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Tour de France Live Stream on a Free Channel: How to Watch It for Free?

Tour de France is one of the most exhausting races in the season that usually starts around the beginning of summer. In 2024, watching the Tour de France live stream is possible from June 29th to July 21st, as cyclists race across 3,400+ km of French soil. With the exciting race near its start, you’re surely interested in how to watch the Tour de France 2024 live on a free channel. Unfortunately, not many channels stream this event live and those that do, usually aren’t free. Sports channels, in general, tend to be overpriced.

Thankfully, we’re here today to help you avoid unnecessary costs. With the trick that we’ll show you, you’ll be able to stream Tour de France live on a free TV channel no matter your location. Let’s see what it’s all about and how to perform this simple trick.

Which Free Channels Stream Tour de France Live?

If you want an answer to this question, simply go to any paid channel and you’ll most likely find the Tour de France live stream. However, you’ll have to pay a hefty sum of money to get it working. We’ll address that later in this guide.

And if you live in France, you can, for sure, find this live stream on your local channels. Sadly, most people can’t watch Tour de France live for free, which is a big issue for many.

During our research, we found one channel that broadcasts this event live. It’s called SBS. SBS is an Australian-based channel that streams everything from sports to entertainment programs. Above all, it’s in English, unlike many other channels with French commentary.

This TV channel is really FREE and requires only a free account to work. Now, if you’re not in Australia when trying to watch SBS, you’ll most likely get this error message:

SBS On Demand
© SBS

As you can see, the site detects that we’re not in Australia, and henceforth, blocks our access. To remedy this issue, you’ll need to do one of two things. Either travel to Australia or get an IP address from Australia, which is what our trick is about.

If you do this, SBS will see Australia as your real location and let you access it. Something like this can be done with a VPN, which stands for Virtual Private Network. Below, we’ll explain how to use it to unblock the free TV channel and watch Tour de France 2024 live.

How to Watch Tour de France Live on a Free Channel

As said, you’ll need a VPN for this purpose. SBS is a bit harder to unblock, as it easily detects most VPNs. However, our trick allows you to watch the Tour de France live stream for FREE, despite the requirement for a premium service. In short, we’ll use ExpressVPN.

This service isn’t free, but bear with us – the trick isn’t here yet. We chose this service because of unlimited traffic and the fastest speeds, which is necessary to enjoy a quality, Full HD Tour de France live stream on SBS. Let’s see how to use this provider.

1. Subscribe to ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN requires a subscription to be used. It currently has a terrific 49% discount and 3 free months for its annual plan. This is the cheapest deal that you can get through our site exclusively, letting you save a huge portion of your money.

Before you say you can’t watch Tour de France live for free, let us correct you. ExpressVPN has a 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee for ALL of its plans! This means you have 30 days to enjoy the service and get a FULL refund so that you lose nothing. More about that in a minute.

Try ExpressVPN Today

For now, make sure you click the button above, select the plan, and enter your email. Once you complete the payment, be it the annual or monthly plan (which is enough for this case), move on to the next step.

2. Set Up ExpressVPN

Setting up ExpressVPN is a piece of cake. First, download the app to your device and install it. You can use it on Windows/Mac/Linux computers or iOS/Android phones. Regardless, install ExpressVPN, open it up, and sign in with the credentials provided in Step 1.

ExpressVPN Desktop and Mobile Apps
© 01net.com

Once you complete these steps, the app will look like this. On the left is the desktop app, while the mobile app resides on the right side. You can clearly see these apps are identical, so this guide applies to any platform, even if you use a VPN on a Smart TV. You can really watch the Tour de France live stream on any device (and on a free TV channel).

3. Connect to an Australian Server

To get an IP from Australia, you need to connect to a server in this country. Open the server list by clicking on the three horizontal dots next to the Selected Location. Under All Locations, click Asia Pacific and you’ll find Australia right there at the top.

Double-click on it or tap once on your phone and allow the VPN connection to be established.

ExpressVPN Australian IP
© 01net.com

The app should turn green in this case, which is a sign that you’ve connected successfully.

