Tour De France 2015: Stage 1 Route, Live Stream and TV Coverage

Aside from distance running itself, there’s probably no sporting event anywhere in the world that adheres to the age-old cliche of “it’s a marathon, not a sprint” more than the Tour de France. But the unique setup for the 2015 edition of this prestigious tournament demands a solid start from the riders involved.

Indeed, this year’s prologue will take place in the Netherlands, with Utrecht hosting what is the only individual time trial over the duration of the event. And given the distance of the stage, 13.8 kilometres, it makes this curtain-raiser a very difficult one to predict.

Christophe Ena/Associated Press

So it should be a thrilling beginning to what’ll be an absorbing three weeks of cycling. Here’s a closer look at the Utrecht route, all the key viewing details and a rundown of how the action is likely to pan out in the Netherlands.

Date: Saturday, July 4

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra (US), Eurosport Player (UK)

TV Info: NBC Sports (US), British Eurosport (UK)

For a look at the Stage 1 route and others throughout the competition, check out the Guardian’s interactive guide.

Tour Begins with Time Trial Tradition

Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

Usually, individual time trials are an excellent opportunity for the riders battling it out for the yellow jersey to make up deficits or establish gaps to their rivals. But while there will be team time trials on this tour, this will be the only time the riders are out on their own against the clock.

This Grand Depart should be an intriguing watch too. While the Utrecht distance is entirely flat, it’s a windy circuit with a lot of technical corners, meaning it should be an aesthetic delight for those in attendance and watching at home.

The distance is likely to bring plenty of contenders into play as well, as it’s in between two unique specialisms. Those who specialise in prologues are likely to find the 13.8 kilometres a little bit too long for their liking, while the thoroughbred time trialists will struggle to get going inside the scheduled distance.

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Running the rule over the field, there’s a great chance that a Dutch rider will give the home crowd something to shout about. After wins in the prologue and the final stage at the recent Tour of Switzerland, Tom Dumoulin is in fine form and looks as if he has the versatility to best cope with this unique trial.

The Dutchman discussed here what it’s likely to take in order to win the Grand Depart:

There will be some strong competition for the Giant-Alpecin rider, though. Tony Martin is a proven performer in these kinds of events and will surely be in the mix to be top of the podium come Saturday evening. Fabian Cancellara is another man to keep an eye out for given his pedigree in prologues.

As we can see here on his official Instagram account, the Swiss is keen to get going:

The big contenders for the overall event will also be faced with a curious dilemma. Given this is the only individual time trial on the Tour, do Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana, Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali look to secure an early advantage on a testing prologue? Or play things safe with some brutal challenges to come?

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

When it comes to Froome, who was victorious in the Grand Tour back in 2013 and a favourite to win again this year, sports journalist Teddy Cutler thinks he shouldn’t take any risks in the opening stages:

Indeed, with last year’s fall on Stage 5 still likely to trigger raw memories for the British rider, it’d be a major surprise to see him go all guns blazing from the off. But keep an eye on former champion Contador, who is superior in these types of stages to Quintana and reigning champion Nibali; the Spaniard may try to steal a march on both.

But it looks unlikely that any of the riders will be able to cope with the intricate talents and adaptability of Dumoulin around the familiar Utrecht roads. A backdrop of vibrant home support will roar him on to victory before the really serious stuff starts on Sunday with the 166-kilometre run from Utrecht to Neeltje Jans.