The Tour de France 2026 will begin on Saturday 4 July in Barcelona, as Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard once again fight it out for the yellow jersey.
The race begins with a team time trial in Spain, before the race enters France on stage three, with five mountain ranges, punchy days, sprint opportunities, and an individual time trial on the route.
Tour de France: Free Streams
For many riders and fans alike, the Tour is the season’s peak – the biggest stage where the greatest stars challenge each other over some of cycling’s most legendary battlefields.
The race enters the Pyrenees as early as stage three. Following that mountain range the race heads north to Bordeaux before cutting diagonally across the country, through the Massif Central, onto the Vosges, before heading down into the Alps and two stage finishes up Alpe d’Huez.
Alongside Pogačar and Vingegaard, Tom Pidcock, Paul Seixas, Remco Evenepoel and Mathieu van der Poel are among the stars to watch over the three weeks of the French Grand Tour.
Below, Cycling Weekly has gathered all the key information on broadcasters and live streams so you can watch the Tour de France wherever you are.
Quick guide to watching the Tour de France
Can I watch the Tour de France for free?
Fans in Australia, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands can watch the Tour de France for free.
In Australia, the race is being shown on TV and online by SBS, the country’s public service broadcaster. Streaming is available at SBS On Demand, with linear viewing available on SBS Viceland.
In France itself, the Tour de France will also be shown live via host broadcaster France Télévisions, with the action on France 2 or France 3 and online via France.TV.
In Italy through RAI Play online, in Belgium on RTL and VRT, in Spain on RTVE, and in the Netherlands on NOS are also all free.
Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you’re not in any of these countries right now, and these channels are your usual port of call, you’ll need a VPN to get your usual coverage while abroad – more on that below.
How to watch the Tour de France while abroad
Most streaming platforms have geo-restrictions these days, which means they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN.
A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device’s location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you’re abroad.
How to watch the Tour de France in the UK
In the UK, the race will be shown live across TNT Sports and HBO Max.
Live streaming is available on HBO Max, with linear viewing on TNT Sports. Plans start at £25.99 per month, with rolling subscriptions available at £30.99.
However, if you just want to watch highlights, these will be on free-to-air channel 5 every evening, as part of a new deal.
How to watch the Tour de France in the US and Canada
For US viewers, this year’s coverage of the Tour de France is going to be on NBC and Peacock
Both outlets come from the same NBCUniversal stable, with NBC available on many cable packages and Peacock – which is set to show all 21 stages live – on a pay per month basis. It’ll cost you $7.99, or you can go ad-free for $13.99.
Meanwhile, in Canada, Flobikes is in charge of broadcasting the Tour de France in Canada. Subscriptions cost CA$39.99 a month, with big savings for long-term plans. The Flobikes TV app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android.
What to expect at the Tour de France
The Tour de France 2026 will be the 113th edition of what most bike racing fans view as the greatest bike race in the world. It will cover 3,333km over the course of three weeks and 21 stages – with two rest days along the way.
Starting on Saturday 4 July, the French Grand Tour begins in Barcelona with a team time trial, and then another lumpy stage in Spain, before it heads north to France to finish stage three in the Pyrenees.
From there, the race deals with the Pyrenees early, then cuts through the Massif Central up to the Vosges, then through the Jura to the Alps, where there is a showdown on Alpe d’Huez with two stages back-to-back on the antepenultimate and penultimate days.
The race ends on Sunday 26 July in Paris with a repeat of the Montmartre circuit which was such a success last year.
There are multiple contenders for the famous yellow jersey, but Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) stands above them all. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) will attempt to the do the double after he won the Giro d’Italia in May.
Remco Evenepoel is back, but with a new team in Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, where he will share leadership with last year’s third-place, Florian Lipowitz, while the hopes of France hinge on the success of 19-year-old Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM).
In between all those, there’s a hatful of sprinters, puncheurs, and climbers who will be hoping to make their mark with a stage win.
