As it happened: Kopecky and Wiebes go 1-2 on Tour de France Femmes stage 1

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124km flat stage starting and finishing in Clermont-Ferrand

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Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 1 of the Tour de France Femmes!

Today's highly-anticipated opening stage is a mainly flat 123.8km test starting and finishing in Clermont-Ferrand. It could be a day for the sprinters, but it is not as simple as last year's completely flat opening stage in Paris. 

The riders are completing sign-ons and the team presentation in Clermont-Ferrand before the action gets underway at 11:15 CEST.

SD Worx are on stage with their super-team. The majority of the team are in alternate jerseys as they currently have the European, Swiss, Luxembourgish, Belgian and Dutch national champions in their squad, and the Dutch jersey isn't even on show as Demi Vollering is wearing the Women's World Tour overall leader's jersey. 

Vollering is one of the two huge favourites for the yellow jersey and just started that was the team's key ambition. Read Kirsten Frattini's great feature on the Dutch superstar below.

EF Education-TIBCO-SVB are getting the crowd going with a Mexican Wave. Alison Jackson's Canadian national champion's jersey is fantastic.

Here's another look at today's profile which shows the flat start as the riders head northeast out of Clermont-Ferrand, but also the one categorised climb of the day that could prove to be a problem for the sprinters. Will the likes of Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) and Charlotte Kool (DSM-Firmenich) be able to make it over that and sprint for victory? 

Great reception for Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) and her never-ending palmarès being announced on stage. She was fantastic in the 2022 race taking two stage wins and the green jersey.

UAE Team ADQ are the next to be announced in their new white kit special for this race. Make sure to check out all the five teams wearing alternate jerseys at the 2023 Tour de France Femmes.

A very strong DSM-Firmenich team is next up. They'll have mixed ambitions with Kool for sprints being lead out by British national champion, Pfeiffer Georgi and Megan Jastrab, while Juliette Labous tries to reach the podium on GC. The Young French star was fourth overall last year. 

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) is talking on stage. It's her final season and she will be hoping to defend her Tour de France Femmes title from last year. She is in the World Champion's jersey, but will want to swap it our for the maillot jaune as quickly as possible. She has also already won the Vuelta and Giro this season, so will be hoping to add the Tour.

It's no surprise to see a huge smile on Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig's (FDJ-SUEZ) face. She was one of the five stage winners in 2022 at the TDFF and will be hoping to repeat the feat this year. 

Just under 10 minutes away now.

Riders are on the start line ahead of the neutralised start. National champions are leading the way.

We've waited a long time with anticipation building ever since the 2022 Tour de France Femmes finished, but it's finally here.

There is a long 7.7km neutral zone before the flag is dropped. Before then and while the stage is in its early stages, make sure to read Kirsten Frattini's analysis of the key GC contenders.

Early front wheel change for Alena Amialiusik (UAE ADQ). Best to get your bad luck out the way in the neutral zone. 

Here's a look at today's huge favourite, Lorena Wiebes. She has showed throughout the 2023 season that she is much more than just a pure sprinter and can climb well on punchier parcours. She'll also have the best team to support her and if it comes to a sprint there are only a select few who can even come close. 

123.8KM TO GO

The pace is certainly on, but there are no attacks off the front as of yet. Nerves will be incredibly high in the peloton. 

Van Vleuten is sharing a chat with Aude Biannic (Movistar) at the back of the bunch. She'll be one of Van Vleuten's domestiques for the week and was part of both the Vuelta and Giro squads that aided the World Champion to taking the first two Grand Tours of the season. 

DSM-Firmenich and Liv Racing-TeqFind have been the most present teams at the front so far. They both have sprinters they will want to keep safe throughout the day in Charlotte Kool and Rachele Barbieri respectively.

115KM TO GO

First attacks are beginning to fly from Cofidis. It goes nowhere for now, but we should have more breakaway hopefuls trying their luck soon. 

Speeds are very high for now as everyone is trying to stay safe and towards the front. Opening stages always cause chaos and with this being one of the most important days racing of the year, everyone is on even higher alert to keep their sprinters and GC riders away from crashes. 

Here's our World and European Champions on the star line, Van Vleuten and Wiebes. 

Teniel Campbell has come to the front for Jayco AlUla. Make sure to read Kirsten Frattini's brilliant feature on Campbell's amazing journey to the Tour de France Femmes and her inspiring Instagram post.

105KM TO GO

Lifeplus Wahoo counter through April Tacey in their alternate white kit. The Brit is trying to bridge the now 30 second gap. 

