Tour de France 2018 Stage 1 live stream: Watch online

The first stage of the 2018 Tour de France takes cyclists from the island of Noirmoutier to Fontenay-le-Comte on the Breton mainland. Here’s how to watch.

Bumping up against World Cup Round of 16 coverage, Tour de France race organizer Amaury Sport Organization opted to start their race one week later than usual. Rather than June 30, this year’s Tour begins on the first Saturday of July.

That put a damper on the chance to take riders back over the Passage du Gois, the infamous causeway connecting the island of Noirmoutier to mainland France. This causeway has been a memorable part of several recent Tours, including the 1999 and 2011 editions. Passable at the end of June, the shift in schedule means riders will have to take a different route.

The first stage of the 2018 Tour will still begin in the northern commune of Noirmoutier-en-l’Île. However, the peloton will travel over the manmade bridge to the mainland instead of the natural one that will be under the high tide.

Once on the mainland, the ride constitutes over 100 miles of relatively flat riding. The maximum elevation of the stage comes 58 miles into the stage. When the riders go through Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, they will reach the high point of 102 feet above sea level.

This is a stage tailor-made for the sprinters in the peloton. Veterans 30-something sprinters like Mark Cavendish, André Greipel, and Marcel Kittel are all back for another shot at glory. Each will look to add to their career Tour stage victory hauls. They will have to contend against a new generation of speed specialists as well as Peter Sagan, the man on a mission for his sixth green jersey.

23-year-old Fernando Gaviria will contend for the green jersey this year after winning green at the Tour of California in May. Last year’s Champs-Élysées stage winner, 25-year-old Dylan Groenewegen, will hope to add to that breakthrough victory. And 26-year-old Arnaud Démare finished third at both Milano-San Remo and Gent-Wevelgem this spring.

You won’t want to miss the action from the windswept Atlantic coast of France as the Tour de France gets underway.

How to watch the stage

Here is how to catch the Stage 1 live on July 7. The action from Noirmoutier-en-l’Île to Fontenay-le-Comte will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network. Live streaming of the action is available on NBC Sports Gold and FuboTV.

• Date: Saturday, July 7, 2018
• Start time: 4:40 a.m. ET
• Start: Noirmoutier-en-l’Île, France
• Finish: Fontenay-le-Comte, France
• TV Info: NBC Sports Network
• Live Stream: NBC Sports Gold, Fubo.TV

Despite spending the day on the Atlantic coast, the weather forecasts predict that wind shouldn’t be too much of a factor either at the start in Noirmoutier-en-l’Île or the finish in Fontenay-le-Comte on the mainland. A relatively sunny day will greet the riders at the start. High temperatures look to top out around the high 80s by the finish.

Next: Tour de France 2018 route breakdown and highlights

In other words, the conditions will be optimal for sprinters. Look for a bunch sprint as the general classification favorites cede yellow to one of the flatland specialists on the first day of the Tour de France.