Tour de France 2015: Stage 20 Route, Live Stream Schedule, TV Info for July 25

There's just one stage left in the 2015 Tour de France before the peloton makes its way toward Paris, and event organisers have saved the best for last. On Saturday, the riders will ascend the legendary slopes of Alpe d'Huez, as Stage 20 promises to deliver more fireworks and drama ahead of the finish at the Champs-Elysees.

NBC Sports and ITV4 will provide full TV coverage and live streams for this stage, and whether you're avid cycling fan or just someone looking to kill some time on Saturday, this is one stage you simply can't afford to miss.

The trip toward Alpe d'Huez will be a relatively short one, but don't be fooled by the lack of kilometers the peloton will face on Saturday. After three gruelling days in the Alps, the shorter distance may actually result in even more attacks and action. Here's everything you need to know about Stage 20.

Stage 21: Modane Valfrejus – Alpe d'Huez, 110.5 Kilometers

Date: Saturday, July 25

Profile: High Mountains

TV Info: NBC Sports (U.S.), ITV4 (UK)

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S.), ITV Player (UK)

For a look at the Stage 20 route and others throughout the competition, check out the Guardian’s interactive guide.

Standings

Pos	Rider	Time
1	Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky	78:37:34
2	Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team	0:02:38
3	Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team	0:05:25
4	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team	0:06:44
5	Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo	0:07:56
6	Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo	0:08:55
7	Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM Cycling	0:12:39
8	Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing	0:13:22
9	Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale	0:14:08
10	Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar	0:17:27

Pos	Rider	Points
1	Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo	420
2	André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal	316
3	John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin	281
4	Mark Cavendish (GBr) Etixx - Quick-Step	192
5	Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky	128
6	Bryan Coquard (Fra) Team Europcar	122
7	Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team	90
8	Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal	85
9	Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal	85
10	Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr	83

Pos	Rider	Points
1	Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale	90
2	Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky	87
3	Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha	78
4	Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team	64
5	Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team	56
6	Serge Pauwels (Bel) MTN - Qhubeka	55
7	Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar	54
8	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team	47
9	Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo	40
10	Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky	40

Preview

For anyone who even has a remote interest in cycling, Alpe d'Huez needs no introduction. The legendary ascent has been the deciding factor in plenty of Tours of old, and its 21 hairpins all bear the name of some of the greatest cyclists the world has ever seen.

When Global Cycling Network made a list of the most epic climbs in the world, Alpe d'Huez simply couldn't be left out:

It's not the steepest or the longest, but the 21 hairpins present a unique challenge. Riders who prefer to climb from the saddle, like yellow jersey Chris Froome, are at a disadvantage, because it's harder to maintain a constant pace. You have to jump out of the saddle and launch yourself after every corner, which is why Nairo Quintana has thrived here in the past.

Usually, the climb is preceded by another legendary ascent, the Col du Galibier, but due to a recent landslide, Tour organisers had to come up with an alternative. Instead, the peloton will scale the Col de la Croix de Fer, which was also climbed during Stage 19.

The key to this stage is the distance. At just over 110 kilometers, it will look inviting to just about anyone who fancies an early break, and as a result, the peloton will have to keep the pace high. After three weeks of racing, the domestiques are knackered, so expect plenty of top riders to be left without any help by the time a splintered peloton nears Alpe d'Huez.

We saw the same thing on Friday, as Geraint Thomas finally cracked, isolating Froome until Wout Poels managed to bridge the gap to the front. For the first time this Tour, Team Sky showed cracks in their armor, and both Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali took full advantage.

In all likelihood, Poels won't be able to replicate his performance from Friday, and Thomas has all but imploded. Froome is finally vulnerable and looked visibly frustrated as he crossed the finish line on Friday, and via Eurosport's Laura Meseguer, Quintana knows it:

Of course, the climb toward La Toussuire was just that―one climb. Froome is still the obvious favourite to win his second Tour de France on Sunday, despite what happened on Friday. It's still highly improbably Quintana can catch the Brit, but it may not be impossible.

Froome has the aura of some kind of bionic man who never seems to panic or struggle, but Quintana knows he can hurt him on Alpe d'Huez―it's happened before, in 2013:

Cycling author Michael Hutchinson also noted Froome did not look great at all during Friday's stage:

Team Sky has dominated the 2015 Tour de France and Froome has more than earned the yellow jersey, but he'll have to survive one more stern test on Saturday before he can start sipping champagne on his way to Paris.

Can Quintana really make up two minutes and 38 seconds on the flanks of Alpe d'Huez? It's doubtful, but stranger things have happened. At the very least, the pint-sized Colombian will try, so Saturday's stage should provide plenty of fireworks, regardless.

Follow @ReverschPass