Tour de France: How to Watch
Want to watch the Tour de France but don't have premium cable? Try these nifty alternatives.
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Historically, to watch the Tour live you needed cable—and the willingness to drag yourself out of bed at 5 a.m. This year the race airs on the NBC Sports Network, but the hardcore will seek out online alternatives. these are the best.
European Feeds
Eurosport offers subscriptions from five euros (about $6.50) a month, and Italy’s Rai.tv has free streams. Both require an IP address originating in Europe, available from Witopia for $6 per month.
PRO TIP: If you opt for NBC, mute Phil and Paul and listen to the free Eurosport audio broadcast, with commentary from retired racers.
Pirated Streams
Cyclingfans.com and Steephill.tv* post links to streams from European broadcasters. Most are illegal, but you’re unlikely to get fined just for watching. More annoying, they can cut out at any time.
PRO TIP: Watching at work? Use antivirus software like AVG, or your IT department will think you’re downloading porn.
Smartphone Apps
NBC’s Tour de France Live Mobile ($5) displays riders on a real-time interactive map.
PRO TIP: Team Twitter accounts like @opqscyclingteam and @lotto_belisol post race updates in English.
*Since this article ran in our July issue steephill.tv has changed their policy and no longer posts pirated feeds.