Australia's Rohan Dennis claimed the first stage of the 2015 Tour de France with a superb performance in the time trial ©Getty Images

Australia's Rohan Dennis produced the fastest individual time trial in Tour de France history to claim victory on the opening stage of the three-week long stage race and assume the leader's yellow jersey as the Grand Depart took place in Utrecht in The Netherlands.

The BMC Racing Team rider continued his superb season, which has seen him win the Santos Tour Down Under in January before breaking the men's hour record the following month, with a devastating performance on the 13.8 kilometres course around the Dutch city as he set a time of 14min 26sec.

With his average speed for the distance averaging 55.446 kilometres per hour (kph) he surpassed the pace of another former hour record holder, Chris Boardman of Britain, who recorded an average speed of 55.152kph on his way to victory in the prologue of the 1994 Tour de France in Lille.

Dennis' record pace proved too much for the three-time International Cycling Union (UCI) world time trial champion Tony Martin, as the German finished five seconds adrift of the Australian's time.

Switzerland's Fabian Cancellera, a specialist in short time trials, meanwhile, was a further second off the pace to finish third on the stage.

"I wasn't confident that I'd beat Tony Martin or Fabian Cancellara this time," Dennis said.

"But I expected myself to win.

"More than a surprise, I would say it's been a relief.

"People said I was a dark horse but I had a chance to win."

There were short time gaps between the four main general classification contenders, giving Movistar's Nairo Quintana an early boost
There were short time gaps between the four main general classification contenders in the Tour de France Grand Depart, giving Movistar's Colombian rider Nairo Quintana an early boost ©AFP/Getty Images

Italy's Vincenzo Nibali, the winner of the 2014 edition of the race, was the fastest finisher of the main general classification contenders as the Astana rider finished in 22nd position on the stage, posting a time of 15:39.

His performance was overshadowed, though, by news his Dutch teammate Lars Boom had failed a health test for low cortisol levels prior to participating in the stage.

Although it is not a doping violation under rules of the voluntary Movement for Credible Cycling, of which Astana is a member, the cyclist should have been stood down from competition for eight days.

Instead, Boom did participate in the first of the 21-stages and completed the time trial one second slower than his team leader Nibali in 15:40.

Britain's Chris Froome, the 2013 Tour de France, champion was a further six seconds further back, while Spain's recently crowned Giro d'Italia winner Alberto Contador completed the course in 15:54.

The small time gaps between the main favourites continued with Colombia's Nairo Quintana, the least proficient time trial rider of the four favourites for the race, crossing the line just three seconds adrift of Contador.

With no further individual time trials left in the race, Quintana's prospects of overall victory have received an early boost.

One of the outside contenders for the overall victory and the home nation's big hope, Thibaut Pinot, produced an excellent ride by finishing in 15:37, the same time as Slovakia's Peter Sagan and Colombia's Rigoberto Uran.

The second and final stage due to be held in The Netherland's is likely to favour sprinters, with tomorrow's 166km course set to begin in Utrecht and come to a close in Zélande.



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