Cycling: Mark Scanlon has got his first Tour de France off to a fine start with two very solid performances this weekend, writes Shane Stokes in Charleroi

The 23-year-old rode well in Saturday's prologue time trial to finish 63rd of the 188 starters, covering the 6.1km 28 seconds off the winning time, set by Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara. Scanlon's 50kph ride put him well into the first half of the field and 11th in the best young rider contest.

The former world junior champion then showed fine strength with a prominent display towards the end of yesterday's first stage from Liège to Charleroi.

Scanlon hit the front inside the final two kilometres to help set up his Ag2R Prevoyance team-mates Jaan Kirsipuu and Jean Patrick Nazon for the sprint finish, with Kirsipuu crossing the line first and Nazon taking fifth.

"It is great to get a win so early in the race," said the delighted Sligo man. "We were under a lot of pressure to get a stage victory, so this will make things a bit easier for the rest of the Tour.

"Hopefully that will mean I have a bit more freedom to go up the road in breaks."

He was also satisfied with Saturday's prologue performance.

"It was six kilometres long, so all I had to concentrate on was going as hard as possible for that distance," he said.

"Basically, getting everything out of myself.

"There was a cross- and tail-wind on the way out and then a block headwind with about a kilometre to go, so it was just a matter of gruelling it out and getting to the line."