If one subscribes to the opinion that the Tour de France does not start until the peloton reaches the high mountains then Saturday truly did mark the beginning of this year’s jubilee edition.

The Pyrenees marked the first serious climbs of the race and the first summit finish in the form of Ax-3-Domaines. An emphatic display of power from Chris Froome in the wake of another splendid team performance by Sky added the climb to Froome’s list of conquests as he pulled on the yellow jersey after destroying his main rivals with his late surge.

After putting in a mammoth stint on the front, Peter Kennaugh was rightly proud of his performance having led his team over the Col de Pailhères before flying down the descent to the foot of the final climb.

“I’m pretty happy with myself and obviously the way Richie and Froomey were able to finish it off,” Kennaugh explained to the team website. “For me getting selected for the Tour was a big thing in itself and I was always a bit nervous about how I was going to perform and whether I was going to live up to the job that I had to do. Today I proved why I was selected. It’s great for the team and my own confidence as well.”

Asked how he felt flying down the hors catégorie Pailhères, Kennaugh added with a smile: “I was buzzing. It was great on the descent. I like them as much as the climbs and it’s all good bike racing.”

The 24-year-old is competing in his first Tour de France and is full of praise for the way team leader Froome rides and the amount of support he received from his team leader on the first climb Saturday.

“It’s so easy to commit to Froomey because of the way he handles everyone. He has respect for every single rider on the team no matter what their job is. Every time you go out on your bike you give 100% for him because you know you’re going to get 100% back from him. He’s the most consistent rider I’ve ever met in my life. I’ve not seen him have a bad day all season. His attacks are very precise and he knows if he’s able to hold or sustain that power. He’s also very relaxed on the climbs. Even though he’d be comfortable he’d be saying: ‘Pete, make sure you get over the top of this climb we need you over the top.’ He’s great to ride for.”