There are only three stages left and just a shade under 400 kilometers left, but the riders who can just barely see the finish line of Paris ahead still have the excessively long Stage 18 to deal with. It is a long 222.5 km in between Blagnac and Brive-la-Gaillarde, so long in fact it is the second longest stage on the tour.
There is plenty of level ground here for the sprinters to excel, as this maps shows, and it should be a great race for the sprinters to excel in. Bradley Wiggins may think he has the Tour de France locked up, but there are plenty of teams that haven't recorded a victory who will be looking for some glory in the final three stages. The real question is who will have the legs left on the final downhill sprint to take the stage.
Coverage of the 2012 Tour De France can be found on NBC Sports Network starting around 5 a.m. PT. You should also have the opportunity to watch it online via a subscription with NBC Sports.
Stay with the SB Nation Los Angeles StoryStream for the latest breaking news, results and more from the 2012 Tour de France. For cycling news throughout the year, check out Podium Cafe.