Tour de France 2015, Stage 5: Route, TV schedule and more

Peace at last. The first four stages have been as wild and entertaining as Tour de France organizers could have hoped, with Maillot Jaune contenders asserting themselves early, and the weather and stiff competition sewing chaos within the peloton. You know the Tour has been hectic when a stage taking place on cobbles seemed low-key compared to what preceded it. Now, after what must have felt like a long few days, riders should be able to relax a bit on Stage 5.

The 189.5-kilometer ride from Arras to Amiens will throw a few subtle hills at riders, and little else in the way of obstacles. Perhaps organizers just wanted everyone to enjoy the scenery before reintroducing bedlam. The stage goes through the Somme region, one of the most important battlegrounds during World War I. The finish town, Amiens, has all of the lovely trappings of France, including a big, beautiful cathedral.

With no serious changes anticipated in the general classification, now is a good time to take stock of what has already occurred. Chris Froome, Tejay Van Garderen and Alberto Contador are the best positioned of the final podium favorites, with Vincenzo Nibali and Nairo Quintana roughly a minute-and-a-half and two minutes out of contention, respectively, thanks to the crosswinds of Stage 2. Tony Martin’s gutsy Stage 4 break to take the yellow jersey is probably the best story of the Tour so far, and Peter Sagan is in great shape to win the green jersey yet again (though Andre Greipel has the lead in the points competition for now).

Wednesday’s race ought to be a nice, meandering ride before an exciting bunch sprint to the line. There are surprisingly few of these stages in a tough-as-nails Tour, so enjoy it while you can.

Coverage begins at 8 a.m. ET. on NBCSN

Announcers: Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen