Tour De France 2012 Schedule: When to Watch Race's Most Grueling Stages

The 2012 Tour de France is underway with 19 more exciting stages still to come. On Friday, Fabian Cancellara won the race's prologue for the fifth time.

Let's take a look at the complete Tour de France schedule courtesy of letour.fr. 

P	Prologue	Saturday 30 June	Liège > Liège	6.4 km
1	Plain	Sunday 1 July	Liège > Seraing	198 km
2	Plain	Monday 2 July	Visé > Tournai	207.5 km
3	Medium mountains	Tuesday 3 July	Orchies > Boulogne-sur-Mer	197 km
4	Plain	Wednesday 4 July	Abbeville > Rouen	214.5 km
5	Plain	Thursday 5 July	Rouen > Saint-Quentin	196.5 km
6	Plain	Friday 6 July	Épernay > Metz	207.5 km
7	Medium mountains	Saturday 7 July	Tomblaine > La Planche des Belles Filles	199 km
8	Medium mountains	Sunday 8 July	Belfort > Porrentruy	157.5 km
9	Individual time-trial	Monday 9 July	Arc-et-Senans > Besançon	41.5 km
R	Rest Day	Tuesday 10 July	Repos
10	High Mountains	Wednesday 11 July	Mâcon > Bellegarde-sur-Valserine	194.5 km
11	High Mountains	Thursday 12 July	Albertville > La Toussuire - Les Sybelles	148 km
12	Medium mountains	Friday 13 July	Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne > Annonay Davézieux	226 km
13	Plain	Saturday 14 July	Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux > Le Cap d’Agde	217 km
14	High Mountains	Sunday 15 July	Limoux > Foix	191 km
15	Plain	Monday 16 July	Samatan > Pau	158.5 km
R	Rest Day	Tuesday 17 July	Repos
16	High Mountains	Wednesday 18 July	Pau > Bagnères-de-Luchon	197 km
17	High Mountains	Thursday 19 July	Bagnères-de-Luchon > Peyragudes	143.5 km
18	Plain	Friday 20 July	Blagnac > Brive-la-Gaillarde	222.5 km
19	Individual time-trial	Saturday 21 July	Bonneval > Chartres	53.5 km
20	Plain	Sunday 22 July	Rambouillet > Paris Champs-Élysées	120 km

Some of these stages are more difficult than others. Let's take a look at three of the race's toughest sections, and when you can watch the action.

*For full television schedule, check out NBCSports.com

Stage 10: Wednesday, July 11, 8:00 a.m. EDT, NBC Sports Network

Stage 10 is difficult for a few very simple reasons. It's the first "high mountain" stage of the entire race, and it's relatively long. 

Riders will be tested in terms of speed, strength and endurance. The mountain stages usually make or break the leaderboard of this race, and the first excruciating stage sets the tone for the second half of the race. 

You haven't seen mountains until you turn in for this one.

Stage 13: Saturday, July 14, 8 a.m. EDT, NBC Sports Network

This is a "flat" stage, but that doesn't mean it won't be a challenge. It's 217 kilometers long, but that seems longer given the circumstances.

Stages 10-12 are all mountain stages of some sort. This makes the flat distances seem even tougher by the time you reach Stage 13. The riders will be worn out, and this distance is going to seem tougher than they could possibly imagine.

Normally, these stages are a break of sorts. The prior stages take away from that. 

Stage 17: Thursday, July 19, 7:30 a.m. EDT, NBC Sports Network

By the time you reach this point, the finish line is in sight. That doesn't make it any easier. This is the final "mountain" stage of the race.

This stage is just over 143 kilometers long, but it's going to feel like a thousand miles to these riders. The leaderboard should be neck-and-neck at this point, leaving everything up for grabs.

Riders who excel on the mountain stages hold a major advantage in the Tour de France. The final uphill stage could definitely determine who wears the ultimate yellow jersey this year.