Today is the highest and arguably toughest stage of the 2025 Tour de France, with three Hors Categorie climbs and 5,450m of elevation.
Tadej Pogačar’s four-minute lead might mean he has the yellow jersey competition all but sewn up, but Jonas Vingegaard has promised he will continue attacking. After all, who knows what can happen in the high mountains?
Meanwhile, there are other rankings to fight over. Britain’s Oscar Onley is in fourth place on the GC and second in the young riders' competition, and can Lenny Martinez secure the polka dot jersey?
So, with only a few days left until Paris, today will be critical for many riders' Tour de France dreams.
Here’s how you can watch stage 18 of the Tour de France.
- Read more: Tour de France stage 18 preview: expect a GC battle royale on the highest stage of the race
When does stage 18 start and finish?
Stage 18 of the 2025 Tour de France starts at 11.10am BST (12.10pm CEST) and is expected to finish at around 4.12pm BST (5.12pm CEST).
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 18: 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 movable 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.
