Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe 2026 Tour de France commences on Saturday 4 July in Barcelona, running for 21 stages until its conclusion in Paris on Sunday 26 July. Four-time champion Tadej Pogacar is the favourite to retain his title, with Jonas Vingegaard his biggest competition. The Grand Depart features three stages in Spain before the race moves into France. This year marks a change in UK broadcasting, with full live coverage exclusively on TNT Sports and HBO Max.However, a free daily highlights show will be available on Channel 5 at 7pm BST.In fullHow to watch Tour de France 2026: TV channel, highlights and streaming onlineMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
When does the Tour de France 2026 start – and how can I watch it?
Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe 2026 Tour de France commences on Saturday 4 July in Barcelona, running for 21 stages until its conclusion in Paris on Sunday 26 July. Four-time champion Tadej Pogacar is the favourite to retain his title, with Jonas Vingegaard his biggest competition. The Grand Depart features three stages in Spain before the race moves into France. This year marks a change in UK broadcasting, with full live coverage exclusively on TNT Sports and HBO Max.However, a free daily highlights show will be available on Channel 5 at 7pm BST.In fullHow to watch Tour de France 2026: TV channel, highlights and streaming onlineMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
