Giacomo Nizzolo, seen here winning a stage of the Tour Down Under earlier this year, was seventh on stage one of the Tour de France. Picture: Getty Images
On an intense opening stage, which included multiple crashes in wet conditions, the peloton worked hard to reel in a small breakaway with a little less than 60km left on the 156m leg.
Refusing to give the three-man break a chance, a large group managed to stay together, setting up a late sprint for the line.
Nizzolo, a former winner of the points jersey at the Giro d’Italia, grabbed seventh spot, just off the pace of former European champion Kristoff (UAE Emirates), who took the stage victory.
South African debutant Ryan Gibbons, who lined up as a support rider for the NTT Pro Cycling outfit, crossed the line in 40th place.
After recovering from a fall, Gibbons formed part of a small group which finished just 16 seconds behind.
“Our riders are all in and will now be checked over by our team doctor,” the NTT team confirmed afterwards.
The peloton was set to face another challenging stage on Sunday, as they prepared to tackle a 186km leg starting and finishing in Nice.
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