You're going to want to watch stage 18 of the Tour de France today, as a huge day in the Alps marks the 'queen stage' of the race, and we have all the details here on live streams, TV coverage, and how to tune in wherever you are in the world.
The eighteenth stage of the 2025 Tour de France gets underway at 11:20 UK time (BST) with the finish expected around 16:12 BST.
Stage 18 measures 171.5 kilometres, starting in Vif and finishing at the crest of the Col de la Loze, a spectacular high-altitude bike path that links the ski resorts of Courchevel and Méribel. The narrow paths, devilishly irregular gradients, and 2,304-metre-high summit make this a theatre for guaranteed fireworks.
But it's not all about the final climb. Before they even get there, the riders will have to tackle two other 'hors-catégorie' Alpine beasts, the Col du Glandon and Colde la Madeleine. With over 5,000 metres of elevation gain it's a mammoth stage, and arguably the most mouth-watering of the entire Tour.
Tadej Pogačar wears the yellow after holding off Jonas Vingegaard on Mont Ventoux on Tuesday and will be preparing himself for an onslaught from the Dane, who needs to exploit every inch of this terrain to conjure the miracle he needs.
We have a full Tour de France TV guide, or read on for all the key details on how to watch Tour de France stage 18 online, on TV, wherever you are in the world.
Watch Tour de France stage 18 in the UK
In the UK, stage 18 of the Tour de France is being broadcast live on ITV4, ITVX, TNT Sports 1, and Discovery+.
ITV's coverage is totally free, on ITV4 for terrestrial TV viewers and ITVX for those watching online. Coverage starts at 11:00 BST.
TNT Sports 1 is the channel for pay-TV viewers, and Discovery+ (£30.99/month) is its streaming platform, where you'll also find bonus features like 'quad-screen'. Coverage gets underway in both cases at 11am BST, so all of the stage will be covered.
How to watch stage 18 of the Tour de France in the US and Canada
In the US, fans can watch stage 18 of the Tour de France on NBC, where coverage starts at 06:00 ET. NBC's streaming platform is Peacock ($7.99/month).
Over the border in Canada, cycling streamer FloBikes ($39.99/month) is showing stage 18 of the Tour de France, starting at 6am ET.
Watch the Tour de France stage 18 in Australia
Fans in Australia can watch stage 18 of the Tour de France on the main SBS channel and the SBS On Demand streaming platform, with coverage starting at 20:00 AEST. Both are free to watch.
Can I watch stage 18 of the Tour de France for free?
You can watch stage 18 of the Tour de France today, July 24, for free on ITV4 and ITVX in the UK, and on SBS and SBS On Demand in Australia. Additionally, many European countries – including France, Spain, Italy, and Belgium – have free Tour de France coverage via public broadcasters.
Stage 18 of the Tour de France is on the ITV4 terrestrial TV channel and the ITVX streaming platform, which is free to use with a registration.
How to watch Tour de France stage 18 from anywhere
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.
NordVPN is the best, according to our friends across the office at TechRadar and Tom's Guide.
Many broadcasters are showing stage 18 of the Tour de France in full, from the first kilometre to the last, today.
In the UK, both ITV and TNT Sports/Discovery+ are starting at 11am BST.
In the US, NBC's coverage starts at 06:00 ET, as does Flobikes in Canada.
It's a late one for fans in Australia; SBS' coverage of stage 14 of the Tour de France starts at 20:00 and finishes in the early hours of Friday.
Disclaimer
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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Patrick manages the How To Watch content across Cycling Weekly and the other sports publications at Future. He's an NCTJ qualified journalist with a decade of experience in digital sports media. He spent eight years at Cyclingnews between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.
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