Rohan Dennis wins Stage 1 of Tour de France

Rohan Dennis made an early statement in Stage 1 of the Tour de France as he finished the time trial in under 15 minutes.

Dennis, who briefly held the hour record this year and also won silver in the team pursuit at the 2012 Olympics, was the sole rider to break the 15-minute barrier on the 13.8-kilometer (8.6-mile) urban course in Utrecht.

With his position on the bike almost immobile and an average speed of 55.446 kilometers per hour, the Australian set a new record for the fastest time trial ever at the Tour de France. He finished 5 seconds ahead of three-time time trial world champion Tony Martin.

Fabian Cancellara, another expert of the race against the clock, finished third, failing by six seconds in his bid to win the Tour opening stage for a record sixth time.

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