The crash is likely to have wider consequences though with Marco Haller (Katusha-Alpecin) already leaving the race in an official car, having been the first rider behind Nielsen when he fell.

Russ Downing (JLT-Condor) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (Team Sky) were also among the riders to hit the deck, in a chaotic end to what had been a relatively straightforward stage.

A fast pace was set at the start, and it took a few attempts to get a breakaway up the road before the elastic snapped after 15km and a group of eight went up the road.

Conor Dunne (Aqua Blue Sport), Perrig Quemeneur (Direct Energie), Etienne van Empel (Roompot), Angel Madrazo (Delko Marseille KTM), James Lowsley-Williams (Bike Channel-Canyon), Kamil Gradek (ONE Pro Cycling), Tobyn Horton (Madison-Genesis) and Yoeri Havik (Raleigh-GAC) were the men to earn some TV time, but the breakaway was also kept at close quarters by the bunch.

Ewan and Groenewegen – the latter without a lead-out – went wheel-to-wheel at the front, but Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) was unable to keep pace with his two rivals.

The huge crash marred the finale, but Groenewegen showed great speed to claim his first win of 2017 and the leader’s jersey.

Tour de Yorkshire 2017: stage one – result

1) Dylan Groenewegen (NED) – LottoNL-Jumbo – 4.09.38hrs
2) Caleb Ewan (AUS) – Orica-Scott – ST
3) Chris Opie (GBR) – Bike Channel-Canyon
4) Nacer Bouhanni (FRA) – Cofidis
5) Steele von Hoff (AUS) – ONE Pro Cycling
6) Kristian Sbaragli (ITA) – Dimension Data
7) Andre Looij (NED) – Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
8) Adam Blythe (GBR) – Aqua Blue Sport
9) Baptiste Planckaert (BEL) – Katusha-Alpecin
10) Enrique Sanz (ESP) – Raleigh-GAC