Petacchi takes spoils but McGee keeps lead

Italy‘s Alessandro Petacchi won the first stage of the centenary Tour de France on Sunday, prevailing in a sprint finish marred by a crash which affected most of the 198-strong peloton.

Petacchi, who won six stages on the Giro d‘Italia earlier this year, opened his account in Le Tour by winning a thrilling finish, holding off second-placed Australian Robbie McEwen and third-placed German sprinter Erik Zabel.