Bardet wins hot and hilly opening Tour de France stage in Italy while Cavendish struggles

RIMINI, Italy (AP) — Two-time podium finisher Romain Bardet won the opening stage of the Tour de France and claimed the yellow jersey for the first time on Saturday.

Combined with severe heat, one of the most challenging opening legs in recent memory created problems for Mark Cavendish and many other riders as cycling’s biggest race began in Italy for the first time.

Tadej Pogacar, who is aiming to follow up his Giro d’Italia title with a third Tour trophy, and two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard both finished safely in the main pack, though.

Vingegaard's performance was especially encouraging, considering he was hospitalized for nearly two weeks in April following a high-speed crash in the Tour of the Basque Country. He sustained a broken collarbone and ribs and a collapsed lung and had not raced since.

Bardet, the Frenchman who finished second in 2016 and third in 2017 and is racing his last Tour, attacked with slightly more than 50 kilometers (30 miles) to go. He caught up with his DSM-Firmenich PostNL teammate Frank van den Broek, who was in an early breakaway, and the pair just barely held off the onrushing peloton in the flat finish.

Bardet surged ahead of his teammate at the line and pointed to him to say, "Thank you."

“It’s crazy. I didn’t know the course particularly well but Frank was really, really strong out in front and then I felt that I had nothing to lose,” Bardet said of his rookie teammate, who was riding his first ever Tour stage. “He really deserves this win just as much as me, because he did all of the work."

It was Bardet's fourth career stage win in the Tour, and first since 2017. He had never worn the yellow jersey before.

“The yellow jersey was the last goal of my career. But, to be honest, I had come to terms with it,” said Bardet, who had announced he will retire this year. "I’ve been really close before. I’ve been within touching distance. I’ve just never been able to do it. Today, I wasn’t sure it was going to happen but I had a great teammate with me.”

The 206-kilometer (128-mile) route from Florence to the Adriatic coastal resort of Rimini featured seven categorized climbs and more than 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) of ascending. The temperature soared to 36 degrees (97 F).

Cavendish vomited twice and dropped far behind on the very first climb, putting at risk his pursuit of breaking a tie with Eddy Merckx for the most career stage wins in the Tour. But he just finished within the time limit. Cavendish and Merckx have 34 wins each.

World champion Mathieu Van der Poel was dropped midway through the stage when Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates squad started accelerating at the front of the peloton up the fourth climb of the day.

The opening four stages are in Italy, marking the first time in the 121-year history of the Tour that the race has begun in France’s southern neighbor.

Bardet and Van den Broek finished with the same time of slightly more than five hours.

Wout van Aert won a sprint for third, crossing five seconds behind, and Pogacar crossed fourth with the same time.

“It was incredibly hot, and then we had the wind in our faces, so it was a really extraordinary scenario that we were taking on,” Bardet said.

In the overall standings, Bardet leads Van den Broek by four seconds with Van Aert 11 seconds back in third. Pogacar stands fourth, 15 seconds back — the same gap as Vingegaard.

There was an early mishap for Czech rider Jan Hirt, who broke three teeth when he collided with a spectator’s backpack in the neutral zone before the actual start of the stage. A key support rider for Remco Evenepoel at Soudal-Quick Step, Hirt still managed to complete the stage.

Stage 2 on Sunday is also hilly, following a 199-kilometer (124-mile) route from Cesenatico to Bologna. The stage is dedicated to 1998 Tour champion Marco Pantani, who was from Cesenatico, and will pass by a museum dedicated to the Italian rider, who died in 2004.

Because of a clash with the Olympics, the Tour will finish in Nice on July 21, five days before the Paris Games open.

AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling

New overall leader France's Romain Bardet, right, thanked teammate Netherlands' Frank van den Broek as he crosses the finish line to win the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

New overall leader France's Romain Bardet, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, celebrates on the podium after the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

New overall leader France's Romain Bardet, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, celebrates on the podium after the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

France's Romain Bardet, right, crosses the finish line with teammate Netherlands' Frank van den Broek, left, to win the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

France's Romain Bardet crosses the finish line to win the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

France's Romain Bardet, right, crosses the finish line with teammate Netherlands' Frank van den Broek, left, to win the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

The pack speeds down Col de Valico Tre Faggi during the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A man takes a selfie with Netherlands' Mathieu van der Poel as he and his teammate Belgium's Jasper Philipsen, left, wait for the start of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar checks his communication equipment prior to the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Monaco's Prince Albert, center, Sara Funaro, mayor of Florence, center left, and Tour director Christian Prudhomme, right, pose during the official opening ceremony during the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

The pack rides during the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

The pack rides during the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Four Astana Qazaqstan Team riders set the pace for Britain's Mark Cavendish, rear, who got distanced from the pack during the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

France's Romain Bardet, front, and teammate Netherlands' Frank van den Broek ride breakaway during the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

France's Romain Bardet, front, and teammate Netherlands' Frank van den Broek ride breakaway during the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 206 kilometers (128 miles) with start in Florence and finish in Rimini, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Get ready for Wimbledon before play begins on Monday with a guide that tells you everything you need to know about how to watch the grass-court Grand Slam tennis tournament, what the betting odds are, what the schedule is, who the defending champions are and more:

— In the U.S.: Tennis Channel, ESPN

— Other countries are listed here.

Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner are listed as the favorites to win the singles championships at the All England Club, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The third-seeded Sabalenka — a two-time Australian Open champion and twice a semifinalist at Wimbledon — is a +333 money-line pick, ahead of No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek (+400), 2022 champion Elena Rybakina (+650) and No. 2 Coco Gauff (+700). The top-seeded Sinner is listed at +160, ahead of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz (+175) and Novak Djokovic (+400), with a big drop-off to the next choice, No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev (+1000).

The site is the All England Club. The surface is grass courts. Women play best-of-three-set matches; men play best-of-five-set matches. Unlike the other three Grand Slam tennis tournaments, there are no night sessions; a curfew prevents play past 11 p.m. The event lasts 14 days, including play now on the middle Sunday, which until 2022 was not used for competition except on four occasions when rain created a backlog of matches. There are retractable roofs on Centre Court and No. 1 Court.

Iga Swiatek is the top-seeded woman. Jannik Sinner is the top-seeded man.

Carlos Alcaraz will open play at Centre Court on Day 1 of the tournament, an honor reserved for the returning men's champion. He plays qualifier Mark Lajal at 1:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT, 8:30 a.m. EDT). Next in the main stadium is 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu against Renata Zarazua, who replaced Ekaterina Alexandrova when the No. 22 seed withdrew Monday morning because of an illness — that could start at around 4 p.m. local time (1500 GMT, 11 a.m. EDT), followed by No. 2 Coco Gauff against Caroline Dolehide in an all-American match. The top-seeded man, Jannik Sinner, meets Yannick Hanfmann in Monday's last match at No. 1 Court, which could begin at around 5 p.m. local time (1600 GMT, noon EDT). Last year's women's champion, Marketa Vondrousova, will begin Centre Court play on Tuesday.

Two-time champion Andy Murray said Sunday he still is not sure whether he is fit enough to compete in singles. His first match is scheduled for Tuesday, and he will wait until after a practice session and more medical tests Monday to make a decision.

— Monday-Tuesday: First Round (Women and Men)

— July 3-4: Second Round (Women and Men)

— July 5-6: Third Round (Women and Men)

— July 7-8: Fourth Round (Women and Men)

— July 9-10: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)

— July 11: Women’s Semifinals

— July 12: Men’s Semifinals

— July 13: Women’s Final

— July 14: Men’s Final

Try your hand at the AP’s quiz about Wimbledon.

