Tour de France

Tour de France 2015, Stage 2: Route, TV schedule and more

There is potential for chaos on Stage 2 of the Tour de France as it rolls across the dikes and dams of Holland.

By Louis Bien@louisbien Jul 5, 2015, 2:00am EDT

The 2015 Tour de France is already off the a historic start after Rohan Dennis set the record for the fastest average speed on Stage 1. The Australian rider will wear the Maillot Jaune on Stage 2 this Sunday for the Tour's first "traditional" stage from Utrecht to Zeeland.

There's nothing typical about the stage itself. Riders will be meandering through major cities, and over rural roads, dams and dikes for a finish in the Zeeland Delta. There will be little protection from the elements along the water, which means that crosswinds may be a factor. Welcome to the wild world of echelons!

The stage will also feature the first points opportunities of the Tour, at the finish and at a midpoint in Rotterdam approximately 80 kilometers into the 166-kilometer course. The battle for the green jersey will feature plenty of names you have come to know and love. Mark Cavendish, Alexander Kristoff and Andre Greipel all have a chance to take out Peter Sagan for points supremacy. (Sadly, Marcel Kittel had to drop out).

The general classification contenders will just be trying to survive for the most part. A flat stage isn't conducive to big time gaps. More likely, the likes of Chris Froome, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali and Nairo Quintana will be hoping that the chaos of the elements doesn't muck up their well-laid plans for later in the Tour.

NBCSN will be broadcasting the stage once again. Coverage will begin at 7 a.m. ET, with racing officially starting at 7:15. Those who don't have NBCSN can watch online. Mobile users can use the NBC Sports Live Extra app to stream live coverage for free if they have an appropriate cable subscription. Those who would like to stream from their computers will have to pay for NBC's web package.