Marcel Kittel has won the opening stage of the Tour de France in Harrogate. Defending champion Chris Froome finished sixth as the Tour made its return to Britain after 7 years.

Kittel outsprinted Slovakian Peter Sagan and Lithuanian Ramunas Noavarasukas to take the yellow jersey.

A major talking point for the home crowd was a serious crash involving Mark Cavendish. The British rider crashed on the final straight after a collision with Austrian Simon Gerrans. Both riders fell after the collision.

German 42 year old Jens Voigt took the polka dot jersey.

Nicolas Roche finished in 46th.