A cyclist’s guide to watching the Tour de France

For any avid cyclist, the highlight of the year has to be the Tour de France. As it’s just kicked off, we thought we’d share our top tips for making the very most of this amazing race whether you’re watching from the comfort of your sofa or lucky enough to be there in person for one or more of the 21 stages. Either way, with 3,339 kilometres of action and excitement, you won’t to miss a minute.

Watching from home

The good news is that in the UK, you can watch the Tour de France for free on your TV thanks to ITV4’s excellent coverage. A simultaneous transmission of the same programme is also available for online viewers on ITVX, which is their free streaming platform. The only bad news about watching this way is that not all the stages are shown from the start. Also, there will be adverts. But that does give you time to grab a brew or take a bathroom break.

Apart from being free, another reason to watch each stage on ITV4 is their professional broadcast team. This includes Gary Imlach, who has been hosting the Tour since 1990 and is renowned for his cool, unflustered approach. His colleagues are broadcaster and writer Ned Boulting, and famed British ex-rider, David Millar, as well as Daniel Friebe and Matt Rendell who both report from the action. It's worth noting that this is the last time ITV will be covering the event. So, make the most of it.

Other ways to watch include pay-to-view. You can view every race from start to finish on TNT Sports. You can either pay a subscription for this or watch via Discovery+ which can sometimes have extra coverage and bonus feed.

Watching with friends

Like any sport, the Tour de France is more enjoyable to watch when it’s a shared experience. It’s great if you can get other cycling fans over. And, even if you’re inviting people who are more fair-weather cyclists, they will soon be cheering and shouting at every twist and turn of the race.

It makes the whole thing more fun if you have a rider or team to cheer for. Whether you’re rooting for a British rider like Tom Pidcock launching a gutsy attack, or an underdog from a wildcard team, it makes each race more individual and gives you someone to get behind. And it’s OK to change your loyalty from one race to another. You can cheer on a favourite sprinter on a flat stage, then a mountain goat of a rider during a mountain one.

The chase of the peloton in a cycling road race during summer

Watch it your way

Everyone has a different preferred way of watching. Some enjoy simply following from their settee. Others prefer to get more involved and ride along with a turbo trainer or smart bike (or compatible phone, laptop or PC) using a Tour de France virtual cycling experience. Zwift the indoor cycling app is the official training software provider and hosts different events that mirror the routes and stages.

Being there in person

For some, watching the Tour de France live is the ultimate cycling pilgrimage. Even if you can only be there for a day or two, watching the cyclists go past in person is an unforgettable experience.

But, it might not be as simple and straightforward as you might think. First, you’ve got to pick the right stage or stages for you. If you want to watch a few, look at where they are on a map and pick a hub close to a few. This saves you chasing the cyclists across the country.

Being up in the mountains is a breathtaking experience, and not just for the amazing views. Around you are crowds and the seemingly non-stop noise of cowbells and screams of encouragement. It’s on the steep upward slopes that you’ll see the suffering and exertion on each rider’s face as they go past. The problem is that this stage is hard to get to and takes quite a bit of planning.

Then, there are the flat sprint stages. These are easier to watch and no less fun, especially in towns. There are also bigger crowds with a real party feel. And if you want to see individual riders up close, then make sure you’re at time trails.

General advice for any stage

No matter which stage you’re planning on being at, there are a number of tips that apply to them all. First, get there early. Whether you’re travelling by foot, bike, car or public transport, roads are going to be closed well before any riders get there, which will hamper your journey. In fact, if you’re thinking of watching a mountain stage, you might have to camp out to secure your spot. Remember to take everything you’ll need like suntan lotion, food, water and, of course, a cowbell.

Watching in and around towns is easier, but you still need to get there early. Not just because of road closures, but also due to the crowds if you want to secure a good place to watch the action.

Be ready for the caravan

If you’ve never watched the Tour de France live, you may not be prepared for what’s called the caravan which precedes every race by one to two hours. This is both bonkers and brilliant in equal measure. The caravan is a continuous 30-minute show stretching about 10 km that’s made up of 30 brands handing out treats, trinkets, samples and promotional items which are thrown from the moving vehicles. They’re accompanied by four safety information cars at the front and rear, 12 republican guard riders, four dispatch riders and three medical vehicles. Some people actually go just for the caravan and not the cyclists.

Some tips for watching it live

Here are a few handy tips to help you make the most of your trip:

  • If you’re near the finish line, stay late. You might see riders warming down, grabbing snacks and chatting.
  • Respect barriers and volunteers. They’re both there for your safety as well as that of the riders.
  • Talk to people. Tour fans are a friendly bunch whether you speak fluent French or just a handful of words.
  • Take your time and enjoy the experience. Don’t panic if you get stuck and miss something or get rained on up a mountain. It’s all part of the fun. And makes for a good story when you get back.

Enjoy the Tour your way

We hope you’ve found our advice on watching the Tour de France helpful and interesting. Whether you’re watching from the comfort of home with a hot drink or standing on the side of a mountain swinging a cowbell, you’re going to love every minute of the experience.