The WorldTour arrives in the UK for the Tour of Britain Women 2026. The five-stage route crosses England and Wales from Wednesday 19 August to Sunday 23 August, beginning in the Cumbrian town of Cockermouth and finishing in Royal Leamington Spa. Whether you are at home or abroad, here is how to watch all five stages live on official TV channels and legitimate streams, plus how to access your home subscription through a VPN while travelling.
Race schedule
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Stage 2 - Thursday 20 August 2026
- Start: 11:30
- Est. Finish: 14:39
Stage 3 - Friday 21 August 2026
- Start: 11:30
- Est. Finish: 14:25
Stage 4 - Saturday 22 August 2026
- Start: 11:30
- Est. Finish: 15:30
Stage 5 - Sunday 23 August 2026
- Start: 11:00
- Est. Finish: 14:30
Race favourites
The start list is taking shape, with Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) and Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx-Protime) the leading favourites. Other expected challengers include Lauren Dickson (FDJ United-Suez), Zoe Backstedt (Canyon//SRAM), Kate Courtney (FDJ United-Suez), Femke De Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike), Liane Lippert (Movistar), Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team L’IMAD) and Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek).
Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) is the standout sprinter for the flatter finishes and some of the lumpier stages. Her challengers include Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco), defending champion Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-Suez), Lara Gillespie (UAE Team L’IMAD), Chiara Consonni (Canyon//SRAM) and Lieke Veenhoven (Visma-Lease a Bike). For more on the contenders, see Tour of Britain Women 2026 favourites: Le Court and Kopecky head a powerful field, with the Great Orme as main GC test.
How to watch the Tour of Britain Women 2026
Every stage is live on TNT Sports and HBO Max in the UK, with free options on ITV and YouTube. The broadcast will also show live rider power, speed and location data in a Women’s WorldTour first. Full viewing details are below.
How to watch
| Region | Broadcaster | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | TNT Sports | £30.99/mo | All five stages live. Stages 1, 2, 3 and 5 on TNT Sports 1; stage 4 on TNT Sports 2, with coverage from 12:15 to 15:30 |
United Kingdom | ITV4 / ITVX | Free | Daily highlights of the women's race |
United Kingdom | Lloyds Tour of Britain YouTube channel | Free | Dedicated free-to-view live stream of the stage races |
United Kingdom | HBO Max | Subscription | Every stage live |
Australia | SBS On Demand | Free | All five stages available free |
Mainland Europe (excluding France) | Eurosport / HBO Max | Subscription | Part of Warner Bros. Discovery's mainland Europe coverage |
France is expressly excluded from the Eurosport and HBO Max arrangement, according to British Cycling's broadcast announcement. The organiser says broadcasters across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America will carry live coverage or highlights, but has not named country-level rights holders beyond the deals above, so viewers elsewhere should check local listings.
Legal Free Streams
Official free viewing options include:
- Lloyds Tour of Britain YouTube channel – a dedicated free-to-view live stream of every stage
- ITV4 and ITVX (UK) – daily highlights, free-to-air
- SBS On Demand (Australia) – all five stages free
If you are abroad, you can connect via VPN to your home country to access these official, legal feeds, just as if you were at home.
Using a VPN Legally While Travelling
Broadcasters typically limit streams to home viewers. If you are travelling, a VPN lets you connect through a server in your home country so you can keep watching your existing paid or free account from abroad.
How to do it:
- Download NordVPN – our recommended VPN for streaming while travelling.
- Connect to your home country (e.g., the UK for TNT Sports or Australia for SBS On Demand).
- Open your usual broadcaster's site or app and start watching.
Velora never endorses bypassing broadcast rights. A VPN should only be used to access official services, whether paid or free-to-air, while abroad. Always use legitimate platforms; unofficial streams often breach copyright and expose viewers to malware or fake ads.
The Five Stages at a Glance
Stage 1, Cockermouth to Cockermouth (158.9km): A Cumbrian circuit along the Energy Coast with a 700m cobbled section near Silloth, exposed roads and a fast descent to the finish. A reduced sprint is likely. But the tough terrain could see the race split further.
Stage 2, Clitheroe to Blackpool (110.5km): Waddington Fell and Nick o' Pendle come early in the Ribble Valley as the race skirts the Lancashire-Yorkshire border before a flat run to the seafront, where the sprinters should decide it.
Stage 3, Mold to The Great Orme (104.7km): The queen stage, crossing the Clwydian Range before the race's only summit finish on The Great Orme, 2.5km at 6.1% with ramps near 15%. This is where the GC should take shape.
Stage 4, Llanidloes to Hay-on-Wye (138km): A saw-tooth day through Powys with 2,277m of climbing, including the category-one Elan Valley climb and late ascents at Hengoed and Clyro Hill before a flatter final 15km. The day flirts with the Wales-England border throughout the day with around nine major ascents.
Stage 5, Royal Leamington Spa circuit (123.8km): Sun Rising Hill (9.2% average) and Burton Dassett Hills Country Park offer a final springboard for attacks before the fast finish beside Jephson Gardens.
Quick Recap
- Watch live via TNT Sports, HBO Max or the free Lloyds Tour of Britain YouTube stream
- Free highlights in the UK on ITV4 and ITVX; all five stages free on SBS On Demand in Australia
- Travelling abroad? Use a VPN to keep access to your home subscription
- Avoid illegal or pirate streams, which are unsafe and breach copyright
Velora only promotes VPN use to maintain access to legitimate, paid, or free-to-air services while abroad.
