Tour de France : Nijdam Earns Yellow Jersey

BERLIN — Jelle Nijdam of the Netherlands will wear the leader’s yellow jersey in today’s first stage of the 74th Tour de France after posting the fastest time in the prologue Wednesday.

American Andy Hampsten, a surprising fourth in last year’s Tour and a two-time winner of the Tour of Switzerland, was 26th, 20 seconds slower than Nijdam.

Nijdam, 23, a specialist in street races, was clocked in 7 minutes 6.8 seconds on the 3.8-mile course along West Berlin’s Kurfurstendamm Boulevard. Today’s 63-mile first stage also will be through the streets of West Berlin. It is the seventh time the race has started outside France.

Lech Piasecki of Poland placed second, three seconds behind.

Stephen Roche of Ireland, the winner of this year’s Tour of Italy and one of the favorites in the Tour de France, had the third fastest time, seven seconds behind Nijdam.

Colombian Luis Herrera, the winner of this year’s Tour of Spain, was 75th, 31 seconds slower than Nijdam. But Herrera, the sport’s best climber, wasn’t expected to do well in the street race.

The 2,521-mile Tour de France will end on the Avenue des Champs Elysees in Paris July 26 after 25 stages. The race is usually decided in the mountain stages through the Pyranees and the Alps.

Defending champion Greg LeMond of the United States suffered injuries in a hunting accident in April and is not competing in this year’s race.