Tour de France 2018 Stage 17 live stream: Watch online

The shortest road stage of the 2018 Tour de France is no slouch. In just 40 miles, Stage 17 tackles three Pyrenean climbs and ends on the Col de Portet.

When the course of the 2018 Tour de France was revealed, Stage 17 immediately looked like a fascinating anomaly. Though totaling out at just 40 miles of racing, the stage between Bagnères-de-Luchon and Saint-Lary-Soulan features three first-category or beyond-category climbs. Out of those 40 miles, nearly 24 of them are spent cranking the pedals against an incline.

The first climb takes riders over the Col de Peyresourde. Instead of stopping there, though, the stage keeps going upward to the summit of the Montée de Peyragudes. A tough descent leads riders onto a short section of flatter roads leading into the intermediate sprint at Loudenvielle. From there, the roads turn upward yet again as the peloton encounters the Col de Val Louron-Azet.

Shorter but steeper than the Peyragudes, the Val Louron-Azet leads to yet another swift descent. And just like that first climb of the day, there is little respite before the roads start pitching upward yet again. The Col de Portet looms large as the finishing point in Stage 17.

This last climb could make or break riders still hoping for a breakthrough in the general classification. Unlike previous stages that opened the door for breakaways to emerge, this route in the Pyrenees is probably too short for a lead group to get up the road. Instead, we are going to see the separation come in the form of attacks on the final climb of the day.

One of the general classification contenders will probably walk away with the stage win on the Col de Portet. Whoever emerges as the victor could end up in yellow. If it doesn’t happen on Wednesday, it will likely happen before the final weekend of the 2018 Tour de France.

How to watch the stage

Here is how to catch Stage 17 at the Tour de France live on July 25. The action from Bagnères-de-Luchon to Saint-Lary-Soulan will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network. Live streaming of the action is available on NBC Sports Gold or FuboTV.

• Date: Wednesday, July 25, 2018
• Start time: 8:50 a.m. ET
• Start: Bagnères-de-Luchon, France
• Finish: Saint-Lary-Soulan (Col de Portet), France
• TV Info: NBC Sports Network
• Live Stream: NBC Sports Gold, Fubo.TV

There could be some moisture in the air as the peloton sets off from Bagnères-de-Luchon for the start of Stage 17. Temperatures will hover in the low 80s at the start, cooling down as riders gain elevation along the way. Clouds are likely to roll in over the course of the afternoon, and rain is possible at the finish.

Next: Tour de France 2018 route breakdown and highlights

The fact that this stage is so short will likely make it all the more exciting as a result. With only a few stages left, the time is now for the top contenders to begin attacking one another.