After finding incorrect information on other sites about which providers unblock the Tour de France in various countries, I needed to figure out for myself how to watch this year’s races. I worked with colleagues to test over 15 VPNs with 20+ streaming services around the world. Then I narrowed it down to the 3 best for buffer-free Tour de France streams. ExpressVPN came in first place with its mega-fast servers, giving me lag-free streams of the Tour de France. If you want to try ExpressVPN to watch cycling before the big races start, it has a tried-and-tested money-back guarantee you can use, if you aren’t completely satisfied. If you don’t like it, it’s pain-free to get a refund within 30 days. Watch the Tour de France with ExpressVPN
Quick Guide: 3 Steps to Watch the 2023 Tour de France
Watch the Tour de France with ExpressVPN
How a VPN Helps You Watch the 2023 Tour de France
In any given country, only 1 or 2 broadcasters have the rights to show the 2023 Tour de France. My go-to streaming site for live cycling is Peacock, but when I try to log in from work I get an error message (even though I pay for a subscription). Even if you pay for a streaming site to watch this year’s races, you’ll need a VPN if you’re on a blocked corporate IP or are traveling abroad. A VPN sends your connection through a private server in another location. This makes streaming sites think you’re back home, letting you log in and watch the Tour de France no matter where you are (giving you maximum value for your subscription). This way, you don’t miss out on races you pay good money to see just because of location or IP errors. The one catch is, sites that show the Tour de France have advanced anti-VPN filters. That’s why only a few top providers have networks that are advanced enough to unblock the Tour de France reliably. I was most impressed with ExpressVPN, which sped to the finish line of my rankings with its super-fast speeds. I never got lag during live races when I tested its servers — plus, it’s risk-free to try ExpressVPN to watch live cycling because there’s no commitment. If it doesn’t work for you, it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. Watch the Tour de France with ExpressVPN
How to Watch the 2023 Tour de France Without Cable
Even if you don’t have cable, many online services will broadcast this year’s Tour de France online. They’re exclusive to certain countries, so connect to a server in your home country using one of my top VPNs. Then find your local Tour de France streaming outlet using the list below. If you need to make an account, all you need for most of the free services is an email address. If a payment method is required, it has to be native to the country where the broadcaster is located. Combined with an IP address in the local country, that’s all you need to watch the races. If you’re in the US, you can watch on NBC Sports using paid TV streaming services like Youtube TV or fuboTV (which includes NBC Sports channel in its basic package). Since fuboTV has a 7-day trial, you can even watch some of the races completely free by combining it with the money-back guarantee from one of my top VPNs. The other option is to watch on Peacock Premium, which has the Tour de France along with lots of other NBC exclusives. Watch the Tour de France with ExpressVPN
The Best VPNs to Watch the 2023 Tour de France in January 2023
1. ExpressVPN — Extreme Server Speeds for Lag-Free Live Races in HD
Key Features: With extremely fast servers that always gave me lag-free live cycling on streaming sites around the world, ExpressVPN was a top-speed performer during my tests. With a network delivering speeds upwards of around 90Mpbs (fast enough for 4K streaming), I never had to worry about missing a single breakaway of the Tour de France. With no lag or interruptions, I’d catch every historic moment. The peace of mind makes a huge difference when all-time greats like Vincenzo Nibali and Dan Martin are racing neck-and-neck. Finding the fastest ExpressVPN server was a simple matter of running a speed test. An integrated tool helps you find the server with the lowest load and ping. “Load” is how full a server is, and “ping” is how long it takes your device to communicate back. Just click the star to save your server of choice, and you can connect instantly whenever you want to watch a race. If you’re like me and are a fan of lots of different sports, you never have to miss any big matches if you have ExpressVPN. I love that ExpressVPN can unblock services like ESPN+, DAZN, NBA TV, and Peacock (and that’s just a few in the US). Its advanced network can bypass filters on most international sports sites as well — you can catch every race, fight, and match in the sports you love most. It’s understandable if you don’t want to take my word for it, in which case you can test ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days (plenty of time to make sure you like it). If it doesn’t live up to your expectations, it’s fast and easy to get a refund. After testing ExpressVPN for 2 weeks and requesting my money back via 24/7 live chat, I got a reply within 2 minutes. The agent processed my request with no questions asked, and I had my money 3 days later. Watch the Tour de France with ExpressVPN
2. CyberGhost — Servers Optimized for Reliable Streams on NBC, RAI, ARD, and Other Tour de France Broadcasters
Key Features: CyberGhost has servers optimized especially for live streaming on NBC, ARD, RAI, BBC iPlayer, and other channels to give you 100% reliable video during the Tour de France. I tested the NBC server to watch on Peacock Premium and NBC Sports Gold (both of which will show the 2023 Tour de France). It unblocked both channels, and my live cycling streams never stuttered. Better yet, I was never unexpectedly disconnected, which would have completely ruined the experience. I had some colleagues abroad test other channels including ARD in Germany and RaiPlay in Italy, and they got the same picture-perfect results. When you find the server optimized for your streaming service, select the star icon to favorite it for the upcoming races. Since the Tour de France is super popular, there’s always a slight chance of CyberGhost’s streaming servers getting crowded (which slows them down). While unlikely, I still wanted to see how CyberGhost’s standard location-based servers