Tour De France 2012 TV Schedule: Top Riders to Watch This Weekend

The Tour de France is heading to the mountain stages and the exciting action will continue with Stage 7 and 8.

NBC will be broadcasting both stages this weekend. Coverage for Stage 7 will start on Saturday, July 7 at 8 a.m. ET. 

Sunday’s broadcast will kick off at 8 a.m. ET as well. The TV schedule for the entire race can be found at NBCSports.com.

The flat stages are done and the now the riders who tough out the uphill stages will separate themselves from the pack.

Here are the men to watch throughout this weekend’s action.

Peter Sagan

Sagan won the most recent stage with an incredible sprint in the final stretch. 

The 22-year-old Slovakian is an exciting talent who showed off his raw ability during his furious finish in Metz. It was the third stage he has won so far.

He currently sits in eighth place on the leaderboard for overall time and as a former mountain bike racer, the daunting terrain ahead will not phase him.

This could be the year that Sagan comes of age, and the next few stages will test his focus and resiliency.

Fabian Cancellara

Cancellara is currently wearing the yellow jersey, holding a seven-second lead over Bradley Wiggins and Sylvain Chavanel.

The 31-year-old has plenty of experience at the tour and has won eight stages since 2002.

He took the individual time trial this year, and has been racing extremely well in the beginning stages.

He must defend his lead as the race heads uphill. Every rider will have their eyes keyed on his bright-yellow back, and he will have to deal with plenty of pressure this weekend.

Bradley Wiggins

Wiggins was one of the favorites to win the race leading up to cycling’s premier event, and he currently sits seven seconds off the lead.

The Brit has a chance to be the first person from the United Kingdom to win the Tour de France.

He has not won a stage, but has been consistent throughout the first six stanzas. 

Going forward, he will need to separate himself from the pack in order to make up ground on Cancellara. Wiggins, and all the other riders, will also have to avoid crashing so often.