Stage three (Monday 7 July) of the 2025 Tour de France will see Mathieu van der Poel pull on the yellow jersey having won a thrilling second stage in an uphill sprint.
Today's Tour menu serves up a 178.3km stage from Valenciennes to Dunkerque. On paper, it looks a flat day for the sprinters, save for a category four climb 30km from the finish that might tempt a breakaway attempt. However, the peloton will once again need to be on the lookout for crosswinds.
Ready for the action? Here's how to watch stage three of the Tour de France.
What time will stage three start and finish?
The peloton will roll out of Valenciennes for the neutralised section of the course at 13:10 local time, with the stage proper expected to stage from 13:25 (CEST).
The bunch is then expected to hit the finish in Dunkerque from 17:18 (CEST), based on an average speed of 46km/h.
| | 46km/h | 44km/h | 42km/h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Valenciennes | 13:25 (CEST) / 12:25 (BST) | 13:25 (CEST) / 12:25 (BST) | 13:25 (CEST) / 12:25 (BST) |
| Finish | Dunkerque | 17:18 (CEST) / 16:18 (BST) | 17:28 (CEST) / 16:28 (BST) | 17:40 (CEST) / 16:30 (BST) |
How to watch the Tour de France 2025: quick guide
- Watch in the UK: ITV (free) or TNT Sports / Discovery+ (£30.99/month)
- Watch in the USA: Subscribe to Peacock
- Watch in Canada: Subscribe to FloBikes
- Watch in Australia: SBS
- Watch anywhere: Catch your usual stream on the move by subscribing to NordVPN*
How to watch stage three: full guide
If you’ve got five-plus hours to spend each day, you can watch the entire men's race end-to-end in many territories. For the more time-pressed, plenty of highlights options compress the day’s action into an hour or so.
If you’re really stuck for time, daily five-minute highlights on the Le Tour website – which are also posted to YouTube – will keep you abreast of all the action.
Unlike many other big cycling races, terrestrial broadcasters pay attention to the Tour de France, so you can watch at least some of it subscription-free in many territories. There's a full list of official broadcasters on letour.com.
There’s also the option to use a VPN to stream from a country with free terrestrial coverage, although most VPNs with decent geographic reach and streaming speeds will require a subscription.
And when the Tour de France is over, you can get your pro cycling fix with the Tour de France Femmes in August.
How can I watch the Tour de France live in the UK?
In the UK, ITV4 and TNT Sports/Discovery+ are broadcasting live. ITV4 is free-to-air, as is S4C for Welsh speakers.
TNT Sports (or its streaming service, Discovery+) requires a subscription at £30.99 per month.
There's coverage on TG4 in the Republic of Ireland.
All of the above offer evening highlights and analysis of the day’s action, too.
How else can I watch the 2025 Tour de France when I’m outside the UK?
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is software that enables you to change your device's IP address, making it appear as though you're accessing the internet from another country.
As long as you adhere to your broadcaster's terms and conditions, a VPN enables you to unblock your usual streaming services, no matter your location. Additionally, a VPN can improve playback speeds and significantly enhance your overall internet security.
There are many VPN options available, but we recommend NordVPN as the best choice. It offers strong streaming capabilities, robust security features, and excellent value for money.
*At BikeRadar (published by Our Media Limited), we review VPN services to help you access online content and services securely while you're on the go. This includes activities such as streaming your favourite TV shows, live web content or using apps from different countries (provided it's okay with the service provider’s terms and conditions). It's important to note: BikeRadar does not endorse or support the use of VPN services for illegal or malicious activities, such as accessing paid-for pirated content. Please ensure you enjoy online content responsibly.
How can I watch the Tour de France live in the US?
Viewers in the US can enjoy daily coverage on NBC Sports and Peacock. You can watch NBC on demand, too – there's no additional charge above your cable, satellite or telco TV provider's subscription cost.
Peacock access requires a subscription to its premium tier, priced at $7.99 per month, or $79.99 for a year's access.
How can I watch the Tour de France live in Australia?
Cycling fans in Australia can enjoy every stage live on SBS.
Handily, there’s a free on-demand service if you’re not an insomniac, while there are daily highlights on the SBS Sport website. There's coverage and more on the SBS Tour Tracker app, too.
Stages and start times
Like the race itself, stage start times are a moveable feast, with starts as early as 11.15am CEST and as late as 2.40pm CEST.
End times will vary significantly too, depending on stage length, how hard the terrain is and how fast it’s ridden.
Fortunately, the Tour de France has organised a few of these races before, so has a pretty good idea of when the first riders are likely to reach the finish. Handily, race organisers also provide estimated finish times for each stage, based on three average speeds.
Again, that’s highly variable – anything from 4.28pm CEST to 7.30pm CEST – so you need to be on your toes to make sure you're watching early enough not to miss the end-stage action.