2026 Tour de France stage start and finish times
|
Stage |
Date |
Start |
Finish |
Distance |
Terrain |
Start time |
Est. finish time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Stage 1 |
4 July |
Barcelona |
Barcelona |
19km |
TTT |
4:05pm BST / 11:05am EST |
6:16pm BST / 1:16pm EST |
|
Stage 2 |
5 July |
Tarragone |
Barcelona |
182km |
Hilly |
12:45pm BST / 7:45am EST |
4:26pm BST / 11:26am EST |
|
Stage 3 |
6 July |
Granollers |
Les Angles |
196km |
Mountains |
11:10am BST / 6:10am ES |
3:54pm BST / 10:54am EST |
|
Stage 4 |
7 July |
Carcassonne |
Foix |
182km |
Mountains |
12:10pm BST / 7:10am EST |
4:23pm BST / 11:23am EST |
|
Stage 5 |
8 July |
Lannemezan |
Pau |
158km |
Flat |
1:05pm BST / 8:05am EST |
4:37pm BST / 11:37am EST |
|
Stage 6 |
9 July |
Pau |
Gavarnie-Gèdre |
186km |
Mountains |
11:25am BST / 6:25am EST |
4:29pm BST / 11:29am EST |
|
Stage 7 |
10 July |
Hagetmau |
Bordeaux |
175km |
Flat |
12:15pm BST / 7:15am EST |
4:13pm BST / 11:13am EST |
|
Stage 8 |
11 July |
Périgueux |
Bergerac |
182km |
Flat |
12:15pm BST / 7:15am EST |
4:20pm BST / 11:20am EST |
|
Stage 9 |
12 July |
Malemort |
Ussel |
185km |
Hilly |
12:35pm BST / 7:35am EST |
4:47pm BST / 11:47am EST |
|
Rest day |
Row 9 – Cell 1 | Row 9 – Cell 2 | Row 9 – Cell 3 | Row 9 – Cell 4 | Row 9 – Cell 5 | Row 9 – Cell 6 | Row 9 – Cell 7 |
|
Stage 10 |
14 July |
Aurillac |
Le lioran |
167km |
Mountain |
12:10pm BST / 7:10am EST |
4:10pm BST / 11:10am EST |
|
Stage 11 |
15 July |
Vichy |
Nevers |
161km |
Flat |
1:05pm BST / 8:05am EST |
4:40pm BST / 11:40am EST |
|
Stage 12 |
16 July |
Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours |
Chalon-sur-Saône |
181km |
Flat |
12:40pm BST / 7:40am EST |
4:40pm BST / 11:40am EST |
|
Stage 13 |
17 July |
Dole |
Belfort |
205km |
Hilly |
12:20pm BST / 7:20am EST |
5pm BST / 12pm EST |
|
Stage 14 |
18 July |
Mulhouse |
Le Markstein Fellering |
155km |
Mountain |
12:30pm BST / 7:30am EST |
4:40pm BST / 11:40am EST |
|
Stage 15 |
19 July |
Champagnole |
Plateau de Solaison |
184km |
Mountain |
12:20pm BST / 7:20am EST |
4:55pm BST / 11:55am EST |
|
Rest day |
Row 16 – Cell 1 | Row 16 – Cell 2 | Row 16 – Cell 3 | Row 16 – Cell 4 | Row 16 – Cell 5 | Row 16 – Cell 6 | Row 16 – Cell 7 |
|
Stage 16 |
21 July |
Evian les Bians |
Thonon-les-Bains |
26km |
ITT |
12pm BST / 7am EST |
4:50pm BST / 11:50am EST |
|
Stage 17 |
22 July |
Chambery |
Voiron |
175km |
Flat |
12:35pm BST / 7:35am EST |
4:28pm BST / 11:28am EST |
|
Stage 18 |
23 July |
Voiron |
Orcières-Merlettee |
185km |
Mountain |
11:50am BST / 6:50am EST |
4:25pm BST / 11:25am EST |
|
Stage 19 |
24 July |
Gap |
Alpe d’Huez |
128km |
Mountain |
1:15pm BST / 8:15am EST |
4:34pm BST / 11:34am EST |
|
Stage 20 |
25 July |
Le Bourg d’oisains |
Alpe d’Huez |
171km |
Mountain |
10:30am BST / 5:30am EST |
3:29pm BST / 10:29am EST |
|
Stage 21 |
26 July |
Thiory |
Paris Champs-Élysées |
130km |
Flat |
3:25pm BST / 10:25am EST |
6:40pm BST / 1:40pm EST |
|
Stage |
Day |
Start |
Finish |
Distance |
Estimated stage times (CET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
8 May |
Nessebar |
Burgas |
147km |
13:40-17:05 |
|
2 |
9 May |
Burgas |
Veliko Tarnavo |
221km |
12:00-17:02 |
|
3 |
10 May |
Plovdiv |
Sofia |
175km |
13:05-17:02 |
|
Rest Day |
11 May |
Row 3 – Cell 2 | Row 3 – Cell 3 | Row 3 – Cell 4 | Row 3 – Cell 5 |
|
4 |
12 May |
Catanzaro |
Cozenza |
138km |
13:40-17:03 |
|
5 |
13 May |
Praiaa Mare |
Potenza |
203km |
12:15-17:00 |
|
6 |
14 May |
Paestum |
Napoli |
142km |
12:45-17:04 |
|
7 |
15 May |
Formia |
Blockhaus |
244km |
10:50-16:53 |
|
8 |
16 May |
Chieti |
Fermo |
156km |
13:15-17:04 |
|
9 |
17 May |
Cervia |
Corno alle Scale |
184km |
12:35-17:00 |
|
Rest Day |
18 May |
Row 10 – Cell 2 | Row 10 – Cell 3 | Row 10 – Cell 4 | Row 10 – Cell 5 |
|
10 (ITT) |
19 May |
Viareggio |
Massa |
42km |
13:15-17:14 |
|
11 |
20 May |
Porcari |
Chiavari |
195km |
12:35-17:02 |
|
12 |
21 May |
Imperia |
Novi Ligure |
175km |
13:00-17:01 |
|
13 |
22 May |
Alessandria |
Verbania |
189km |
12:40-17:00 |
|
14 |
23 May |
Aosta |
Pila |
133km |
12:55-16:58 |
|
15 |
24 May |
Voghera |
Milano |
157km |
14:00-17:07 |
|
Rest Day |
25 May |
Row 17 – Cell 2 | Row 17 – Cell 3 | Row 17 – Cell 4 | Row 17 – Cell 5 |
|
16 |
26 May |
Bellinzona |
Carì |
113km |
13:45-17:01 |
|
17 |
27 May |
Cassano d’Adda |
Andalo |
202km |
12:10-17:00 |
|
18 |
28 May |
Fai della Paganella |
Pieve di Soligo |
171km |
13:15-17:04 |
|
19 |
29 May |
Feltre |
Alleghe |
151km |
12:30-16:54 |
|
20 |
30 May |
Gemona del Friuli 1979-2026 |
Piancavallo |
200km |
11:00-15:59 |
|
21 |
31 May |
Roma |
Roma |
131km |
15:25-18:36 |
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