Tour de France 2018 Stage 14 live stream: Watch online

Hills return as the Tour de France winds toward the Massif Central on Stage 14. The middle third of the 2018 Tour wraps up on a hilly stage to Mende.

When most people think of mountains at the Tour de France, the Alps and Pyrenees usually come to mind. But the Massif Central looms large in the heartland of provincial France. Stage 14 takes the cyclists through the foothills of the Massif Central, leading up to Sunday’s ride through the higher mountains of the range.

The Saturday route between Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux and Mende will take the peloton over four categorized climbs, though none are classified as beyond-category or first-category. The first of the four comes 50 miles into the stage, as riders go over the short but steep Côte du Grand Châtaignier. 25 miles down the road, the peloton will pass over the Col de la Croix de Berthel and the Col du Pont sans Eau in quick succession.

Then there is the climb at the end of the stage. Riders will summit the Côte de la Croix Neuve just a mile before the finish line in Mende. Though it involves less than two miles of climbing, the average pitch of the Côte de la Croix Neuve is 10.2 percent. The mildest grades on the climb are still over eight percent.

This isn’t the type of stage that is going to result in a complete overhaul of the general classification. Instead, the Tour de France could see a successful breakaway finishing a few minutes ahead of the main field on Saturday.

Look for a group of more than six but less than a dozen riders to get an advantage somewhere before the first climb of the day. The lead group will work together for most of the stage, only attacking one another once they summit the Croix Neuve and make the final approach into Mende

How to watch the stage

Here is how to catch Stage 14 at the Tour de France live on July 21. The action from Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Mende will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network. Live streaming of the action is available on NBC Sports Gold or FuboTV.

• Date: Saturday, July 21, 2018
• Start time: 6:50 a.m. ET
• Start: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, France
• Finish: Mende, France
• TV Info: NBC Sports Network
• Live Stream: NBC Sports Gold, Fubo.TV

With temperatures hovering in the high 70s or low 80s at the start of Stage 14, it will be another nice day at the Tour de France. There is a slight risk of rain falling at some point on the road to Mende, with the chance of precipitation hovering around 25 percent. But in general inclement weather should not impact the stage on Saturday.

Next: Tour de France 2018 route breakdown and highlights

Given the higher mountains that loom on Sunday in the Massif Central, the contenders for the general classification will avoid expending too much effort. A breakaway will be successful once again, with a veteran like Sylvain Chavanel or Philippe Gilbert having a go of it.