Scotland's David Millar finished the first stage of the Tour de France a creditable 14th, but it could have been so much better for the Garmin-Slipstream rider.

Millar, the only Brit in history to have held all four jerseys of the Tour de France at some stage, is 48 seconds behind stage one winner Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland.

But Millar, who has three stage wins under his belt to date, would have been a lot closer to the pace setters, had his back wheel not twice locked out as he approached a sharp right turn in the closing stages.

Meanwhile, Great Britain's Bradley Wiggins finished third, 19 seconds behind Cancellara and one place behind hot race favourite Alberto Contador.

Contador's Astana team-mate Lance Armstrong, making his first appearance in the Tour de France in four years, impressed on his return and finished tenth, as he seeks an eighth yellow jersey.