Plenty of teams are now interested as we continue to head northeast in the French countryside. 

Tacey is caught by the accelerating peloton behind. Le Deunff still leads alone. 

100KM TO GO

Typhaine Laurance (Lifeplus Wahoo) is the next to try her luck off the front. The British team have been very active so far and clearly want to be part of any possible break that forms. 

Crash into the ditch for AG Insurance Soudal-QuickStep. She caught the rough edge of the road and lost control off of the side of the road. 

Amandine Fouquenet (Arkéa-Samsic) is trying to bridge the gap to Laurance at the head of the race.

Mireia Benito (AG Insurance-Soudal QuickStep) was the rider who unfortunately crashed. She looked quite hurt and the ambulance had the stretcher out which is not a good sign, but hopefully she won't be too badly injured.

Benito has been forced to abandon the race which is such a shame for the Spanish rider who had been strong all season and would've been a key domestique for Ashleigh Moolman Pasio. Hopefully her injuries sustained won't be long-term and she can recover quickly. 

90KM TO GO

Here's a look back at the peloton as they rolled out past the crowds in Clermont-Ferrand. 

Laurance's gap is down to under 20 seconds now as the peloton continues to motor on at a decent pace. 

We're approaching a change of direction and the beginning of the loop back in towards Clermont-Ferrand. We'll be going west in a few kilometres. 

Some slightly better new on Benito who is thankfully on her way to hospital and conscious after that dangerous crash and unfortunate abandonment. 

80KM TO GO

The peloton is about to make the catch and come all together again on this uncategorised section of climbing. Laurance is back in the bunch.

Anna Henderson (Jumbo-Visma) is on team duty back at the car and collecting bottles and nutrition for her team.

EF Education-TIBCO-SVB are on the front with AG Insurance-Soudal QuickStep also occupying a front position. It's time to grab a bidon and musette for the majority of riders as the racing calms down for the moment. 

70KM TO GO

SD Worx have been making their way to the front through Christine Majerus. The Luxembourg rider will get through an awful lot of work throughout the Tour de France Femmes and is one of the finest domestiques in world cycling. 

Lots of riders are putting an ice pack down the back of their neck, with cooling so important on a hot day like today in central France. 

60KM TO GO

Take a listen to SD Worx sport director and legendary ex-rider Anna van der Breggen's thoughts on the day's finale and how the Dutch team will play their cards depending on the race situation below. 

Vollering was in great spirits on the start podium with Mischa Bredewold and Elena Cecchini. Could we see Vollering attack on the final climb? Or will she only be the third option after Wiebes and Kopecky for the finale?

50KM TO GO

Marta Lach (Ceratizit WNT) hits the front and flies off the peloton. She grabs a bidon and continues her effort. 

That was a well-timed move from the Polish rider as there is no real response from behind as of yet. We're closing in on the intermediate sprint point in Saint-Hippolyte. Lach has 16 seconds already. 

Problem at the back of the peloton for India Grangier (Coop-Hitec Products) and Amber Pate (Jayco AlUla). They got in a bit of a tangle, but thankfully didn't hit the deck. 

40KM TO GO

First riders to drop from the peloton are Fouquenet, Marjolein van't Geloof (Human Powered Health) and Lucie Jounier (Coop-Hitec Products). 

April Tacey has also been down and was forced to check over her bike as he chain was off. Tension and nerves are building as we close in on the final phase of the stage. 

Lach's gap melted away as the peloton accelerated again. Down to 17 seconds now. 

Barbieri is right towards the back for now and will want to position herself much closer to the front to avoid missing out on any splits. 

Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) hits the front with Kopecky in her wheel. AG Insurance-Soudal QuickStep are just on their left in their train as we approach the intermediate sprint and then the final climb of the day. 

30KM TO GO

Pate is getting back into the peloton now as we close in on the intermediate sprint. 1.8km until that point. 

Crash in the peloton. Lots of riders down, but most appear to be up and just trying to fix their bikes. Thankfully we were on an uphill section and no one was too badly hurt. 

There was a big ricochet effect in the peloton that caused that. Everyone is up thankfully, but lots of riders need a bike chance and with the speeds so high, it could be incredibly difficult to make it back into the peloton. 

Deignan appeared to take the intermediate sprint points there. Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceunick) accelerated after the sprint point to keep the pace high. Perhaps Deignan will go for green with a lot of hilly stages on this years parcours and her ability to consistently finish in the top 10 could be perfect for that. 