4. Make a Free Account on SBS and Watch the Tour de France

So now, it’s time to go back to SBS. When you visit this site, make sure you make a free account. You don’t have to pay anything or go through annoying verifications. Simply create an account with your email/password and confirm it via the email you’ll receive.

With the account in place, find the live stream on the site.

Watch SBS live
© SBS

The screenshot above shows you that the platform works flawlessly with ExpressVPN. However, to avoid copyright violations and problems, we didn’t want to show the event. When the Tour de France live stream 2024 starts, which is on June 29th, you can do the same.

This time, you’ll be greeted by a quality stream in English, so grab some popcorn and enjoy Tour de France! With Vingegaard and Pogacar, the three-week race promises to be exciting.

5. Optional: Get a Refund from ExpressVPN

As we said at the start, you can watch the Tour de France live on a free channel with ExpressVPN, which isn’t free. We also said that the VPN offers a 30-day refund policy, which is more than welcome in this case. You see, the Tour de France livestream lasts from June 29th to July 21st.

This means the stream lasts roughly 22 days, yet, ExpressVPN lets you get a refund in the first 30 days. Basically, you can get a refund after the Tour de France livestream ends, get the entire amount you paid back in your account, and not lose a single penny.

To do that, simply request a refund through live chat on the site. ExpressVPN won’t ask you too many questions, instead, it’ll fulfill your refund request and you’ll get your money back soon. As you can see, you can REALLY watch the Tour de France online for free, despite using the best VPN for HD streaming.

Best VPNs for Watching Tour de France Live in 2024

Watching Tour de France live on SBS requires a reliable VPN. First, you need to unblock this channel and then be able to enjoy buffer-free streaming. That can be done with a premium service with unlimited bandwidth and uncapped speeds.

We cherry-picked our favorite choices that we personally tested. Therefore, let’s take a look at them and see what they have to offer.

1. ExpressVPN

Expressvpn Tour De France Updated
© ExpressVPN

Pros

  • No bandwidth limits
  • 10 Gbps servers
  • Streaming-optimized servers
  • SmartDNS
  • Apps for all devices
  • Lightway VPN protocol

Cons

  • Quite expensive

We already said that ExpressVPN is our favorite VPN to watch the Tour de France live on a free channel. This service has 10 Gbps servers, Lightway VPN protocol, and servers in 105 countries. In Australia, it has hundreds of servers and they all work with SBS.

This means you can stream Tour de France for free and enjoy this intense race from start to finish. Moreover, ExpressVPN has TrustedServer technology, and its servers are based on RAM, making sure your personal data isn’t stored.

In fact, the provider has a no-logging policy with 3 external audits, so it’s great for privacy. Those who are into streaming will like its ability to unblock many Netflix libraries and foreign TV channels. ExpressVPN has tons of US servers too, so it’s a good Chicago VPN.

On top of that, we’re talking about an easy-to-use VPN for all devices. Therefore, installing it on your phone will also give you the same great features. This provider comes with AES-256 encryption and a kill switch, which privacy-aware users will especially value.

Not only that but it also packs Private DNS, a DNS server that stores no logs of your traffic. This, combined with its P2P-friendly servers, makes for a premium experience you’ll get nowhere. We don’t need to talk too much about this service, as it proved its quality time and time again.

ExpressVPN is on a special 49% discount and 3 free months for its annual plan, let’s not forget. So if you’re interested in testing it, now it’s a good time. With it, watching the Tour de France live is a piece of cake, plus, you can always get a refund in the first 30 days.

Watch Tour de France With ExpressVPN


2. CyberGhost

CyberGhost Tour de France
© CyberGhost

Pros

  • 12,000 servers worldwide
  • WireGuard support for great performance
  • Ad-blocker is included
  • Based in Romania (no-logs policy)
  • Affordable prices

Cons

  • It’s not working in China

CyberGhost comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee for all long-term plans. This makes it excellent for watching the entire Tour de France live and keep using it for 20 more days before getting a refund! CyberGhost’s server fleet counts 12,000 servers in over 100 countries too, making it the largest VPN on today’s list.

Among them, you’ll find streaming servers optimized for channels like SBS and France TV. These channels can be unblocked anywhere with CyberGhost, which also lets you stream Roland Garros and F1 live streams. In addition, CyberGhost is pretty fast and HD streaming isn’t an issue.

