Tour de France 2017 live stream: Time, TV schedule, and route for Stage 9

Stage 9 of the 2017 Tour de France will feature seven categorized climbs, three of which are Hors Catégorie climbs, for a total of 4,600 vertical meters. This all comes before a rest day, which means that riders will be incentivized to attack. We aren’t even halfway through the Tour and already we may have hit the Queen Stage. Normally I put the profile farther down, but cripes get a load of this.

THAT is brutal. Col de la Bichie, Grand Colombier, and Mont du Chat average 9, 9.9, and 10.3 percent gradients, respectively, making them the three steepest climbs of the Tour rated Category 2 or harder — and they’re all on the same stage, with Col de la Biche and Grand Colombier hitting riders within a span of 40 kilometers.

If that doesn’t break their legs, then Mont du Chat surely will. It is, simply, the most blistering 30-kilometer stretch of the Tour, first with its climb up to 1,504 kilometers, then with its technical descent down thin, worn roads before a 13-kilometer run into the finish line in Chambéry.

Stage 9 is a must-watch stage, and it could be prove to be the most important. NBCSN will begin televising the stage at 7 a.m. ET, with live streaming also beginning at that time on NBCSports.com and on the NBC Sports app. To catch the 5:55 a.m. start of the race, you’ll need to purchase a subscription to NBC Sports Gold, which also gives you access to live race tracking and commentary.

If you want to know who might win, just take a peep at the top of the general classification. Today is the day for the best riders in the world to show their hand. Fabio Aru’s solo win on Stage 5 proved he is on form. Richie Porte has been a frisky rider so far, if not effective. Romain Bardet and Dan Martin are both flawed but brilliant contenders.

And then there’s the yellow jersey bearer, Chris Froome, whose abilities as a climber, descender, and time trial specialist make him perfectly suited for an up-and-down day that could finish in a sprint. He’s the favorite to win Sunday, and in two weeks in Paris.

If anybody is going to challenge Froome this year, we will know Sunday. Likewise, if anybody simply doesn’t have what it takes to win, we’ll know that, too (you joining us, Nairo Quintana?). In that sense, Stage 9 will begin the Tour de France in earnest. Don’t be surprised if it’s the best racing you see all summer.

See above for complete stage profile. Select climbs:

Images courtesy of the Tour’s official site.

Start time: 5:55 a.m. ET (approx.)

Route: 181.5 kilometers from Nantua to Chambéry

TV: NBCSN, beginning at 7 a.m.

Streaming: NBCSports.com or NBC Sports app beginning at 7 a.m. (cable subscription required); or NBC Sports Gold (separate subscription required) beginning at 5:40 a.m.