ARDOOIE, Belgium, Aug 19, 2009 (AFP) – US rider Tyler Farrar of the Garmin team won the 185km first stage of the Eneco Tour on Wednesday to take the overall race lead in the ProTour event between Belgium and the Netherlands.

Farrar won a sprint finish marked by several riders taking a tumble to cross ahead of Belgian Tom Boonen and Norway’s Edvald Boasson. The American takes the race lead from France’s Sylvain Chavanel, who won Tuesday’s prologue in Rotterdam.

“I’m in the best form of my life. The team was totally behind me. I couldn’t disappoint,” said Farrar, winner of Sunday’s Hamburg Cyclassics.

“I was already very good in the Tour de France. And now after a little rest I feel even better. I’m very fast,” he added, ahead of Thursday’s 178km second stage between Ardooie and Brussels.

Belgian rider Gorik Gardeyn of Silence and France’s Yoann Offredo of Française des Jeux were both taken to hospital after picking up injuries in the final sprint.

Stage
1. Tyler Farrar (USA) 4hr 18min 30sec, 2. Tom Boonen (BEL) s.t., 3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) s.t., 4. Graeme Brown (AUS) s.t., 5. Robert Forster (GER) s.t., 6. Jevgeni Hutarovitch (BLR) s.t., 7. Tom Veelers (NED) s.t., 8. Roy Sentjens (BEL) s.t., 9. Matthew Hayman (AUS) s.t., 10. Juan Jose Haedo (ARG) s.t.

Overall standings
1. Tyler Farrar (USA) 4hr 23min 26sec, 2. Tom Boonen (BEL) at 4sec, 3.
Edvald Hagen (NOR) 10, 4. Tom Veelers (NED) 18, 5. Alexei Markov (RUS) 22, 6.
Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) 22, 7. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) 24, 8. Juan Antonio Flecha
(ESP) 24, 9. Joost Posthuma (NED) 24, 10. Roy Sentjens (BEL) 26.