With WireGuard, connection times are pretty short. Its apps aren’t the most intuitive but they pack a punch with all the awesome features. Unlike ExpressVPN, this service has an ad blocker and you also get DNS leak prevention.

CyberGhost is known for a no-logs policy audited by Deloitte as well as transparency reports published every 3 months. Being based in Romania, you can expect this provider to take care of your privacy and ensure your anonymity in whatever you do.

Needless to say, it’ll also work with Netflix and allow you to download torrents. The provider comes with 7 simultaneous connections on a single account, coupled with 24/7 live chat support in 3 languages. This is further bettered by applications for all major platforms.

CyberGhost is the cheapest service on this list. Its longest plan is well under $2.5 a month and with a 45-day refund policy, it’s hard to go wrong with it. If you live in China, however, don’t use it because it has no obfuscation. NordVPN and ExpressVPN will work better in this case.

Stream Tour de France Live With CyberGhost


3. NordVPN

NordVPN Streaming
© NordVPN

Pros

  • SmartPlay function for streaming
  • Fast servers in Australia can unblock SBS
  • Double VPN for added security
  • Cheap 2-year plan

Cons

  • Some countries are subject to VAT
  • Rare connection problems

Did anyone mention NordVPN? Oh yes, we did. We love this service for its ability to unblock the Tour de France 2024 livestream with ease. Its Australia-based servers do a wonderful job at providing top-notch performance and 10+ Gbps speeds with the NordLynx protocol.

Once you connect to an Australian VPN server, you can watch SBS, 10Play, and other channels. Furthermore, NordVPN has 6,500+ worldwide servers for easy access to any streaming platform. Double VPN servers are on the list too and they’ll double your encryption for added security.

If you’re into torrenting, its P2P servers will do wonders, and there are obfuscated servers for people in China. NordVPN also works in Turkey, plus, it has Threat Protection which will keep ads, malware, and viruses out of your system for good.

Another great feature is SmartDNS, which people use for streaming on a variety of platforms without setting up a VPN. NordVPN can, therefore, work even on gaming consoles, Apple TV, and other non-conventional devices. Very impressive!

Much like the other VPNs, NordVPN has no specific downsides. It has 10 simultaneous connections, bank-grade encryption, and even this Dark Web Monitor for keeping your personal data safe. However, keep in mind its value-added taxes that can bump the price in some locations.

Other than that, NordVPN is really affordable, especially when talking about its 2-year plan. It’s cheaper than ExpressVPN and has a 30-day no-quibble refund policy. Now go ahead, test it, and enjoy streaming Tour de France live for free with NordVPN.

Watch Tour de France With NordVPN


Can You Watch Tour de France Live With a Free VPN?

With a free VPN, it’s quite hard to stream Tour de France live on a free channel. We tested many of them and found that SBS can actually block them with ease. Those that worked – very few of them – showed unimpressive performance and lots of annoying buffering.

In fact, those who worked offered limited monthly bandwidth of just a few gigabytes. This, as you can guess, isn’t enough to stream for 15-20 minutes, let alone the entire 22-day race! Free VPNs suffer from these issues because of 1 Gbps speeds and the lack of modern security protocols.

Most importantly, 99% of free VPNs have no Australian servers! As a result, they can’t unblock SBS or 10Play, for example. They also won’t work with Netflix and many of them forbid P2P traffic like ProtonVPN, so you’re left with plain browsing and nothing else.

For us, the biggest red flag is the lack of security, privacy, and transparency. Look at our Urban VPN review and you’ll see what we’re talking about. Providers like these store logs, sell your personal data, and fail to encrypt your connection, so you get nothing out of them.

We see no reason to use a free VPN for the Tour de France livestream in 2024. You can simply get a premium service like ExpressVPN, watch the entire race, and get a refund. This way, you also didn’t lose money but you managed to watch the event live without setbacks.

Where to Watch Tour de France Live Worldwide

If you think this solution isn’t working or you don’t want to try it for any reason, know that other channels broadcast Tour de France 2024 live. However, they’re either not in English or they’re too expensive and not worth your money.