25KM TO GO

SD Worx and Lidl-Trek are dominating the front as we approach the only classified climb of the day, the Côte de Durtol (1.7km at 7.2%). The climb will likely be the decisive moment of this opening stage. 

Bad luck for the DSM-Firmenich duo Jastrab and Peperkamp.

Deignan took the full 25 points at the intermediate sprint point. With Balsamo dropped, Lidl-Trek may try and light up the climb to drop Wiebes and Kool which would give Deignan a better chance of sprinting for the win. 

20KM TO GO

Here's the profile of our final and only climb. It's nothing crazy on paper, but the peloton has been drilling it all day in the heat. There's splits all over the road and the race could explode even on this small climb. 

Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ-SUEZ) is the next to drop. She would've been a sprint option for the French team today had she made it, but the infernal pace being set by SD Worx and Lidl-Trek is way too fast for a lot of riders today. 

14KM TO GO

Jumbo-Visma suddenly appear with Vos still present of course. She'd been hiding away nicely and will fancy her chances to get over this climb and still have an explosive sprint. 

Deignan takes to the front for Lidl-Trek now as they continue to shred things on the front. Reusser is the only rider in front of Vollering for now. Kool is still in the group with Pfeiffer Georgi. 

Movistar hit the front in aid of Van Vleuten's safety, but will the GC riders have a crack on the first climb?

Wiebes still looks fantastic in the SD Worx train for now.

10KM TO GO

Wiebes is on the back Kool's wheel and has fell a few places. Reusser is still drilling it on the front and SD Worx will simply swap their focus to Kopecky if Wiebes is unable to hang on. 

Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ) has been dropped if you needed any indication of how hard they are going in this front group. 

Vollering hits the front. Wiebes and Kool are still there, but they are hanging on by a thread with 500m of the climb remaining, Vos is also there. 

Kopecky attacks! Close to the top and away goes the Belgian champion. Is this the Classics?

Kopecky is absolutely flying away as she takes the QOM. Will she push on? The group behind has been blown to pieces behind. Kool, Wiebes and Vos have crossed the QOM in the third group on the road. 

8KM TO GO

Kopecky has 26 seconds. Vollering can sit in and chill as the cooperation is already failing in this second group. SD Worx have played a blinder as they have often done throughout this season. 

5KM TO GO

FDJ-SUEZ are trying to chase with Cavalli, but not many riders can pull stronger than Kopecky on the flat. It looks as though the Belgian is going to take the win. 

Georgi is trying to bring back the third group containing Kool to try and challenge the sprint for second. 

Niewiadoma attacks the second group with Moolman closely following her. Lack of cohesion has ruined this chasing group's chances. Vollering is very happy to sit in and close attacks. 

Third group on the road has made it to the chasing group. That means sprinters will be back in here to fight for seconds. Will Wiebes make it yet another SD Worx one-two finish this season?

1KM TO GO

Reusser is now back into this second group to also stifle any attacks and guarantee Kopecky's win.

STAGE FINISH

Wiebes wins the sprint behind for yet another SD Worx one-two. Vos and Kool followed close behind for third and fourth, but it's SD Worx's day on this opening stage. 

Here's what stage winner Kopecky had to say after winning the opener of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes:

Kopecky's huge win puts her into the first yellow jersey 45 seconds ahead of Wiebes in second and a further two seconds behind is Kool. The Belgian champion also leads the green jersey points competition and the polka-dot Queen of the Mountains classification. 

Wiebes had all the pressure on her leading into this opening stage especially after she took yellow on stage 1 of the 2022 TDFF, but she more than did her job and sprinted powerfully to second to confirm another 1-2 finish for SD Worx.

Here's a look at tomorrow's profile on stage 2 which will be a very difficult day in the saddle with lots of climbing and an undulating parcours all the way to the line in Mauriac. Watch out for big GC action and round 1 of the Vollering vs Van Vleuten battle to start. 

Here's the moment Kopecky would've dreamt about, her on the podium in the yellow jersey at the Tour de France. What an incredible ride from the Belgian Champion to open the race. Her gap is big, but how many days can she hold the maillot jaunt for?

Make sure you read our full race report by Laura Weislo and Kirsten Frattini which summarises the day's racing alongside a gallery of the action.

That wraps things up for Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 1 of the Tour de France Femmes. Check back tomorrow for live coverage of the second stage, and in the meantime make sure you keep up to date with all the news coming out from the race by our team on the ground in France. 

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