How to Watch the Tour de France Live From Anywhere in 2023

I'm an avid fan of endurance cycling, and I try to watch all the big events. Unfortunately, I just discovered the Tour de France won't be broadcast in the country I'm traveling to. Luckily, a VPN allows you to watch the Tour de France no matter where you are.

A VPN replaces your IP with one from another location, making streaming platforms like France TV, ITVX, and Peacock think you’re within a licensed region. This simple hack gives you access to the Tour de France from anywhere. However, not all VPNs can reliably unblock La Grande Boucle.

After testing 60+ VPNs, ExpressVPN is my favorite Tour de France VPN. It gives you excellent speeds for live streaming and has servers in multiple countries licensed to broadcast the event. Plus, you can try ExpressVPN risk-free since it has a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can quickly get a full refund if you feel it's not right.

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Why You Need a VPN to Watch Tour de France

Due to broadcasting rights and geo-restrictions, the Tour de France live streams are only available on designated streaming platforms like FloBikes (Canada) and ARD (Germany). These services check your IP to confirm your location, so you need an IP address from a licensed country to watch the 21-stage race.

A VPN solves the problem by concealing your real location and changing your IP to another country. It does this by routing your internet traffic through a server in a different country before accessing your desired website.

When streaming platforms check your IP, they see the VPN IP instead of your real one. For example, connecting to a France server will give you a France IP address. So, you can unblock your France TV account and watch the race when abroad.

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Best VPNs to Watch the Tour de France From Anywhere in 2023

1. ExpressVPN — Fastest Speeds to Live-Stream Tour de France Without Buffering

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Tested July 2023

Available on:

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ExpressVPN’s consistently fast speeds make it ideal for uninterrupted live-streaming the Tour de France. I recommend its Lightway protocol, as its leaner design requires less processing power, establishing connections more quickly. My average download speed while connected to a France server was 113 Mbps, compared to 121.26 Mbps without a VPN. For context, you only need 25 Mbps to stream in 4K.

My speed dropped by only 6% when using ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol

Apps are designed to be straightforward, making connecting to a VPN server easy. ExpressVPN's MediaStreamer is a standout feature that lets you stream US and UK content on devices not natively VPN compatible, like certain smart TVs and gaming consoles. Making it possible to watch the Tour de France on ITVX or NBC Sports on your big-screen TV without any complicated setup.

The only drawback is its price, starting at $6.67/month. However, you can take advantage of ExpressVPN’s frequent deals and save up to 49%. When I purchased its long-term plan, I also got 3 months of service free.

You can easily get a full refund if you're not 100% happy with it, as all plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee period. To test its refund policy, I emailed customer support to cancel. I received a response 4 hours later, confirming my request. The money was back in my bank account within 3 days.

Useful Features

• Rotating IP addresses. Regularly rotating its IP addresses allows you to get the best possible IP to avoid streaming platforms blocking you. On top of that, ExpressVPN monitors and updates its IP addresses to ensure they still work, promptly replacing blacklisted IPs with new ones. This means you'll always be able to access the Tour de France.
• Router-compatible. ExpressVPN provides custom router firmware for easy setup. Some routers even come with the VPN pre-stalled. So, you can watch the Tour de France on any WiFi-enabled device.
• 24/7 live chat support. Customer support is available 24/7. I found its live chat feature very responsive — they always replied immediately, no matter the time of day.
• Unlimited bandwidth. ExpressVPN doesn’t place data caps on your bandwidth, allowing you to watch all 21 stages of the Tour de France without limits.

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2. CyberGhost — Streaming-Optimized Servers Make it Easy to Watch Tour de France

Available on:

Windows Mac Android iOS

Chrome Router Smart TV More

Try CyberGhost VPN >

www.cyberghostvpn.com

CyberGhost has specialized servers to quickly access official TdF broadcasters, making it an excellent choice for VPN beginners. There are servers optimized to unblock NBC (US), ITVX (UK), ARD (Germany), RAI Play Diretta (Italy), RTVE (Spain), and RTBF (Belgium). During testing, I installed the VPN and accessed my Peacock TV account in under 5 minutes. You can also click the star icon next to the server to favorite it for easy access next time.

Type your preferred streaming platform into the search bar to quickly find it

While it might be a bit slower compared to ExpressVPN, the speeds are still excellent for viewing La Grande Boucle without any buffering interruptions. I noticed a speed reduction of 7% on the French server and 15% on the US server. This allows for a seamless viewing of the entire race — from the Grand Depart in Bilbao to the final stage at the Champs-Élysées — in impeccable quality.

I was a bit disappointed with its expensive short-term subscriptions that come with a shorter money-back guarantee. Fortunately, a long-term plan is available for just $2.19/month. I saved 83%.

Long-term subscriptions also come with a generous money-back guarantee, so you can watch TdF with CyberGhost free for 45 days. Asking for a refund is simple. Just cancel your subscription, then contact customer support via its 24/7 live chat and ask for your money back — I got mine after 5 days.

