Tour de France 2016: Route Location, TV Schedule and Live Stream for Stage 5
The first significant moves in the general classification of the 2016 Tour de France are set to transpire on Wednesday, as the race moves into the mountains for Stage 5.
With the first four relatively flat stages yielding four sprint finishes, the riders chasing overall glory have had plenty of time to acclimatise to this year’s event. But that’s likely to change on the 216-kilometre run from Limoges to Le Lioran, with the contenders for the yellow jersey surely set to try their hand on a series of climbs.
Here are the key viewing details ahead of what is set to be one of the tour’s most unpredictable stages and a closer examination of who will be in the mix for victory on Wednesday.
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Date: Wednesday, July 6
Time: Noon (BST), 7 a.m. (ET), 1 p.m. (Local)
Route: Limgoes-Le Lioran
Live Stream: ITV Hub (UK), NBC Sports App (U.S.)
TV Info: ITV 4 (UK), NBC Sports Gold (U.S.)
Stage 5 to Test GC Contenders
Tanja posted the profile the riders will face up to on what is a tough run for the opening day in the mountains:
"Mountains time tomorrow, stage 5 #TDF2016 pic.twitter.com/6s0cEiT0jy
— Tanja (@bambula) July 5, 2016"
After four casual days to begin the tour for this year’s maillot jaune challengers, Wednesday will offer a clearer insight into which riders are best equipped for a stressful few days to come after crossing the Massif Central.
It’s a stage that could conclude in a variety of different ways. There are a series of climbs to negotiate, including a couple of Category 2 ascents late on, and that could fracture the peloton. It could also be an ideal opportunity for a ballsy rider to pounce in an attempt to build a time gap.
Alberto Contador excelled on such strategies in the past. The undulating end to the race will not be enjoyable for a lot of riders, although the 2007 champion has relished these moments throughout his career.
After a couple of crashes early in the first few days, the Tinkoff man must improve here. Should he struggle again—the Spaniard has admitted it's "hard to pedal out of the saddle," per Contador Notebook—expect plenty of the French riders to put him under severe pressure on Wednesday.
David Walsh of the Sunday Times thinks there will be some big tests to come for Contador after an inconsistent start:
It will also be fascinating to see the dynamic at Movistar between Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde on this stage. The one-day classic style of the stage suits a rider like Valverde; the Spaniard is comfortable getting out in front early and will be confident of scaling the ascents to Pas de Peyrol and Col du Perthus at pace.
Should he break early, it’ll be intriguing to see if he takes Quintana along with him; his younger team-mate was left behind when the Spaniard chased a victory on Stage 2. Still, Valverde is adamant he’s a domestique to the Colombian. “He's 100,000 times better positioned than me and with a better shot at the Tour than I'll ever be,” he said, per Cycling News.
The men who edged out Valverde on Stage 2 will be in contention here. The man in the yellow jersey, Tinkoff's Peter Sagan, who clinched the win that day, may find the profile a little too mountainous despite his superb versatility; that could pave the way for Etixx-Quick Step's Julian Alaphilippe, who looked in fine form to finish second on Sunday, to cross the line first.
As noted by Cyclocosm.com, Sagan outwitted Alaphilippe in that finish and that’s something the 24-year-old must be wary of late on here if these two are to battle it out again:
There’s also potential for a breakaway winner here, and after a series of flat stages, you can bet a clutch of riders will seek to try their hand at some point over the climbs.
Team Sky and reigning champion Chris Froome will need to be wary throughout. Still, the yellow jersey contenders will all view Wednesday as the first real opportunity to bloody the nose of their rivals, and the result should be another absorbing day.
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