performed. After testing locations throughout the US and then having my colleagues do the same in Italy and Germany, almost every server we tested was able to unblock the same local channels. Except for 10-20 seconds of initial lag, I found CyberGhost’s location-based servers were great backups for live broadcasts in case of problems with its streaming network. For even more reliable video quality during live broadcasts, turn on CyberGhost’s ad blocker in the settings. This prevents background trackers from taking up extra resources, which can cause lag right when a second place-contender goes on the attack. As a bonus, this feature also automatically blocks links to malicious URLs (which can put malware onto your devices while you watch). If you want to try CyberGhost for yourself, it’s risk-free. With the longest money-back guarantee of any VPN on this list (45 days), you can easily get a refund if you decide you don’t like it. I tested the policy personally by contacting its 24/7 live chat, and the agent put my request through right away. I had my money in 4 days. Watch the Tour de France with CyberGhost
3. Private Internet Access (PIA) — The Largest Network of Uncrowded Servers for Reliable Cycling Streams
Key Features: PIA has the largest server network of any VPN I tested. It gives you a huge selection of options that never get overcrowded with users, which ruins live races with laggy video. I tested its global network with my colleagues abroad, and PIA unblocked live cycling in every country we tried. From the US, Canada, and UK to Germany, Italy, France, and even Thailand, we could all log into our local broadcasters. While in some countries it took 2-3 attempts, we could always find a server that unblocked the Tour de France. If you’re from the UK, PIA has a London-based streaming server that’s optimized for watching the Tour de France on platforms like ITV+. My UK-based coworker was able to instantly access her ITV and BBC iPlayer accounts and watch live cycling in the run-up to 2023’s opening stage. Best of all, she never experienced any buffering on these servers except for 5-10 seconds of initial loading time. In addition to being really affordable, PIA also allows 10 connections at once (more than the other VPNs on this list). Since my friends and family are cycling fans too, I love that I can share my account with them. Plus, I watched a live cycling race on 7 devices, and didn’t experience any extra lag or slowdowns all the way through the final sprint. Although IPVanish is a rare VPN I tried that offers unlimited connections, 10 is more than most providers allow. Personally I’ve never needed more than 7 or 8. If you want to make sure it works on all your devices, you can try PIA with no risk for 30 days with its money-back guarantee. I tried it myself and even though you have to submit a support ticket, it’s still really easy to get a refund. I opened a ticket after testing PIA for 3 weeks and got a reply within 2 minutes that my request has been processed. The money was back in my bank account that same week. Watch the Tour de France with PIA
Can I Watch the Tour de France for free?
Most countries have broadcasters that will show the Tour de France for free, as long as you’re a resident and are home while you watch. There are also free streams on the web, but these are hosted on sleazy websites that sometimes install malware onto your devices. They also have unreliable video and low resolution, so you won’t get a crisp view of your favorite cyclists hammering down. Worst of all, underground streams are illegal and could get you into trouble. I don’t condone or recommend doing anything online that breaks the law. Free VPNs aren’t worth it — even the decent free providers have tight limits on your data and servers. That means that even if they can unblock your broadcaster, your stream will cut off after 30-60 minutes. Most free VPNs also interrupt your race with annoying ads, and the worst providers are literally malware bots that provide fake VPN protection. There’s no reason to risk your online safety when you can use a provider like CyberGhost for 45 days, then get a full refund when the last stage is over.
Can I watch the Tour de France from the UK, Canada, the US, or other countries?
No matter where you live, there is probably a channel or platform that will show the 2023 Tour de France. However, you’ll need a VPN. Broadcasters throughout North America and Europe will show the races in their respective countries, but if you’re on a restricted IP you won’t be able to log into your usual local broadcaster’s app or website.
Can I watch the Tour de France using SBS, BBC, Hulu, YouTube, and more?
You can watch the Tour de France on Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, and other services, but only if you live in the US. SBS will be broadcasting it in Australia. Other countries will show the Tour de France on local broadcasters (such as RTP in Portugal and Eurosport in France).
Does the Tour de France offer an official broadcasting site?
All the official global broadcasters are listed on the homepage for the Tour de France. I also posted a list in this article, so you can find the official broadcaster in your home country and watch lag-free with one of the best VPNs.
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Start Watching the 2023 Tour de France From Anywhere Today
I’m a paying Peacock subscriber, and it’s one of the only ways in the US to watch the 2023 Tour de France. However, Peacock Premium is blocked at my office — so I’d need a top VPN to watch the biggest cycling event of the year. Without a VPN, I’ll be stuck at work for the races and miss all the action. ExpressVPN was in the top echelon of providers during my tests, unblocking the most global streaming services that will broadcast the Tour de France. Plus, it has super-fast servers that will give you lag-free live racing until the final stage. Since it’s risk-free to test ExpressVPN to watch live sports before the Tour de France starts, you can make sure you like it before you commit to anything. If you decide it isn’t the right fit, you have a full 30 days to get a refund. I contacted 24/7 support for a refund when I was done testing ExpressVPN, and the agent immediately approved my request. I had my money in only 3 days. Watch the Tour de France with ExpressVPN
