Tour de France Stage 18: Versus TV and Live Streaming Schedule

1 of 5

COL DU TOURMALET, FRANCE - JULY 22: Andy Schleck of Luxembourg and Team Saxo Bank is followed by Alberto Contador of Spain and the Astana Team as he attacks up the slopes of the Col du Tourmalet during stage seventeen of the 2010 Tour de France from Pau

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Following Thursday's riveting Stage 17 battle in the Pyrenees between defending champion and race leader Alberto Contador and youngster Andy Schleck, we'd be hard pressed to see as much drama in Stage 18.

But that's just what fans are hoping for in Friday's 198-km trek from Salies-de-Béarn to Bordeaux.

Can Contador Bring it Home?

COL DU TOURMALET, FRANCE - JULY 22: Alberto Contador of Spain and the Astana Team descends with the peloton during stage seventeen of the 2010 Tour de France from Pau to Col du Tourmalet on July 22, 2010 near the Col du Tourmalet, France. (Photo by Bryn

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

With the defending champion from Spain maintaining his 8-second advantage on Schleck, little to no change is expected in Friday's largely flat stage.

Contador is expected to add to his advantage on Saturday, however, in the individual time trial, one of his areas of expertise.

After that, there may be little hope for the Luxembourg native to catch Contador.

Friday a Day for the Sprinters

BESANCON, FRANCE - JULY 18: Mark Cavendish of Great Britain and Columbia-HTC battles with Thor Hushovd (L) of Norway and the Cervelo Test Team to win the bunch sprint on stage 14 of the 2009 Tour de France from Colmar to Besancon on July 18, 2009 in Besa

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

With Friday's flat stage, the day's racing is expected to end in a mad sprint, where the 2010 Tour's green jersey as top sprinter will likely be up for grabs.

Great Britain's Mark Cavendish is expected to be fighting it out at the end with current green jersey holder Thor Hushovd of Norway and Italy’s Alessandro Petacchi, who is four points behind Hushovd.

Tune in for Stage 18

PAU, FRANCE - JULY 22: Edvald Boasson Hagen of Norway and Team SKY rides in the breakaway group during stage seventeen of the 2010 Tour de France from Pau to Col du Tourmalet on July 22, 2010 in Pau, France. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Stage 18 will air from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. ET.

You can catch all the action on Versus, available on channel 603 on DirecTV and channel 151 on Dish Network. Check your local cable listings for channel lineups.

You can also watch the live stream online on Versus.com. This isn't free though; Versus is now charging a reduced price of $23.95 for its live tracker. Check it out here.

Begin Slideshow