We’ll list some of them below and you be the judge on whether or not they’re suitable for your needs.

  • France TV (France) – a free channel to watch Tour de France with French commentary
  • RTVE (Spain) – a free channel with Spanish commentary
  • Rai Sport (Italy) – a free channel with Italian commentary
  • FloBikes (Canada) – a paid channel with a cost of $12.99 a month
  • NBC Sports (US) – a channel available in the US as a part of a few paid services like Hulu + Live TV, Peacock TV, and YouTube TV
  • Sling TV (US) – a paid channel that’ll cost you $35 a month
  • fuboTV (US) – a paid channel with a cost of $74.99 a month

As you can see, plenty of channels will let you watch the Tour de France livestream. Sports channels like fuboTV, SlingTV, and others are not free and they’ll cost you significantly more than any VPN on the list. Of course, if you want, you can use the same trick we explained to unblock these channels.

If you’re an Italian, let’s say, you can change your IP to Italy and watch Tour de France live on Rai Sport. And if you already have a subscription on one of the channels that stream this event live, why do you read this article? Go ahead and enjoy the race!

Tour de France Full Schedule, Dates, and Stages

The race starts on June 29th with the starting location in Florence. After 23 days of racing, the race ends on July 21st in Nice. Overall, the race spans 3,492 kilometers and there are 21 stages where 23 teams will participate for the title of the winner.

Let’s take a look at the full Tour de France live stream schedule with all stages and their dates.

  • June 29th: Stage 1, Florence-Rimini
  • June 30th: Stage 2, Cesenatico-Bologne
  • July 1st: Stage 3, Plaisance-Turin
  • July 2nd: Stage 4, Pinerolo-Valloire
  • July 3rd: Stage 5,  Saint Jean de Maurienne-Saint Vulbas
  • July 4th: Stage 6, Macon-Dijon
  • July 5th: Stage 7, Nuits Saint Georges-Gevrey-Chambertin
  • July 6th: Stage 8, Semur en Auxois-Colombey Les Deux Eglises
  • July 7th: Stage 9, Troyes-Troyes
  • July 8th: Orleans (Rest)
  • July 9th: Stage 10, Orleans-Saint Amand Montrond
  • July 10th: Stage 11, Evaux Les Bains-Le Lioran
  • July 11th: Stage 12, Aurillac-Villenueve Sur Lot
  • July 12th: Stage 13, Agen-Pau
  • July 13th: Stage 14, Pau-Saint Lary Soulan Pla d’Adet
  • July 14th: Stage 15, Loudenvielle-Plateau de Bielle
  • July 15th: Gruissan (Rest)
  • July 16th: Stage 16, Gruissan-Nimes
  • July 17th: Stage 17, Saint Paul Trois Chateaux-Superdevoluy
  • July 18th: Stage 18, Gap-Barcelonnette
  • July 19th: Stage 19, Embrun-Isola 2,000
  • July 20th: Stage 20, Nice-Col de la Couillole
  • July 21st: Stage 21, Monaco-Nice

Summary

With our extensive guide coming to an end, it’s time to conclude this article. The Tour de France 2024 can be accessed on a free channel like SBS. This channel has English commentary and high-quality footage, allowing for a proper experience.

People outside of the US will be able to watch the Tour de France live stream on this free channel with the help of a VPN. We recommend ExpressVPN as the most reliable choice, especially because of the fastest speeds, unlimited bandwidth, and plenty of Australian servers.

Try ExpressVPN Risk-Free Now

However, people can also try CyberGhost and NordVPN as great alternatives. They offer a money-back guarantee as well, plus, they’re optimized for streaming on a variety of platforms. As you saw, streaming Tour de France live for free isn’t so hard and requires 5 minutes of your time.

But then, you get to enjoy 20+ days of hardcore cycling across beautiful countries like Spain and France. Can you possibly want anything more? Except for a real-life lap with Tadej Pogačar or Jonas Vingegaard… if you manage to keep up with them.

If you’re a sports fan, you can also use your VPN to watch the US Open live and enjoy Vuelta a España on a free channel or the Giro d’Italia. We’ll all agree that VPNs are your best friends for sports streaming because of their ubiquitous servers.

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