Dutch rider Charlotte Kool wins on home soil to take first stage of Tour de France for women

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch rider Charlotte Kool won a mass sprint on home soil in the opening stage of the women's Tour de France on Monday.

Kool, of the DSM-Firmenich PostNL team, will start Tuesday's second stage in the leader's yellow jersey after completing the 123 kilometers (76-mile) stage in two hours, 47 minutes and 40 seconds.

“It's very special that everything fell into place,” she told Dutch broadcaster NOS. “This is the day I was hoping for.”

Anniina Ahtosalo of Finland was second and Elisa Balsamo of Italy finished third in the same time as Kool.

Last year's race winner Demi Vollering of the SD Worx team finished back in 35th spot, three places ahead of Olympic road race champion Kristen Faulkner. Both riders also registered the same time as Kool.

Vollering's teammate Lorena Wiebes had been one of the favorites to win a sprint finish, but her bike's chain fell off within sight of the end and she dropped out of contention.

The stage took riders over flat countryside between the port city of Rotterdam to a North Sea beachside finishing line in a southern suburb of The Hague, amid hot summer temperatures. Thousands of spectators lined the streets of the two cities to watch.

The eight-stage race crosses into cycling-crazy Belgium and then heads south through eastern France to finish Aug. 18 on the punishing climb of the Alpe-d'Huez's famous 21 hairpin bends.

Tuesday sees two stages, a dash of just under 70 kilometers from Dordrecht to Rotterdam followed by a 6.3-kilometer individual time trial through the port city.

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Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner of the U.S. arrives for the first stage of the Tour de France Women cycling race with start in Rotterdam and finish in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner of the U.S. arrives for the first stage of the Tour de France Women cycling race with start in Rotterdam and finish in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner of the U.S. arrives for the first stage of the Tour de France Women cycling race with start in Rotterdam and finish in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Marianne Vos of The Netherlands arrives prior to the first stage of the Tour de France Women cycling race with start in Rotterdam and finish in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Demi Vollering of The Netherlands cries on the podium prior to the first stage of the Tour de France Women cycling race with start in Rotterdam and finish in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Charlotte Kool of The Netherlands celebrates as she crosses the finish line of the first stage of the Tour de France Women cycling race with start in Rotterdam and finish in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Charlotte Kool of The Netherlands celebrates as she crosses the finish line of the first stage of the Tour de France Women cycling race with start in Rotterdam and finish in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Charlotte Kool of The Netherlands celebrates as she crosses the finish line of the first stage of the Tour de France Women cycling race with start in Rotterdam and finish in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Charlotte Kool of The Netherlands celebrates as she crosses the finish line of the first stage of the Tour de France Women cycling race with start in Rotterdam and finish in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Jake Sanderson scored 15 seconds into overtime and the Ottawa Senators stretched their win streak to six games with a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.

It’s the first time since March 2017 that Ottawa has won six in a row.

Shane Pinto scored twice for the Senators, Claude Giroux added a goal and Josh Norris scored short-handed. Sanderson also contributed a pair of assists.

Leevi Merilainen stopped 21 shots to earn his first NHL victory.

Brock Boeser scored twice for the Canucks, and Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists. Jake DeBrusk rounded out the scoring for a Vancouver side that lost its third straight outing (0-1-2). Kevin Lankinen made 17 saves.

Canucks: The team has lost four of its last five outings and some of its top stars have gone cold offensively. J.T. Miller has not scored in the six games he’s played since returning from a 10-game absence, Elias Pettersson does not have a point in his last six outings and Conor Garland last recorded a goal on Nov. 29.

Senators: Merilainen stepped in for Linus Ullmark, who has been a superstar for Ottawa in recent weeks. Heading into Saturday, Ullmark had powered the team to five straight victories after backup Anton Forsberg went down with an injury during a pre-game skate on Dec. 14.

Boeser knotted the score at 4 with 4:50 left in the game when he blasted a rebound past Merilainen.

Hughes now has 40 points on the season (eight goals, 32 assists). He is the seventh defenseman in NHL history to hit the mark in 33 or fewer games in multiple seasons.

The Senators visit the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, and the Canucks host the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson (85) scores on Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) during overtime of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen (1) stops the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser, right, celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators with Quinn Hughes (43) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson (85) celebrates his game-winning goal with Brady Tkachuk (7) after overtime of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)