Following two straight days of massive climbs, sprinters will once again get a chance to shine as Stage 18 of the 2012 Tour de France takes riders closer to Paris. There will be 65 points up for grabs in the points classification during the 222.5-kilometer trek through French heartland from Blagnac to Brive-la-Gaillarde, along with a few Category 4 climbs sprinkled in.

Bradley Wiggins will ride with the yellow jersey for an 11th straight stage as the overall leader. He still holds a 2:05 lead over Sky Procycling teammate Christopher Froome. Tejay Van Garderen has climbed up to No. 5 in the overall standings, but lost over minute Wednesday to fall to 8:05 off the lead.

Cycling fans can see all the action live starting at 8 a.m. Eastern on the NBC Sports Network. A live stream of the race will also be available at Tour de France online, with a subscription.

Check the standings for the race at NBCSports.com.

Stick with this StoryStream for results, updates and more from the 2012 Tour de France. For all things cycling, head over to SB Nation's cycling blog Podium Cafe.