Bradley Wiggins’ first stage victory in the Tour de France couldn’t have been accomplished in more emphatic style.
The Team Sky leader annihilated his rivals with a clinical display of time trialing excellence that saw him get faster as the stage continued.
Initially, it looked as if he might be outshone by a superb ride from teammate, Chris Froome, whose first sector time was fastest of all, until Wiggins sped through five seconds up on the Kenyan-born Brit.
Defending champion, Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), produced a characteristically dogged display to haul back some of the time lost to Froome early in the stage, and to hold second overall.
Here are some of the key moments of the stage, captured through the lens of Stefano Sirotti.
The scene was set today for the first key stage of the 2012 Tour de France
Alexandr Vinokourov’s superb time trialing position helped the Astana veteran to a respectable 30th place
Bradley Wiggins was the star of today’s show on a day of strong performances from a number of riders
Tradition dictates that the race leader arrives on the podium in team kit to be presented with the yellow jersey
Wiggins accepts the congratulations of five-time Tour winner, Bernard Hinault
