Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) was the first sprinter to get off the mark at the 2017 Tour de France by winning Stage 2 into Liege.
The strength the German showed to come past and hold off the peloton's best quick men is an ominous sign of the form he's in, and with a number of other chances for the sprinters over the three weeks his tally could grow significantly.
Summary - Stage 2 - Tour de France 2017by tourdefrance_en
A crash at the front of the peloton took down a number of Team Sky riders, among them defending champion Chris Froome.
Chute dans le peloton / Crash at the front...by tourdefrance
Froome was able to remount his bike and finish the stage but didn't look completely comfortable over the closing kilometres.
All General Classification contenders, including Froome's teammate and present yellow jersey Geraint Thomas, finished on the same time despite the spill on the wet corner.
The race has now left Germany, and after Stage 2's jaunt in to Belgium and Stage 3's upcoming visit to Luxembourg the Tour de France will venture into its home nation.
Kittel's stage win moved him up to third overall thanks to a strong opening TT and the time bonus he was awarded for winning Stage 2, so it's not out of the question that he could find himself in yellow later in week one, albeit briefly.
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