Cavendish crashes as Kittel wins first stage

Mark Cavendish’s Tour de France hopes are in the balance after a serious crash in the closing part of Saturday’s opening stage.

The Manx Missile collided with Australia's Simon Gerrans with around 200 metres to go with both riders falling heavily to the ground.

Although he managed to get up and gingerly cross the line, Cavendish has been taken to Harrogate District Hospital with a suspected broken collarbone.

Germany's Marcel Kittel won the stage, pipping Peter Sagan in the sprint finish from Leeds to Harrogate.

The Grand Depart was held in Yorkshire for the first time with more than one million fans estimated to have attended.