La Vuelta a España is under way, with the decisive mountain stages and the long stage 18 individual time trial still to come before the race finishes in Granada on September 13. Here’s how to watch the remaining stages live, wherever you are, and which days could shape the fight for the red jersey.
La Vuelta is being broadcast by HBO Max and on TV via TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland, and by Eurosport across most of Europe. In the United States, every stage is available through Peacock. Several broadcasters also offer free coverage in their home countries, with full details below.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) began the race as the overwhelming favourite, but abandoned after crashing on stage 8 while wearing the red jersey. His exit has blown the general classification wide open: Enric Mas (Movistar Team) leads after stage 9, with Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Felix Gall (Decathlon-CMA CGM), Oscar Onley (Netcompany-Ineos) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) now among the contenders trying to find a route to red.
The key Vuelta stages still to come
The race serves up its usual three brutal weeks, with more than 58,000 metres of climbing across six mountain stages, four medium mountain stages and five hilly stages, one of which has an uphill finish. There are just four flat stages, alongside two time trials and two rest days.
The first major test still to come is stage 9 and the Alto de Aitana. The 22km climb averages 5.8% but kicks above 14% in places, giving the general classification contenders another opportunity to force meaningful gaps before the first rest day.
Into week two the stages are ever so slightly ‘easier’ but do still have plenty of climbing with stage 12 being another key focus point with the 166.6km route to Calar Alto. This is a tricky stage to manage with the 13km Alto de Velefique Desnivel with kicks of 16% coming just before the final ascent of the Calar Alto, a climb that is 17km long, starting steep with 13% gradients not uncommon. But halfway up it almost completely flattens out to a small 12% kicker close to the finish, a perfect launchpad for any attacks.
After a day that should suit the sprinters, it is back to climbing on stage 14 with a summit finish on Sierra de La Pandera which is 12km with an average gradient of 7.2%, maxing out around 15% along the way. Stage 18 is the next big GC test but, this time, it is a test against the clock rather than the mountains with a 32km individual time trial.
This will see riders who have fought hard for their gaps in the GC try and limit their losses to more gifted riders against the clock from El Puerto de Santa María to the beautiful Andalusian town of Jerez, a place famed for its sherry wine and being the centre for Flamenco dancing.
A day later and it is back to brutal climbing again with the stage leaving Vélez and through the city of Málaga to the really rather horrible climb of Peñas Blancas from Estepona. The 18.7km climb has an average gradient of 6.5% but at its maximum it hits around 20%.
Stage 20 takes the difficulty further with multiple climbs in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada dipping into Granada before taking on three category one climbs with a summit finish on a ‘especial’ climb of the Collado del Alguacil, 8km at 9.8% maxing around 20% on very narrow and twisty roads.
The final stage in Granada itself is not easy, either. The riders have to tackle four ascents up to the grounds of the Alhambra palace, Nazaríes Palace and the Generalife gardens before plunging back into the city and a finish on the Paseo del Salón to bring the racing to a close. It isn’t unlikely that we shall see Pogačar taking three of the four jerseys on the final podium.
How to watch La Vuelta a España 2026
UK viewers can watch every stage live through TNT Sports, with direct HBO Max access reported being from £25.99 per month. Certain Sky, EE and Virgin Media packages also offer TNT Sports as an add-on. Channel 5 has free daily highlights, but its coverage is not a live alternative.
How to watch
| Region | Broadcaster | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Australia | SBS and SBS On Demand | Free | All 21 stages live on SBS and SBS On Demand. A free account and Australian postcode are required for streaming. |
Spain | RTVE, Teledeporte and RTVE Play | Free | Every stage live on Teledeporte and RTVE Play, with selected finishes on La 1 or La 2. |
United Kingdom | TNT Sports and HBO Max | £25.99/month | Every stage live through TNT Sports. Channel 5 provides free highlights, but not live coverage. |
United States | NBC Sports and Peacock | From US$12.99/month | Every stage live. The US$19.99 monthly plan includes ad-free live content. |
Canada | FloBikes and FloSports | CA$49.99/month | Every stage live and on demand through FloBikes and the FloSports app. |
Belgium | EBU member broadcaster, outlet not specified | Free | The EBU agreement confirms free-to-air availability, but the individual broadcaster and extent of coverage are not specified. |
France | EBU and Warner Bros Discovery outlets | Price not confirmed | La Vuelta is included in the EBU agreement for France, while Warner Bros Discovery also holds European rights. Check local schedules. |
Netherlands | EBU member broadcaster and Warner Bros Discovery | Free | Whole or part of the rights package is available free-to-air. The individual outlet and subscription pricing are not specified. |
Italy | EBU member broadcaster and Warner Bros Discovery | Free | Whole or part of the rights package is available free-to-air. Check the local broadcaster schedule for live-stage availability. |
Peacock carries every stage live in the United States, with subscriptions starting at US$12.99 per month. Canadian viewers need FloBikes or the FloSports app, priced at CA$49.99 per month.
Other official regional broadcasters include Abu Dhabi Sports in the Middle East and North Africa, SuperSport in Sub-Saharan Africa, beIN Sports Asia in Southeast Asia and Zhibo TV in China.
J Sports has the Japanese rights, Sky Sport covers New Zealand, ESPN serves Latin America and the Caribbean, while both Caracol TV and Canal RCN are listed for Colombia. Confirmed 2026 prices were not available for those services.
Free streams and watching while travelling
Australia offers a free English-language option. SBS will show all 21 stages live on television and through SBS On Demand, which also carries replays and shorter race packages. Streaming requires a free account registered with an Australian postcode.
Spain also has complete free coverage. RTVE will broadcast every stage on Teledeporte and RTVE Play, while finishes will appear on either La 1 or La 2. RTVE Play offers six selectable camera feeds sourced from race motorcycles and helicopters. Stage 1 coverage starts at 16:05 on Teledeporte and RTVE Play, followed by La 2 at 16:15.
An EBU agreement running through 2030 provides whole or partial free-to-air coverage in Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. The agreement does not identify every national channel or guarantee that each broadcaster will carry every stage live, so local schedules should be checked before the start.
Broadcasters commonly restrict streaming to viewers inside their licensed territory. Travellers may use a VPN to make a secure connection to their usual home service, provided they retain a valid account and comply with the platform’s terms and local rules.
To watch an existing home service while abroad:
- Install NordVPN on the device used for streaming.
- Connect to a server in the country where the viewer normally lives.
- Open the usual official broadcaster’s website or app.
- Sign in with the existing free or paid account and select La Vuelta coverage.
A VPN does not replace a broadcast subscription, and access is not guaranteed because individual services apply their own location and account rules. It should only be used to reach legitimate home coverage while travelling, rather than to bypass territorial rights.
