Stage 1 of the 100th Tour de France began in Porto Vecchio and stretched 213 kilometers up the coast to the finish in Bastia. The stage was "easy", flat, and a scenic beginning to the Tour. Power and speed in the peloton today was relatively low, but this will change tomorrow as the race heads into the mountains of Corsica.

Despite the flat course the last kilometers became narrow and technical causing several crashes. RadioShack Leopard Trek's rider, Tony Gallopin, experienced a crash in this section, but thankfully was not injured and continued to finish with his team and share the SRM race data below.