Tour De France 2015: TV Schedule, Route, Live Stream Coverage for Stage 2

Gianni VerschuerenJul 4, 2015

The 2015 Tour de France's Grand Depart will take place during Sunday's Stage 2, as the peloton starts its long journey for Paris after Saturday's prologue in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Rohan Dennis will defend his yellow jersey, the reward for his win on Saturday, but Stage 2 will be all about the sprinters and their first shot at the green jersey. There will be one intermediary sprint in Rotterdam, with more points on offer at the finish line. Here's a look at Sunday's stage.

Stage 2: Utrecht – Neeltje Jans

Standings

Pos	Rider	Team	Time
1	Rohan Dennis (Aus)	BMC Racing Team	0:14:56
2	Tony Martin (Ger)	Etixx - Quick-Step	+5
3	Fabian Cancellara (Swi)	Trek Factory Racing	+6
4	Tom Dumoulin (Ned)	Team Giant-Alpecin	+8
5	Jos van Emden (Ned)	Team LottoNL-Jumbo	+15
6	Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa)	Movistar Team	+23
7	Matthias Brandle (Aut)	IAM Cycling	+23
8	Adriano Malori (Ita)	Movistar Team	+29
9	Wilco Kelderman (Ned)	Team LottoNL-Jumbo	+30
10	Steve Cummings (GBr)	MTN - Qhubeka	+32

Preview

Anyone who's ever visited the Netherlands will know that the place is flat. Like, really really flat. Sunday's stage is a straight hop from Utrecht to Neeltje Jans, an artificial island, and barring a minor miracle, the stage will end in a bunch sprint.

According to Cycling News, just one opening road stage of the Tour de France since 1993 hasn't ended in a bunch sprint, and the profile of Sunday's stage suggests that trend won't be broken. With that in mind, let's have a look at some of the top sprinters in this year's Tour:

This year's group of sprinters boasts tons of depth and some of the biggest names on the planet, but once again, Peter Sagan has to be considered the favourite for the green jersey.

The Slovak has arrived in Paris wearing the green in the past three years, thanks to his raw power and versatility. He survives the mountains better than most, and his recovery after brutal stages is remarkable.

His team's Twitter account also noted he finished Stage 1 within striking distance of Dennis, and while he's unlikely to steal the yellow jersey on Sunday, a couple of good results could see him take the lead during next week:

No sprinter has been in better form than Alexander Kristoff in 2015, and the 27-year-old is in fine spirits going into this year's Tour, even joking on his Instagram profile:

Kristoff is a pure power sprinter who should focus on the first week of racing, with Sagan expected to make his mark later in the Tour, when the other sprinters tire faster. The Norwegians' main goal is stage wins, not the green, and the trip to Neeltje Jans will present the first real opportunity.

British fans will be cheering for Mark Cavendish, the once unbeatable sprinter from the Isle of Man who has lost his place among the sport's elite riders in recent years. He'll be hoping for a bounce-back performance in 2015, although he told ITV Cycling's Ned Boulting he's keeping his ambitions in check:

Team-mate Peter Kennaugh disagrees:

The local weather forecasters of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute predict a drop in temperatures on Sunday, finally bringing an end to the heat wave that has hit the Netherlands hard, but there is a strong chance of thunderstorms and rain. The peloton's pace will be high during Stage 2 given the profile of the route, so the top contenders will have to be cautious and avoid crashes.

Don't expect to see much of Vincenzo Nibali, Alberto Contador, Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana. Avoiding crashes will be their only priority on Sunday, with several weeks of racing still ahead of them.

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