HARROGATE, England -- Marcel Kittel of Germany won the first stage of the Tour de France for a second straight year after a late crash brought down British rival Mark Cavendish in the presence of royals on Saturday. Bill Russell Jersey . Kittel, who earned four Tour stages last year, won the 190.5-kilometre (118-mile) run in mainly bucolic Yorkshire countryside from Leeds to Harrogate. The German raised his arms skyward and cried after he edged Peter Sagan of Slovakia in second, and Ramunas Navardauskas of Lithuania in third. "I am incredibly proud of this victory," Kittel, a Team Giant-Shimano rider who also won two Giro dItalia stages in May, said through a translator. "It happened pretty easily. It was like coming out of a tunnel. I was able to accelerate like never before. "Its really awesome. Deja vu, yeah." Christian Meier of Langley, B.C., was the top Canadian, finishing 141st in 4:44:07, while Svein Tuft, also from Langley, placed 163rd in the same peloton. The two favourites for victory in the three-week race, Alberto Contador and Chris Froome, finished safely in the trailing pack that clocked the same time as Kittel. With fewer than 400 metres to go, and the speedsters rushing ahead, Cavendish veered slightly to his left, tilted his head and bumped into Australias Simon Gerrans. The two crashed alone, with Cavendish landing hard on his right shoulder. Cavendish got up gingerly and cruised over the finish line -- cradling his right arm. X-rays revealed he separated his right shoulder, a Tour statement said. Omega Pharma QuickStep said in a separate statement that a decision about whether he will continue the race will be made on Sunday morning. "Im gutted about the crash today," Cavendish said in the statement. "It was my fault. Ill personally apologize to Simon Gerrans as soon as I get the chance. In reality, I tried to find a gap that wasnt really there. I wanted to win today." Many British fans were hoping for a win by Cavendish, a native of the Isle of Man, whose mother is from Harrogate. Prime Minister David Cameron, Princes William and Harry, and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, were on hand among throngs of British fans who lined the route -- a testament to the cycling craze in the U.K. England hosts the first three stages of this 101st Tour before riders enter France on Tuesday. In all, the 198 riders are to cover 3,664 kilometres (2,277 miles) of road before the July 27 finish in Paris. Stage 2 on Sunday covers 201 kilometres from York to Sheffield, in southern Yorkshire. Cavendish previously said that winning the first Tour stage was his main goal this year. He was hoping to capture his first yellow jersey and his 26th Tour stage win. "Its sad because he (Cavendish) was racing in front of the home country," Sagan said. Added Kittel: "I hope he gets well soon. Im looking forward to seeing him on the race tomorrow ... its not nice to have Mark crash. Nobody wants that." A second German excelled on the English roads: Veteran Jens Voigt took the polka-dot jersey as the races best climber, after getting out early on a three-man breakaway that first cleared three low-grade hills including Buttertubs pass. At 42, the Trek Factory Racing rider is the oldest competitor this year: This is his 17th Tour, equaling the record. The nervous first day included more mishaps. Untold tens of thousands of fans turned out in such big numbers that a train service shuttle between the start and finish towns was crammed, and some had to wait for 90 minutes or even longer to get aboard -- or gave up altogether. Yorkshire, the largest county in England, has paid richly for the right to host the Tour. The peloton sped by abbeys in ruins and sights like 14th century Bolton Castle, near Leyburn, before finishing in Harrogate, known for its spas. Nearly three dozen countries are represented at this Tour, led by France with 44 riders. Its the second time cyclings greatest race has begun in Britain, though the Tour also crossed the English Channel for stages in 1974 and 1994. Paul Pierce Jersey . LOUIS -- The Tampa Bay Rays have placed right-handed pitcher Joel Peralta on the 15-day disabled list with an undisclosed illness. Kevin Mchale Jersey . The Detroit Tigers slugger fell short in his bid to become the first player to win the Triple Crown in successive seasons. http://www.celticsofficialsstore.com/kids-red-auerbach-celtics-jersey/ . - Vince Carter, heading into his 17th NBA season, doesnt consider age a big issue anymore. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kyle Williams spent the morning meeting with coaches, squeezed in a little time to get fitted for his new uniform, and then headed out to the practice field for an afternoon workout. It was a whirlwind beginning to his fresh start with the Kansas City Chiefs. Williams was claimed off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers a day earlier, and didnt fly into Kansas City until after midnight. Still, the Chiefs believe hell be able to contribute on special teams when they travel to Denver for their big showdown Sunday night. "Its a quick turnaround," Williams said Thursday. "We have a big one on Sunday, and hopefully I will be able to get in there and make something happen." Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub said that Williams could serve as a backup kick and punt returner right away, something that he had plenty of experience doing in San Francisco. Offensive co-ordinator Doug Pederson said it would be unfair to expect Williams to contribute on that side of the ball against the Broncos. Williams said it was "like they were speaking Spanish" as he tried to get up to speed on the Chiefs offensive terminology. "Right now well just see how it goes," Pederson said. "Hes a tough, physical kid with some speed, so we just have to get him and practice and see what hell do." Williams wasnt out of work for long after he was waived by the 49ers, where hed spent his entire four-year career. He was snapped by the Chiefs in fewer than 24 hours, reunited with former 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and wide receiver A.J. Jenkins. In fact, it was Jenkins who told Smith that Williams was joining the Chiefs. "He was kindd of surprised," Jenkins said. John Havlicek Jersey. "We didnt even know they had waived Kyle until he signed here. But hes excited for the new opportunity, the new start he has." Williams acknowledged that he was happy to get a fresh start after a period of dark days in San Francisco. He had two costly fumbles in a loss to the Giants in the NFC championship game following the 2011 season, and received death threats and was harassed on social media. He was on a roll last season before tearing the ACL in his left knee. "Im not trying to run from anything that happened there or anything like that," Williams said. "Im excited about the opportunity. Im excited about joining a team thats had as much success as weve had here. There were some times out there, definitely some learning experiences, but moving forward, Im just excited about the future." Williams said he wasnt told by the 49ers why they decided to part ways, but his production this season likely had something to do with it. He had just 12 catches for 113 yards, and has continued to deal with fumble issues that have plagued him much of his career. The Chiefs were enamoured of his speed and playmaking ability, though, and were in desperate need of help at wide receiver. Dwayne Bowe is facing a suspension at some point for his weekend arrest for speeding and marijuana possession, and he hasnt been that productive anyway. Donnie Avery and Dexter McCluster have also disappeared at times. 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