Tour de France 2018: Route Location, TV Schedule and Live Stream for Stage 5
The most daunting stage of the 2018 Tour de France so far begins on Wednesday, when Stage 5 gets under way in Lorient. There will be several climbs over an unpredictable and tiring course set to test yellow jersey wearer Greg van Avermaet and his nearest contenders.
Fernando Gaviria won the fourth stage on Tuesday, finishing ahead of both Peter Sagan and Andre Greipel. It's the second stage Gaviria has claimed this year, but it's the more natural climbers who can distinguish themselves ahead of Wednesday's finish in Quimper.
Date: Wednesday, July 11
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Time: 12:19 p.m. BST/7:19 a.m. ET
TV Info: Eurosport 1, ITV 4, NBC
Live Stream: Eurosport Player, ITV Hub, NBC Sports App
Gaviria and Co. will "face 205km of rolling up-and-down racing over five categorised climbs, which, for the first time this year, will really drain the legs," per Lawrence Ostlere of The Independent.
There is also "Menez Quelerc'h, a very famous 2.9 kilometre straight climb in Breton cycling," according to Cycling News. The same source noted how Sagan should be comfortable during the stage.
It's a valid point since he is adept on these smaller climbs, a trait shared by Michael Matthews. Van Avermaet can also handle the hills, so the BMC Racing ace has a good chance of keeping his hold of the yellow jersey.
Yet Sagan is one to watch thanks to his ability to stay relevant in the points classification. Sagan has won the green jersey five times, meaning the Bora-Hansgrohe rider knows how to take advantage of such stages to add to his points tally.
Sagan has already won Stage 2 on this year's tour. It's a far cry from 2017, when the 28-year-old was disqualified after being judged to have caused a crash involving Mark Cavendish.
It was since determined Sagan was above blame, a ruling likely to buoy him with confidence for the sprint finishes in this year's race. A sprint finish won't be easy on the uphill final stretch of Stage 5, though.
Sagan and Van Avermaet will want to secure a stage win, but a breakaway has a good chance of staying away on a day like this.
Another rider to watch might be Thomas de Gendt, who is an able climber capable of edging into an early advantage and leading a break.
A surprise winner could emerge from any break, unless the peloton gets back together before the end of the stage. If that happens, expect three-time world champion Sagan to be at the forefront of any finish.
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