter Sagen from getting on his wheel. Sagen refused to help Cancellara who was again in the position of dragging a quicker man to the finish. Edvald Boasson Hagen clawed his way up to the two, but was not a factor in the sprint, which Sagen easily won.

Results:

1. Peter Sagen (Liquigas) 4hr 58min 19sec. 39.8 km/hr
2. Fabian Cancellara (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) s.t.
4. Philppe Gilbert (BMC) s.t.
5. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) s.t.
6. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) s.t.
7. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) s.t.
8. Daniel Martin (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
9. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
10. Dries Devenyns (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
11. Jurgen van den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
12. Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
13. Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
14. Samuel Sumoulin (Cofidis) s.t.
15. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) s.t.
16. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) s.t.
17. Janez Brajkovic (Astana) s.t.
18. Nicholas Roche (Ag2r) s.t.
19. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) s.t.
20. Cadel Evans (BMC) s.t.
21. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) s.t.
22. Michael Rogers (Sky) s.t.
23. Michele Scarponi (Lampre) s.t.
24. Mikael Cherel (Ag2r) s.t.
25. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) s.t.
26. Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Sky) s.t.
27. Marco Marcato (Vacanseoleil) s.t.
28. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
29. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) s.t.
30. Arthur Vichot (FDJ-Big Mat) s.t.
31. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Ag2r) s.t.
32. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
33. Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
34. Frank Schleck (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
35. Andréas Klöden (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
36. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.
37. Thomas Danielson (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
38. Haimar Zubeldia (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
39. Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
40. PieterWeening (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
41. Wouter Poels (Europcar) s.t.
42. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) s.t.
43. Vladimir Gusev (Katusha) s.t.
44. Denis Menchov (Katusha) s.t.
45. Dominik Nerz (Liquigas) s.t.
46. Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) s.t.
47. Koen De Kort (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
48. Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) s.t.
49. Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel) @ 14sec
50. Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.

General Classification:

1. Fabian Cancellara (Radio Shack-Nissan) 5hr 5min 32sec
2. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 7sec
3. Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
4. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) @ 10sec
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) @ 11sec
6. Denis Menchov (Katusha) @ 13sec
7. Philippe Gilbert (BMC) s.t.
8. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 17sec
9. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) @ 18sec
10. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
11. Andréas Klöden (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 19sec
12. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) @ 21sec
13. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 22sec
14. Janez Brajkovic (Astana) s.t.
15. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
16. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) s.t.
17. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Ag2r) @ 23sec
18. Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
19. Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil) s.t.
20. Vladimir Gusev (Katusha) @ 24sec
21. Haimar Zubeldia (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
22. Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil) s.t.
23. Peter Sagan (Liquigas) s.t.
24. Daniel Martin (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
25. Nicholas Roche (Ag2r) @ 25sec
26. Michael Rogers (Sky) s.t.
27. Pieter Weening (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
28. Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Sky) s.t.
29. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 26sec
30. Koen De Kort (Argos-Shimano) @ 27sec
31. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) @ 28sec
32. Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 29sec
33. Dries Deveyns (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
34. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.
35. Thomas Danielson (Garmin-Sharp) @ 31sec
36. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) @ 33sec
37. Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 34sec
38. Arthur Vichot (FDJ-Big Mat) s.t.
39. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) @ 35sec
40. Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) s.t.
41. Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel) @ 37sec
42. Dominik Nerz (Liquigas) s.t.
43. Michele Scarponi (Lampre) s.t.
44. Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil) s.t.
45. Frank Schleck (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 38sec
46. Andriy Grivko (Astana) s.t.
47. Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ-Big Mat) s.t.
48. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 40sec
49. Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
50. Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) @ 42sec
53. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) @ 45sec
54. Levi Lepheimer (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.

Climber:

1. Michael Morkov (Saxo-Tinkoff): 3 points
2. Peter Sagen (Liquigas): 1
3. Pablo Urtasun (Euskaltel): 1

Points:

1. Fabian Cancellara (Radio Shack-Nissan): 55 points
2. Peter Sagan (Liquigas): 49
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky): 42
4. Philippe Gilbert (BMC): 33
5. Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step): 23

Young Rider:

1. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) 5hr 5min 42sec
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) @ 1sec
3. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) @ 12sec
4. Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil) @ 14sec
5. Peter Sagen (Liquigas) s.t.

Team Classification:

1. Sky: 15hr 17mi 10sec
2. Radio Shack-Nissan @ 4sec
3. BMC @ 6sec
4. Omega Pharma-Quick Step @ 13sec
5. Garmin-Sharp @ 23sec

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Stage map and profile

Stage 1 map

Stage 1 profile

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Photos from Stage 1:

Before the start, Alexandre Vinokourov signs a jersey.

White Jersey holder Tejay Van Garderen

Bradley Wiggins

George Hincapie before the start

Team Sky

Sylvain Chavanel is enjoying terrific form right now.

Mr. Big, Tour boss Christian Prudhomme

Jens Voigt

Fabian Cancellara with his spiffy yellow bike to go with his natty yellow jersey.

Mark Cavendish with Androni Giocattoli team manager Gianni Savio

Vincenzo Nibali

Peter Sagen is ready to ride. Boy is he!

Philippe Gilbert and his boy

Johnny Hoogerland still has scars on his legs from last years terrible crash

Lost? Giro boss Michele Acquarone

After Sylvain Chavanel attacked on the final climb to Seraing, Fabian Cancellara unleashed a hard counter-attack that ripped him away from the pack. Peter Sagen was on his wheel like stink on poo. Edvald Boasson Hagen is futher back, fighting to get up to them

Cadel Evans (with Jurgen van den Broeck on his wheel) did a lot of the work leading the pack back to Cancellara and Sagen

Tony Martin is finding the going very hard.

Denis Menchov and Eduard Vorganov

How good can Sagen get?

Michael morkov gets the year's first polka dots

Another day in yellow for Cancellara

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