That a first Tour stage always brings nervousness is widely known by now. That was evident once again in the opening of the 2025 edition. Team Visma | Lease a Bike didn’t let it affect them and stayed attentively positioned at the front throughout. The team – and Vingegaard in particular – was so alert that along the way even a point for the mountains classification was picked up.

With just under twenty kilometres to go, Team Visma | Lease a Bike saw its chance when the wind turned into a cross-tailwind. The team didn’t hesitate for a moment and hit the throttle. That immediately caused a split. Several ambitious riders missed the move. Jasper Philipsen eventually won the stage and becomes the first wearer of the yellow jersey.

“This was a good first day”, said Vingegaard after the finish. “The team supported me fantastically throughout the stage, and I want to thank them for that. A bit later, we managed to force a split. It was a very tricky moment. It was all hands on deck. We were well positioned and decided to give it a go. The fact that it worked out is just fantastic. This start gives us confidence for what’s to come.”

Matteo Jorgenson, eighth on the day and the best finisher of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, explained more about the pre-race plan: “We intended to force a split at kilometre 164. Luckily, we were grouped well at that moment. That was by no means guaranteed in the chaos, but we managed. The fact that the plan played out exactly as intended is just great”, said the American.

“The most important thing was to get through today’s stage well”, Head of Racing Grischa Niermann emphasised. “It was very nervous, but even so, we wanted to try something. In the end, things turned out well for us. Unfortunately, Simon Yates did lose some time. He had mechanical issues and said himself he wasn’t having his best day. Fortunately, we succeeded in our main goal and got this Tour de France off to a good start.”