What to read:

— Andy Murray expects to decide Monday whether he can play at Wimbledon

— 2023 French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova is back on tour after 10 months away

— Naomi Osaka's agency has signed 15-year-old Australian tennis player Cooper Kose

— Novak Djokovic says his right knee feels fine and he is ready to contend at Wimbledon

— Iga Swiatek calls herself a perfectionist and now she wants to improve on grass

— Wimbledon’s qualifying rounds are the tournament before the tournament

— Alcaraz, Sinner, Swiatek and Gauff are ushering in a tennis youth movement

— Who are the top women in the field?

— Who are the top men in the field?

— Rafael Nadal is skipping Wimbledon to prepare for the Paris Olympics

— An outside review says the U.S. Tennis Association can do more to protect players

Marketa Vondrousova earned her first Grand Slam title a year ago at the All England Club, defeating Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 to become the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon. Carlos Alcaraz got past Novak Djokovic 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 for his first trophy at Wimbledon and second at a major (a total he recently raised to three by winning the French Open). Djokovic had won four consecutive titles at the All England Club and seven overall.

Total prize money at Wimbledon in 2024 is rising to a record 50 million pounds, which is about $64 million — an increase of nearly 12% from last year. The two singles champions each will receive 2.7 million pounds, about $3.45 million.

7 — The number of women who have won Wimbledon in the last seven years: Marketa Vondrousova, Elena Rybakina, Ash Barty, Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza, Serena Williams.

12 — The number of British men in the Wimbledon singles draw this year, the most since there were 14 in 1978.

“The draw is really open in the women’s draw, for sure. I think we can expect many surprises ... on the grass courts. I feel like you never know what’s going to happen there.” — Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion

“I’m hoping that with each day that passes, the likelihood of me being able to play will increase.” — Andy Murray, a two-time Wimbledon champion who had surgery to remove a cyst on his spinal cord on June 22.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Novak Djokovic of Serbia sits in his chair as ground staff look on during a training session on Court 2 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, Friday, June 28, 2024. The Wimbledon Championships begin on July 1. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Britain's Andy Murray at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ahead of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz plays a shot on the practice court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, in London, Friday June 28, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Italy's Jannik Sinner plays a shot on the practice court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, in London, Friday June 28, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Tennis players train as a member of ground staff waters the plants at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, Friday, June 28, 2024. The Wimbledon Championships begin on July 1. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Poland's Iga Swiatek plays a volley on the practice court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, in London, Friday June 28, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves during a training session on Court 2 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, Friday, June 28, 2024. The Wimbledon Championships begin on July 1. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

FILE - Andy Murray of Britain wipes his face as he is injured during his men's singles match on day five of The Queen's Club tennis tournament, in London, Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray still had not decided as of Thursday whether he will be able to compete at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament that begins next week and he is likelier to enter doubles than singles if he can play at all after recent surgery to remove a cyst on his spinal cord. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz walks after a training session at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, London, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The tournament starts July 1st. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Novak Djokovic during a training session at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, on Tuesday June 25, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka practicing at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, Wednesday June 26, 2024. (John Walton//PA via AP)

Italy's Jannik Sinner practices at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, scheduled to begin on July, Wednesday June 26, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

FILE - A view of the Venus Rosewater Dish - the Ladies' Singles Trophy, and the Gentlemen's Singles Trophy, during the presentation to the media, ahead of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London, Saturday June 26, 2021. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, July 1. (Thomas Lovelock/Pool via AP, File)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz practises at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begin on July 1st, in London, Thursday June 27, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

FILE - Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy after beating Serbia's Novak Djokovic to win the final of the men's singles on day fourteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 16, 2023. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, July 1.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File

FILE - Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova celebrates with the trophy after beating Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in the women's singles final on day thirteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 15, 2023. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, July 1.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

FILE - Stewards prepare for the start of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Sunday, June 30, 2019. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, July 1.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)