Wins stage one
Dennis wins the prologue time trial with a time of fourteen minutes and fifty-six seconds. With an average speed of 55.446km/h over the flat 13.8km Utrecht course, this is the fastest ever performance in a Tour de France time trial. Dennis now takes the yellow jersey into stage two, with five seconds over the nearest rider, Tony Martin.
Withdraws with testicular cancer
Basso withdraws during the first rest day of the race after a routine medical check up reveals a tumour in his left testicle. Basso is to return to his home country of Italy for further medical tests. This leaves the eight remaining members of his Tinkoff Saxo team to carry on in their quest to put Alberto Contador into the yellow jersey.