Tour de France begins in Corsica marking 100th anniversary; Kittel wins first jersey

The World

The Tour de France began its 100th race in Porto Vecchio, Corsica on Saturday.

Saturday's 132-mile first stage took riders along the Corsican coast to the city of Bastia.

Last year's champion Bradley Wiggins is not competing in the race, leaving the UK's Mark Cavendish, Slovakia's Peter Sagan and Spain's Alberto Contador just a few of the favorites to win.

Another top contender, Chris Froome, faced early mechanical problems about three miles into the race when his rear tire was damaged.

Despite expectations for the above contenders, German cyclist Marcel Kittel won the first yellow jersey on Saturday.

It is the first Tour de France after disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong was exposed for doping, having his seven titles stripped from him.

More from GlobalPost: Cycling: Tour de France – key dates

Help keep The World going strong!

The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.

Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.