For many riders and fans alike, the Tour de France 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 starts this year in Lille, northern France, before wending its way south, first to the Pyrenees and then across to the Alps, taking in celebrated climbs like Mont Ventoux and Hautacam along the way.
Quick guide to watching the Tour de France
- UK: ITV (free), TNT Sports / Discovery+ (£30.99/mon)
- US: NBC and Peacock (from $7.99/mon)
- Canada: Flobikes ($39.99/mon)
- Australia: SBS (free)
- Anywhere: Watch your local stream from anywhere with NordVPN
How to watch the Tour de France in the UK
In the UK, the Tour de France will be shown live and free for one final time on ITV, with an evening highlights programme also available. Head commentator Ned Boulting has said that presenting it for the final time will be "heartbreaking".
The race will also be shown live across TNT Sports, Warner Bros. Discovery's premium sports channels, with it being on 1, 2, 3 and 4 depending on the day and the time. Check the schedule.
The event can also be streamed online and on mobile devices on Discovery+, with a package priced at £30.99 a month. This offering also gains viewers access to Warner Bros. Discovery's full range of sports listings.
How to watch the Tour de France in the USA
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.
How to watch the Tour de France 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.
Can I watch the Tour de France for free?
Fans in the UK, Australia, and numerous European countries, can watch the Tour de France for free thanks to broadcasters in their regions.
In the UK, as outlined above, ITV is broadcasting the Tour de France for the final time. Free streaming is available via ITVX.
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.
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.
Italy (RAI), Belgium (VRT & RTBF), Spain (RTVE), Germany (ARD), Switzerland (SRG), and Portugal (RTP) are a few more of the European countries enjoying free coverage via public broadcasters.
Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you're away from home right now, 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.
Our expert colleagues at TechRadar rate NordVPN as the best on the market for its security, compatibility, streaming credentials and, right now, its value for money...
The offer is live for readers in the UK, US, and Canada – simply follow this deal, select to one of the qualifying two-year plans, and see the extra four months automatically added to your cart. Once you've reached the end of the 30-day trial period the Amazon voucher will land in your inbox.
Want to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations of using a VPN...
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?
What to expect at the Tour de France
The Tour de France 2025 will be the 112th edition of what most bike racing fans view as the greatest bike race in the world. It will cover 3,336km over the course of three weeks and 21 stages – with two rest days along the way.
The race begins on Saturday July 5 with a road stage based on Lille in northern France that looks likely to gift the first yellow leader's jersey of the race to one of the fast-finishing sprinters.
They could end up holding it all the way to stage five, which pits the GC favourites against each other in the time trial – a race against the clock in which there's no hiding for the weaker riders.
The race eases gently into the mountains on stage 10 before ramping up the challenge – literally – three days later with a stage to Hautacam. There's little let-up over the next week or so as the race moves from the Pyrenees to the Alps, culminating in a final mountain showdown at La Plagne on stage 19.
The race is rounded off with a lumpy day in the Jura and then a return to the traditional Paris finish on the Champs-Elysées, after last year's diversion to Nice to accommodate the Olympics.
2025 Tour de France stage start and finish times
Stage | Day | Start | Finish | Distance | Terrain | Estimated stage times (BST) | Header Cell - Column 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sat July 5 | Lille | Lille | 184.9km | Hilly | 11:10-16:46 | Row 0 - Cell 7 |
2 | Sun July 6 | Lauwin Planque | Boulogne-sur-Mer | 209.1km | Hilly | 11:15-16:34 | Row 1 - Cell 7 |
3 | Mon July 7 | Valenciennes | Dunkerque | 178.3km | Hilly | 12:10-16:28 | Row 2 - Cell 7 |
4 | Tues July 8 | Amiens-Metropole | Rouen | 174.2km | Hilly | 12:15-16:32 | Row 3 - Cell 7 |
5 | Wed July 9 | Caen | Caen | 33km | Time Trial | 12:10-16:42 | Row 4 - Cell 7 |
6 | Thurs July 10 | Bayeux | Vire Normandie | 201.5km | Hilly | 11:35-16:14 | Row 5 - Cell 7 |
7 | Fri July 11 | Saint-Malo | Mûr-de-Bretagne | 197km | Hilly | 11:10-15:39 | Row 6 - Cell 7 |
8 | Sat July 12 | St-Méen-le-Grand | Laval | 171.4km | Flat | 12:10-16:04 | Row 7 - Cell 7 |
9 | Sun July 13 | Chinon | Châteauroux | 174km | Flat | 12:10-16:07 | Row 8 - Cell 7 |
10 | Mon July 14 | Ennezat | Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy | 165.3km | Mountains | 12:10-16:25 | Row 9 - Cell 7 |
11 | Wed July 16 | Toulouse | Toulouse | 156.8km | Flat | 12:15-16:05 | Row 10 - Cell 7 |
12 | Thurs July 17 | Auch | Hautacam | 180.6km | Mountains | 12:10-16:44 | Row 11 - Cell 7 |
13 | Fri July 18 | Loudenvielle | Peyragudes | 10.9km | Time Trial | 12:10:16:31 | Row 12 - Cell 7 |
14 | Sat July 19 | Pau | Luchon-Superbagnères | 182.6km | Mountains | 11:00-16:07 | Row 13 - Cell 7 |
15 | Sun July 20 | Muret | Carcassonne | 169.3km | Hilly | 12:20-16:08 | Row 14 - Cell 7 |
16 | Tues July 22 | Montpellier | Mont Ventoux | 171.5km | Mountains | 11:10-15:44 | Row 15 - Cell 7 |
17 | Wed July 23 | Bollène | Valence | 160.4km | Flat | 12:35-16:10 | Row 16 - Cell 7 |
18 | Thurs July 24 | Vif | Col de la Loz | 171.5km | Mountains | 11:10-16:12 | Row 17 - Cell 7 |
19 | Fri July 25 | Albertville | La Plagne | 129.9km | Mountains | 12:30-16:18 | Row 18 - Cell 7 |
20 | Sat July 26 | Nantua | Pontarlier | 184.2km | Hilly | 11:05-16:12 | Row 19 - Cell 7 |
21 | Sun July 27 | Mantes-la-Ville | Paris | 132.3km | Flat | 16:10-18:26 | Row 20 - Cell 7 |
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