Tour de France 2018: Route Location, TV Schedule and Live Stream for Stage 19

Stage 19 of the 2018 Tour de France will take riders on a 200.5-kilometre trek from Lourdes to the Pyrenees-Atlantiques commune of Laruns.

Team Sky star Geraint Thomas retained the yellow jersey and a significant lead of one minute, 59 seconds after Stage 18 on Thursday, when Arnaud Demare took his first stage victory of the 2018 Tour.

Thomas and Co. never looked ruffled in what was a fairly routine flat-stage win, but Friday's route will be the final mountain stage in this year's race and presents a last opportunity for some to climb the general classification.

Sparks are likely to fly as tensions reach their peak on the road to Paris, and Team Sky may be in for a slightly less comfortable ride when the peloton attempts to break down their lead in Stage 19.

Read on for a preview of Friday's action, including a look at the route and locations along the way, as well as television schedule and live-stream information.

Date: Friday, July 27

UK TV Info: Eurosport 1 (12 p.m.-6 p.m. BST), ITV 4 (11 a.m.-5:15 p.m. BST)

U.S. TV Info: NBCSN, 6:50 a.m. ET

Live Stream: Eurosport Player, ITV Hub, NBC Sports App

Preview

With only two race stages remaining in the 2018 Tour, Thomas' pursuers are running thin on chances to cut down his lead before the ride into the Champs-Elysess in Paris on Sunday.

Stage 19 features a daunting profile that comprises the Category 1 Col d'Aspin and the second-category Col des Borderes, as well as two HC climbs:

The first of those HC ascents, the Col du Tourmalet, is the highest paved pass in the Pyrenees standing 2,115 metres tall, and riders will climb 17 kilometres at a gradient of 7.3 per cent only halfway through the stage.

It's a seriously demanding peak for all riders, although cycling writer Neal Rogers predicted Thomas' Tour triumph was secured after he retained the lead following Stage 16:

Thomas has won two of the five high mountain stages in the Tour and knows one more swashbuckling performance on Friday would likely seal his victory. But there is a question over whether it's worth taking any big risks so close to the finish line.

The other rider with two victories from the five high mountain stages is Julian Alaphilippe, who holds the polka dot jersey and will be a threat on the ascent.

The Quick-Step Floors rider has a home crowd backing him, not to mention the fact the 26-year-old has attracted admirers as an appealing rider to follow, as shown by the Cycling Podcast:

Expect green jersey-holder Peter Sagan to also contend for a win on Friday despite the injuries he suffered in a crash on Wednesday, per Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal:

Sagan dusted himself down and rode hard on Thursday to finish a close eighth behind Demare, and it would be a surprise if the Slovakian rider didn't continue putting any knocks to one side for one last shot at mountain glory.

Expect him and a raft of others to push Thomas hard for a crack at his place on the Tour perch, with the finish line almost within sight as the riders wind towards Laruns on Stage 19.