Useful Features

• Smart DNS. This feature lets you configure the VPN on devices that don't typically support VPNs. For example, you can watch the Tour de France on your Apple TV, Xbox, or PlayStation.
• Smart Rules. With Smart Rules, you can set CyberGhost to automatically launch and connect to a predefined server when you open a specific app or website. For example, you can set it to connect to a US server whenever you start the Peacock TV app to watch the Tour de France.
• Automatic protocol selection. Choose “automatic selection” under VPN protocol to let CyberGhost choose the best protocol based on your network connection. This ensures you get the best speeds for streaming TdF.

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3. Private Internet Access — A Global Network to Access Tour de France Anywhere

Available on:

Windows Mac Android iOS

Chrome Router Smart TV More

Try Private Internet Access >

www.PrivateInternetAccess.com

PIA’s large server network provides many options to find an optimal connection for watching TdF. Quickly find a server in a country close for a smooth streaming experience. I immediately connected to a server in London during my tests, and watched sports on ITVX without delays. Plus, if one server doesn’t work with your chosen streaming platform, you can easily find another one.

PIA shows you each server’s latency, making it easy to choose the fastest one for TdF

You can also customize your PIA connecting for the best speed. For example, you can choose between 128-bit and 256-bit AES encryption. 128-bit encryption gives you faster speeds for streaming, as it has fewer layers of encryption, but it’s still safe for most online activities. Simply select the OpenVPN protocol to choose your encryption level.

However, these advanced customization options can make the VPN a bit complicated for beginners. That said, its default settings are preconfigured for streaming, just connect to a relevant server and watch the race wherever you are.

Long-term plans start at $2.03/month. For the most significant savings, I suggest its 3-year option. Like ExpressVPN, a 30-day money-back guarantee backs all plans. So, you can try PIA without risk. If you’re unsatisfied, you can always request a full refund hassle-free.

Useful Features

• MACE adblocker. A valuable feature to block unwanted ads, trackers, and malware to reduce annoying interruptions, and potentially improve load times for streaming.
• MTU packet size adjustment. PIA analyzes your connection and automatically adjusts the size of data packets sent through the VPN, ensuring consistent streaming despite fluctuations in the network quality. That means your connection should remain stable, so you can stream without interruptions.

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Where Can I Watch the Tour de France Online?

Licensing restrictions mean only select broadcasters in a few countries can live-stream Le Tour and its replays. If you’re not in one of these countries at the time of the event, you’ll need a reliable VPN to access platforms airing it. Below is a table showing the different services with the rights to live stream the TdF in each country.

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The 2023 Tour de France Schedule

The 2023 Tour de France starts in Bilbao on the 1st of July and ends at Champs-Élysées, Paris on 23rd July. Below is a breakdown of the 21 stages of the 110th edition of the TdF, where they’ll take place, and the date for each stage.

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FAQs on Watching the Tour de France With a VPN

Can I watch the Tour de France online for free?

Yes, you can watch the Tour de France for free on broadcasters like France TV Sport (France), ITVX (UK), RAI Play (Italy), and RTBF (Belgium). However, if you’re outside these countries, you’ll need a VPN to access your accounts and watch the TdF for free.

Can I watch the Tour de France in Canada?

Yes, the Tour de France will be broadcast on FloBikes. If you're traveling outside the country, simply launch your VPN and connect to a server in Canada to get a Canada IP address. An annual FloBikes subscription costs $149.99.

Can I watch the Tour de France on Hulu or YouTube TV?

Yes, you can watch the Tour de France on Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV since both platforms carry NBC. There are also various other US streaming platforms that will air TdF live.

Which devices can I watch the Tour de France on?

You can watch the Tour de France on various devices, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Roku, Chromecast, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. If you’re in a location where the race isn’t available, you’ll need a VPN for your device. For smart TVs and gaming consoles, you should get a VPN with smart DNS or router support since these devices don’t work natively with VPNs.

How can I watch the Tour de France Femme?

You can watch the Tour de France Femme on streaming services like France TV Sport, Peacock TV, and FloBikes. However, these streaming platforms are geo-restricted to their specific countries. If you're traveling abroad, a high-quality VPN can help you get access.

Watch the Tour de France in Minutes

The Tour de France is only available on certain streaming platforms like Peacock, ITVX, and FloSports. However, you can use a VPN to watch the entire cycling race, no matter where you are.

Based on my tests, ExpressVPN is my top recommendation for watching the Tour de France. It has high-speed servers allow you to live stream the race in UHD without interruptions and works effectively with platforms broadcasting the TdF. Plus, it’s backed by a money-back guarantee, so you can try it without risk. If you’re unsatisfied, you have 30 days to claim a full refund.

To summarize, these are the best VPNs for watching the Tour de France...

Rank

Provider

Our Score

Discount

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1

9.8 /10

Save 49%!

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2

9.8 /10

Save 83%!

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3

9.6 /10

Save 83%!

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