While the blazing heat of the summer annoys many, we couldn’t say the same about cycling fans. The end of June marks the beginning of the Tour de France that many eagerly await. This race lasts for more than 20 days, making it a real joy to witness. Unfortunately, many fans can’t witness it. They simply can’t watch the Tour de France live, leaving them discouraged. If you’re one of them, this guide is primarily for you. What if we told you you can use a free TV channel to watch Tour de France live anywhere?
Yes, we know you’ll have to pay to watch this event by default. Paid channels are ubiquitous but they cost a freaking fortune! We’ll review them later but for now, let’s skip this expensive solution and discuss free channels that broadcast Tour de France in Full HD.
Free channels that broadcast the Tour de France live
Free channels that broadcast this event are awesome because they do so in high quality. The best TV channels you can use are:
- ITVX (United Kingdom)
- France TV (France)
You can immediately anticipate their differences. ITVX is based in the UK and provides English commentary. Conversely, France TV is a French TV channel with French commentary. We think ITVX is a better option here.
Regardless of the channel you pick, both are region-locked to their respective countries. ITVX works exclusively in the UK, while France TV is only available for French residents. This begs the question of how to stream the Tour de France live for free on them.
Well, according to many people online, using a VPN seems to rectify the issue of geo-blocks. A VPN service like NordVPN is frequently mentioned as the go-to option. Connecting to a server in the UK or France with it immediately unblocks ITVX and France TV respectively.
VPNs aren’t free, although some of them are, but NordVPN, in particular, isn’t. This isn’t a problem in our book because this provider can be used for free, which we’ll explain in a minute. For now, we’ll clarify that ITVX and France TV will cover the entire event.
The Tour de France live-stream starts on the 29th of June and ends on the 21st of July.
Watch ITV from anywhere with NordVPN
How to Watch Tour de France Live Worldwide?
With this event’s popularity through the Eiffel Tower’s roof, ITVX and France TV surely aren’t the only TV channels where you can live-stream Tour de France.
We have plenty more channels to cover, especially paid options that aren’t exactly the definition of “value.”
Where to Watch Tour de France Online in the USA?
There are plentiful channels in the USA that broadcast this event. For example, we can mention Peacock TV as the cheapest one. It’s around $5.99 a month but doesn’t offer a free trial that you can use to enjoy the race for free.
Moving on, people in the USA can use Sling TV for the same purpose. At $20 a month, it’s not that big of a deal. However, it’s much more expensive than NordVPN, which costs a tad over $3.4 a month instead. Sling TV doesn’t have a money-back guarantee, though.
US TV channels that stream Tour de France also include YouTube TV and fuboTV. However, they cost $72.99 and $79.99 a month respectively, making them extremely expensive. We need to mention another one, which is Hulu + Live TV at just over $76 a month.
These aren’t free channels for streaming Tour de France and their prices vary a lot. The key factor is their region-locked status, which means ALL of them work only in the USA. Worse yet, all of these channels require a US-based payment method to subscribe.
Even if you’re outside the USA and use a VPN, you’ll need to provide a credit card from this country. In the USA, you can use them without a VPN but why would you? They’re 20+ times more expensive than a VPN with a money-back guarantee that can be free in the end.
Streaming the Tour de France Live in Australia
Australians have only one option to stream this event – SBS. SBS is a completely free channel to watch the Tour de France live, making it a great potential alternative to ITVX and France TV. SBS is a video-on-demand service you can find online, limited only to Australia.
However, in the same fashion, you can use NordVPN or any other VPN with Australian servers to access it. Given that SBS is free and the VPN is free for 30 days, you won’t have to lose a dollar. If you’re in Australia, you don’t need a VPN, which is great.
Just go to SBS, create a free account, and enjoy miles of high-intensity cycling.
Watching the Tour de France in Canada
Like Australians, Canadians can stream the event on one channel. That’s FloBikes. FloBikes isn’t free and costs $29.99 a month, which isn’t a negligible price. On the brighter side, FloBikes broadcasts all stages in excellent quality, so the experience will be great.
Bear in mind that FloBikes is under a geo-restriction that limits it to working only in Canada. This is why you’ll need a VPN service to obtain a Canadian IP and unblock it. As you see, however, paid channels make zero sense when pinned against ITVX, France TV, or SBS.
They cost a lot and don’t let you be refunded after you finish Tour de France live streaming. Using a VPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee remains a superior option if you want to save money and enjoy the live stream for free.
Tour de France Live Stream in Other Countries
The channels and platforms we mentioned are very popular for watching this event but are not the only options. Let’s review other official Tour de France broadcasters around the world and see where else you can watch the event.
- Belgium – RTBF
- Denmark – DKTV2
- Spain – RTVE
- Italy – RAI
- Netherlands – NOS
- Switzerland – SRG
- Austria – Servus TV
- Europe – Eurosport
- China – CCTV, Zhibo TV
- Japan – J Sports
- New Zealand – Sky Sport
- India – MAX
- Colombia – RCN, Caracol TV
- South/Central America – ESPN
- Middle East – Abu Dhabi Media
Most of these options are free but they’re not in English. We can also see that some countries are limited to paid channels, such as Sky Sports, ESPN, Eurosport, etc. If you’re struggling with geo-blocking, you can use a VPN to access all of them.
For more official broadcasters around the world, visit the Tour de France website.
Watch Tour de France Live for Free: Here’s How
Using a VPN is a great way to access geo-blocked content. In this case, it’s easy to see why many users online opt for NordVPN. It offers servers in 111 countries, unlimited bandwidth, and some of the fastest speeds. All of these are streaming-friendly signs.
While NordVPN isn’t free at first, it can be free for 30 days. You see, this provider offers a non-conditional 30-day money-back guarantee. It works by purchasing the VPN first and getting a refund down the line, as soon as it’s requested in the aforementioned 30 days.
If we do the math, the Tour de France lasts way less than 30 days – 21, to be precise. This is enough money to get the VPN, watch the event for free, and still have a week left to get reimbursed. As a result, the entire solution is devoid of cost, at least after everything is over.
ITVX and France TV require no upfront payment. NordVPN requires it but when you get a refund, you’re back at zero. Here’s how to use NordVPN for free Tour de France live streaming in 2026:
- Subscribe to a VPN service. NordVPN is a preferred choice of many users with its 60% to 70% discounts for 2-year plans. Even a monthly plan is suitable for this case.
- Download and install the VPN to your device. All devices are supported and the VPN even works on Smart TVs.
- Open the VPN app and sign in with your email and password.
- Connect to a server in the UK or France, depending on the free channel you’ll use.
- Go to the selected free channel and make an account. It’s free and takes a minute.
- Watch the Tour de France live stream from start to finish.
The last step is important if you want to spend nothing. As soon as the cycling event ends, go to NordVPN’s site and contact the support team. Tell them you want a refund and they’ll issue it the same day, giving you all your money back.
Tour de France 2026 Stages & Dates
This year’s Tour de France starts on the 29th of June in Italy Florence. It ends on the 21st of July in France, Nice. In total, there are 21 stages, with a total distance of 3,492 kilometers. Here’s a full breakdown of its stages and dates to stay up-to-date more easily:
29th of June – Stage 1: Florence-Rimini, 206 km
30th of June – Stage 2: Cesenatico-Bologne, 199.2 km
1st of July – Stage 3: Plaisance-Turin, 230.8 km
2nd of July – Stage 4: Pinerolo-Valloire, 139.6 km
3rd of July – Stage 5: Saint Jean de Maurienne-Saint Vulbas, 177.4 km
4th of July – Stage 6: Mâcon-Dijon, 163.5 km
5th of July – Stage 7: Nuits Saint Georges-Gevrey Chambertin, 25.3 km
6th of July – Stage 8: Semur en Auxois-Colombey Les Deux Églises, 183.4 km
7th of July – Stage 9: Troyes-Troyes, 199 km
8th of July – REST DAY, Orléans
9th of July – Stage 10: Orléans-Saint Amand Montrond, 187.3 km
10th of July – Stage 11: Évaux Les Bains-Le Lioran, 211 km
11th of July – Stage 12: Aurillac-Villeneuve Sur Lot, 203.6 km
12th of July – Stage 13: Agen-Pau, 165.3 km
13th of July – Stage 14: Pau-Saint Lary Soulan Pla d’Adet, 151.9 km
14th of July – Stage 15: Loudenvielle-Plateau de Beille, 197.7 km
15th of July – REST DAY, Gruissan
16th of July – Stage 16: Gruissan-Nîmes, 188.6 km
17th of July – Stage 17: Saint Paul Trois Châteaux-Superdévoluy, 177.8 km
18th of July – Stage 18: Gap-Barcelonnette, 179.5 km
19th of July – Stage 19: Embrun-Isola 2000, 144.6 km
20th of July – Stage 20: Nice-Col de la Couillole, 132.8 km
21st of July – Stage 21: Monaco-Nice, 33.7 km
Can You Stream Tour de France With a Free VPN?
Just to be clear, you don’t necessarily need a VPN for this purpose. If you’re in a country where you can watch Tour de France online for free, you’re blessed. However, you must use this service to access ITVX, France TV, or any other free channel if you’re abroad.
The question is whether free VPN services work. Well, we can say yes but only to an extent. We recently presented some free VPNs for iPhones. In this guide, we pointed out their limited speed and bandwidth, which won’t work great for streaming.
In 2026, many free VPNs offer unlimited bandwidth, such as Proton VPN and Hide.me. However, they lack streaming optimization, which results in buffering, longer loading times, and generally a sluggish experience. The biggest drawback is the lack of servers.
Proton VPN is the safest VPN you can use for free but it has zero servers in the UK, France, Australia, and many other countries. Instead, it’s capped at 5 locations, such as the USA, Poland, Romania, Japan, and the Netherlands. There’s another option – PrivadoVPN.
This VPN has servers in the UK and works with ITVX, which is phenomenal. Unfortunately, it’s limited to 10 GB of bandwidth a month, which is far from sufficient for watching Tour de France live for free from start to end. With everything said, free providers aren’t great.
We think you’d be much better off with NordVPN, or perhaps, ExpressVPN. These services have a full 30-day refund policy that can be used if you don’t want to lose money. We’ve also compared these two services for your convenience, so check out the duel if you’re in doubt.
Summary
After our detailed guide for Tour de France live streaming on free channels, we think your excitement should peak. June 29th marks a happy day for cycling fans who can revel in jaw-dropping vistas from Florence to Nice across 21 days of heavy-duty cycling.
ITVX and France TV are the best free channels you can use given their footage quality and complete coverage of the event. NordVPN can help you unblock them for free, thanks to a no-quibble 30-day money-back guarantee. You have nothing to lose and much to gain.
It’ll be interesting to see who will take the crown as the Tour de France 2026 winner. Do you cheer for Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič, the Danish powerhouse Jonas Vingegaard, or someone else? It’s a tough competition, with everyone eager for the yellow jersey!