"It's like a horror movie when you're scared they're going to be killed, but in this case they survived!" - Jacopo Guarnieri's brilliant analysis of Tour de France opener

The 2024 Tour de France has been one of the most hotly-anticipated for a very long time. If stage 1 is anything to go by, that anticipation was very placed as Romain Bardet and teammate Frank van den Broek held off the peloton in a thrilling finale to the opening stage.

One of the darlings of modern French cycling, Bardet had never quite managed to get himself into the Maillot Jaune in the past. In the final Tour de France of his career, the Team DSM-Firmenich leader finally succeeded in a result that brought a smile to most viewers. "It was just impossible to not be emotionally involved in that ride wasn't it," reflected ex-pro turned ITV Sport analyst, Peter Kennaugh post-stage.

"What a tactical masterclass from Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL," continues the former Team Sky and BORA - hansgrohe rider, himself a two-time Tour de France competitor and former Red Jersey wearer at the Vuelta a Espana. "Not only to place Van den Broek in the break to start with, but then when Bardet attacked it caught everyone off guard in the peloton."

"Man of the match though. Frank van den Broek. I mean, Bardet obviously owes the victory to him but to have the fitness and form to do what he did in the last 50 kilometres, after being in the break all day... It's just something else!" Kennaugh adds.

Lotto Dstny rider Jacopo Guarnieri was also on the panel for ITV Sport and the 36-year-old Italian, who has six times ridden the Tour de France, came up with a brilliant comparison for the thrill of the finale. "When you've got a guy like Romain Bardet involved, it's sure to be romantic," Guarnieri begins his analysis. "It was like a horror movie when you're really scared they're going to open the door and be killed, but in this case they survived! They all made it safely home."