(Reuters) – Dutch rider Charlotte Kool of Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL clinched the opening stage of Tour de France Femmes, a 123-km ride from Rotterdam to The Hague in the Netherlands, to take the first yellow jersey of this year’s edition on Monday.
Uno-X Mobility’s Anniina Ahtosalo finished second ahead of Elisa Balsamo of Lidl-Trek, while Marianne Vos took the green jersey after winning the intermediate sprint at Groeneweg.
“It’s unbelievable, it’s a dream coming true. It was not an easy season, but this is where it is all about…,” Kool said.
“It was really hectic, but I like it. So, I kept on thinking – I like hectic, I like chaos. I went so early and I thought it’s too long and it hurt so bad, but it was enough in the end, so no words.”
Several riders were snagged by a mass crash in the peloton with 69km to go, although none of them suffered severe injuries.
Stage two will be a 69.7-km ride from Dordrecht to Rotterdam.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Crispian Balmer)
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