TDF 2015 - Stages 1 to 8

Stage 2

Utrecht to Zélande, 166kms

Sunday July 5th

Stage 2 Takes them from Utrecht to Zélande along the coast in a stage that stays entirely in the Netherlands. They pass through some of the roads used for the World Ports Classic and the coastal cross winds could cause some problems. After starting in Utrecht they head to Rotterdam before heading to the province of Zeeland to reach Neeltje Jans, an artificial island in the dike that protects the land from the sea.

Given that it's a flat stage we should see the first sprinter's battle of the Tour with Marcel Kittel installed at the top of the market at 11/8 favourite with Paddy Power. Mark Cavendish is next at 5/2 and he will be hoping to fare better than he did in the Tour's first sprint stage last year, which ended his race. Andre Greipel is the 7/1 3rd favourite with Kristoff and Bouhanni at 12/1, Sagan at 16/1 and Démare at 18/1. 

It's hard to see past Kittel for this given the dominance he had in similar sprints in 2014, but a lot could happen between now and then - and anything can happen in the cross-winds on the coast. Can Cav bounce back? Can Bouhanni make waves with his new team Cofidis? Can Démare do the business as the undisputed team sprinter now at FDJ? Sagan should be in the mix but may well have one eye on the stages to come. 

Stage 2 Map

Stage 3 

Antwerp to Huy, 154kms

Monday July 6th

Stage 3 takes them from the port town of Anwerp to the world famous (in cycling terms anyway) Mur du Huy, the spectacular finish to the Flèche Wallone. The 1km climb averages 10% with parts that hit 20% and it should be a fantastic finish which should see the first shake-up in the GC and more than likely a new yellow jersey wearer.  

No route maps and no prices out yet for it from the bookies, but you'd have to imagine the likes of Joaquim Rodriguez, Dan Martin, Dani Moreno, Michal Kwiatkowski and Philippe Gilbert will be looking forward to this stage all year. 

About half way along the stage they pass through the hamlet of Kiezegem, the birthplace of one Eddie Merckx 70 years ago. Apparently there are 10 bonus seconds available for the winner of the stage so there will be a battle royale between the puncheurs and the GC men looking to take an early advantage on their rivals. 

Alejandro Valverde won the 2014 Fléche Wallone and will be one of the fancied riders, but Dan Martin, Michal Kwiatkowski, Bauke Mollema were all well up there too. Add in the likes of Contador, Quintana and Froome and it should be pretty exciting for the last 2kms.

Here's the last 10kms of the 2014 Fléche Wallone to wet your appetite!

Stage 4

Seraing to Cambrai, 221kms

Tuesday July 7th

If this is anything like the stage over the cobbles in 2014 then we are in for another treat. The longest stage of the race this year at 221kms, the stage sees them leave Belgium behind and head in to France on a stage that pays homage to the classics of the north with seven sections of cobbles. Christian Prudhomme said about this stage it's going to 'shake, rattle and roll the riders' and this stage could see a number of riders not even make it to the Team Time Trial on Sunday.

After crossing more or less the whole width of Belgium and through some of the Binch-Chimay-Binche country they hit their first section of Pavé at Pont-Á-Celles after 101kms. Six more sections of Pavé come in the last 58kms, the last section of which comes with 12kms to go to the finish. At 13.3kms of cobbles, it is 300m more than they covered in 2014. 

2014's stage will be remembered for a number of reasons, one of course was the demise of Chris Froome after crashing twice before they even hit the cobbled section. The other was the brilliant riding by eventual winner Vincenzo Nibali and the stage winner Lars Boom. Boom has of course joined Nibali at Astana this year so they will be looking forward to this stage again, especially if it is as wet and muddy like in 2014. 

Surprisingly there are no odds out for this stage, you'd have thought they'd have been able to price it up similar to 2014's stage where the likes of Cancellara, Sagan, Degenkolb, Kristoff, Terpstra, Vanmarcke and Van Avermaet were some of the favourites for the stage. I'll keep this page updated and add odds and thoughts as the year goes on.

The Cobbled Sections of Stage 4

Stage 5 

Arras to Amiens Métropole, 189kms

Wednesday July 8th

Not much information about this stage other than it's a flat stage which will probably be one for the sprinters. The added interest element on this stage will come from the homage that will be paid to the fallen of the first world war as they pass through the battlefields of the Somme.

The last time the Tour came to Amiens Métropole in 2004 Stuart O'Grady won the stage to Chartres from a break that included Thomas Voeckler, Sandy Casar and Magnus Backsted and Voeckler famously took yellow which he held on to until stage 15 when Lance Armstrong took over. 2004's Tour also has other similarities with 2014 as they also passed through Belgium and had stage finishes at Plateau de Beille (won by Armstrong) and Alpe d'Huez (an individual TT also won by Armstrong)

I'll always remember that stage as I was watching it on TV in the early days of Betfair, saw the lead the break was building and jumped on the 1000 that Voeckler was available at.. I got £20 matched and it was a fun next two weeks as he held on to the yellow jersey with the tenacity that he is now famous for. He shortened to as low as 20/1 or so I think and I laid off my bet where I had something like a £15,000 win on Voeckler or a £200 win on anyone else from what I remember..

The top four in the final GC that year was a rogues gallery of dopers with Armstrong winning it from Klöden, Basso and Ulrich.

As for this stage in 2015, it will probably be a sprint finish, but don't rule out a long breakaway on the day after the tough stage over the cobbles on stage 4.     

Stage 6

Abbeville to Le Havre, 191kms

Thursday July 9th 

A flat stage along the coast should see plenty of echelon action and may not end in a big bunch sprint. Over 120kms of the stage will be along the coastline of the Seine-Maritime area before the finish in Le Havre. 

More details will be added when they come available. 

Stage 7 

Livarot to Fougères, 190kms

Friday July 10th

The race moves inland a little on a stage that is more than likely going to be one for the sprinters. 

Stage 8 

Rennes to Mûr de Bretagne, 179kms

Saturday July 11th 

The Mûr de Bretagne returns to the Tour for the first time since 2011 when Cadel Evans won from Contador (whose result has subsequently been scratched from the records), Vinokourov (who really should have every result of his career scratched from the records), Rigoberto Uran and Philippe Gilbert. Jurgen Van den Broeck was very prominent throughout the climb too, not long before he crashed out on a climb I know well, the Col de Pas de Peyrol. 

After zig-zagging through the Brittany coastline they arrive at the finish at the 'wall of Brittany'. It's a tough little climb over just 2kms, the first kilometre starts at 10.1% for 500m, then 9.5% for 500m. It eases to just 5.5% for the next 500m before the final stretch of 500m at just 2.4%. 

This should be a stage for the likes of Sagan, Valverde, Martin, Kwiatkowski, Van Avermaet, and of course Contador and Gilbert who have history on this finish. 

The climb is notable for how straight it is - it's almost dead straight for the final 2kms so any break away attempts have nowhere to hide and it's a straight out strength and stamina battle to the finish. You can just about see it in this clip below from 2011, jump to the 19 minute mark as the coverage breaks up several times before then..