How to watch the Tour de France on TV: When and where will the Tour de France time trial be broadcast

The Tour de France is well and truly underway, with stage 3 kicking off at midday on Monday July 6. We’ll see the first real sprint opportunities, while the first high-mountain stage is also on the schedule. Where can you watch it, and what time does it start? IDL Pro Cycling has all the details you need below.

Using a VPN when travelling to access your home broadcast is a great way to watch the Tour de France with your preferred commentary. By setting your VPN to one of the countries that streams the race for free will also allow you to watch the Tour de France without cost.

For English speakers, the best option to watch the Tour de France for free is the Australian broadcast on SBS on Demand.

There are many VPN options available, with the most popular and widely used being Nord VPN.

After a few years with absolutely no free Tour de France broadcasts on UK TV, Channel 5 and HBO Max announced a deal to bring free-to-air cycling back to British TV.

While it is only highlights, broadcast in the evening after each stage, it will be an hour of free Tour de France racing on British terrestrial TV. It's better than nothing!

S4C's coverage, sub-licensed from TNT Sports and produced by Sunset & Vine, will run across the full three weeks from 4 to 26 July, on S4C and its digital platforms. The channel is available UK-wide, so this is not a Wales-only offer. The presenting team of Rhodri Gomer, Peredur ap Gwynedd, Gruff Lewis and Manon Lloyd will lead the broadcast.

The obvious limitation is language: the commentary is in Welsh. English-language viewers in the UK still face a choice between a TNT Sports/HBO Max subscription (£30.99 a month, or £25.99 billed annually) and the free workaround set out in our 'how to watch the Tour de France guide' — a VPN pointed at Australia's free SBS On Demand.