Tour de France start time, schedule
The 2021 Tour de France coverage started on Saturday, June 26) and continues daily until Sunday, July 18.
Race coverage begins at around at 6 a.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN. Full schedule of stages below.
The 2021 Tour de France live streams still see Tadej Pogacar holding the yellow jersey, with a major lead, so we’re curious if Stage 16 will see anyone threaten the leader. This 169km route from Pas de la Case to Saint Gaudens mixes descents and climbs and may give some a chance to break ahead.
Stage 15 was won by Jumbo-Visma’s Sepp Kuss, who broke away during the final climbs at Port d’Envalira and then Col de Bexailis. We’re also wondering where Mark Cavendish will wind up.
In Stage 16, Michael Matthews of Team Bike Exchange is expected to breakaway from the pack. He’s only 72 points behind Cavendish, and if Team Deceuninck-Quick Step doesn’t continue to help Cavendish make time cuts, Matthews could be seen in the green jersey.
The three-week race is now live, with 184 riders in 23 teams, pedaling through 21 stages, including three summit finishes and two individual time trials. The strongest all-around rider will emerge victorious at the end.
The 2021 Tour de France is following its usual summer schedule, after last year’s edition was delayed to the fall due to the coronavirus pandemic. That means it’s been only nine months since Tadej Pogacar won his first Tour de France.
Favorites in this year’s race include Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers).
Here’s everything you need to watch the 2021 Tour de France live stream.
How to watch 2021 Tour de France live stream with a VPN
If you’re worried about how to watch the 2021 Tour de France live stream when you’re away from home and can’t access your usual streaming services, fear not. A virtual private network, or VPN, makes it so that you can appear to be surfing the web from your home town, so you can access the same streaming services you’ve already paid for.
Unsure which is the best VPN for you? We’ve tested a bunch of services and our favorite right now is ExpressVPN, which offers superb speeds and excellent customer service. But you’ve got other VPN options as well.
We think speed, security and simplicity make ExpressVPN second to none. During our tests, we saw fast connection times, and we’re impressed by the service’s ability to access more than 3,000 services spread out across 160 locations in 94 countries.View Deal
Tour de France live streams in the US
In the U.S., the 2021 Tour de France live stream is available daily on Peacock Premium. Stages generally begin around 6 or 7 a.m. ET.
Live coverage will also air on NBCSN, which requires a cable subscription. If you’ve cut the cord, you can get NBCSN via live TV streaming services (depending on your region), including Fubo TV, Sling TV, Hulu With Live TV, and AT&T TV Now. Of these options, we recommend Fubo and Sling.
If you love sports, you’ll want to check out Fubo.TV. It’s got a 7-day free trial, so you don’t need to pay up front. The Starter Plan ($64.99) features dozens of channels including NBCSN, ESPN, Fox Sports and more.View Deal
Sling TV is one of the best values among cable alternatives. The Sling Blue package comes with 30-plus channels in the lineup, including NBCSN. View Deal
Peacock is one of the newest streaming services but houses a great library, including the entirety of The Office. It’s also home to a ton of sports, including the upcoming Olympics, Premier League matches and WWE wrestling.View Deal
Tour de France live streams in the UK
Cycling enthusiasts have several options for watching the 2021 Tour de France live stream.
ITV4 will have free, daily live coverage on TV from around 10:45 a.m. to 4:30pm local time. The ITV Hub will also feature live streams of the 2021 Tour de France.
Eurosport and GCN are also streaming the the race. A subscription to Eurosport Player costs £6.99 per month and £39.99 per year. The GCN Race Pass is available in the UK and Australia and costs £39.99 for a year.
Tour de France live streams in Canada
Canadians can get all the Tour de France action exclusively on FloBikes. A subscription to the service costs $30 per month or $150 for the year, and you also get access to other big races.
Tour de France live streams in Australia
Cycling fans Down Under can access the 2021 Tour de France live stream through SBS On Demand.
2021 Tour de France stages schedule
Here’s the schedule and route for the 21 stages of the 2021 Tour de France.
Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type |
1 | June 26 | Brest to Landerneau | 198 km (123 mi) | Hilly |
2 | June 27 | Perros-Guirec to Mûr-de-Bretagne (Guerlédan) | 183.5 km (114.0 mi) | Medium mountain |
3 | June 28 | Lorient to Pontivy | 183 km (114 mi) | Flat |
4 | June 29 | Redon to Fougères | 150.5 km (93.5 mi) | Flat |
5 | June 30 | Changé to Laval | 27.2 km (16.9 mi) | Individual time trial |
6 | July 1 | Tours to Châteauroux | 161 km (100 mi) | Flat |
7 | July 2 | Vierzon to Le Creusot | 249.5 km (155.0 mi | Medium mountain |
8 | July 3 | Oyonnax to Le Grand-Bornand | 151 km (94 mi) | Mountain |
9 | July 4, 5 | Cluses to Tignes / Tignes | 145 km (90 mi) | Mountain /rest |
10 | July 6 | Albertville to Valence | 191 km (119 mi) | Flat |
11 | July 7 | Sorgues to Malaucène | 199 km (124 mi) | Mountain |
12 | July 8 | Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Nîmes | 159.5 km (99.1 mi) | Flat |
13 | July 9 | Nîmes to Carcassonne | 220 km (140 mi) | Flat |
14 | July 10 | Carcassonne to Quillan | 184 km (114 mi) | Medium mountain |
15 | July 11, 12 | Céret to Andorra la Vella (Andorra) / Andorra la Vella (Andorra) | 191.5 km (119.0 mi) | Mountain / rest |
16 | July 13 | El Pas de la Casa (Andorra) to Saint-Gaudens | 169 km (105 mi) | Medium mountain |
17 | July 14 | Muret to Saint-Lary-Soulan (Col de Portet) | 178.5 km (110.9 mi) | Mountain |
18 | July 15 | Pau to Luz Ardiden | 130 km (81 mi) | Mountain |
19 | July 16 | Mourenx to Libourne | 207 km (129 mi) | Flat |
20 | July 17 | Libourne to Saint-Émilion | 30.8 km (19.1 mi) | Individual time trial |
21 | July 18 | Chatou to Paris (Champs-Élysées) | 108.5 km (67.4 mi) | Flat |