The Tour of Guangxi will bring the 2026 WorldTour season to a close in southern China from October 13 to 18 and has attracted some of the sports biggest names including Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) and Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) for the overall battle as well as Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM).
The six stages are of course on China Standard Time which does mean very early mornings for viewers in the UK and late nights for those in North America but we believe it will be worth it to at least see the stage finales. Below are the expected start and finish times for every stage, where to watch the racing live in the UK, Canada, Australia and the US as well as how to keep a secure and reliable access to your home subscription while travelling through VPN.
Race schedule
Tuesday 13 October 2026
Stage 2 - Wednesday 14 October 2026
- Start: 11:10
- Est. Finish: 15:00
Stage 3 - Thursday 15 October 2026
- Start: 11:00
- Est. Finish: 15:00
Stage 4 - Friday 16 October 2026
- Start: 11:00
- Est. Finish: 15:00
Stage 5 - Saturday 17 October 2026
- Start: 10:30
- Est. Finish: 14:30
Stage 6 - Sunday 18 October 2026
- Start: 10:00
- Est. Finish: 14:00
Stage-by-stage schedule in UK and China time
China is seven hours ahead of the UK for the whole race. All times are estimates and can shift with race speed.
- Stage 1, Tuesday October 13, Chongzuo–Chongzuo: start 10:30 China (03:30 UK), est. finish 14:00 China (07:00 UK)
- Stage 2, Wednesday October 14, Chongzuo–Jingxi: start 11:10 China (04:10 UK), est. finish 15:00 China (08:00 UK)
- Stage 3, Thursday October 15, Jingxi–Bama: start 11:00 China (04:00 UK), est. finish 15:00 China (08:00 UK)
- Stage 4, Friday October 16, Bama–Tian'e: start 11:00 China (04:00 UK), est. finish 15:00 China (08:00 UK)
- Stage 5, Saturday October 17, Jinchengjiang–Yizhou: start 10:30 China (03:30 UK), est. finish 14:30 China (07:30 UK)
- Stage 6, Sunday October 18, Yizhou–Nongla: start 10:00 China (03:00 UK), est. finish 14:00 China (07:00 UK)
In the US, HBO Max has Stage 1 streaming from 9:30pm EDT on Monday October 12, the evening before the stage in local time. In the UK, TNT Sports lists Stage 5 coverage from 03:40 BST on Saturday October 17.
Race favourites
Pidcock and Ayuso are initial eye catchers for the general classification but they will not have it all their own way with Paul Double (Team Jayco AlUla) returning to try and be the first rider to defend his title. Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Kévin Vauquelin (Netcompany INEOS), Jarno Widar (Lotto-Intermarché) and Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal-Quickstep) and Andrew August (Netcompany-Ineos) should all be involved with the battle to the summit finish on Nongla for the final day.
There are several outsiders as well such as former pink jersey wearer and white jersey winner at this year’s Giro Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain Victorious), Clement Champoussin (XDS-Astana), Léo Bisiaux (Decathlon CMA CGM), Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Adrien Boichis (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and more.
The sprinters' battle could be the best of the autumn. Magnier and Kooij face Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates XRG). Away from the main names the sprinters do keep coming with Matevž Govekar (Bahrain Victorious), Luke Lamperti (EF Education-EasyPost), Sam Welsford (Netcompany-Ineos), Oded Kogut (NSN), Max Kanter (XDS-Astana), Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility), Matteo Moschetti (Pinarello-Q36.5), Milan Fretin (Cofidis), Arvid de Kleijn (Turdor) and, believe it or not, many more besides,
How to watch the Tour of Guangxi 2026
The UK has the clearest live option: TNT Sports, streamed through HBO Max. In the US, the race is listed on HBO Max's live cycling service.
How to watch
| Region | Broadcaster | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | TNT Sports via HBO Max | £30.99/mo | £25.99/mo on the 12-month saver (12-month minimum term) |
United States | HBO Max | US$18.49/mo Standard, US$22.99/mo Premium | Check your plan includes live sports before subscribing |
Canada | FloBikes | Check local price | Race appears on the FloBikes schedule; check the Canadian listing for access |
Australia | No live broadcaster confirmed | – | No free live stream confirmed |
The UK saver plan works out cheaper per month but ties you in for a year before renewing at the monthly rate. For a six-day race, the £30.99 rolling plan is the more flexible choice. HBO Max lists its UK prices on its TNT Sports page.
US subscribers should confirm their HBO Max plan includes live sport. Canadian fans should check whether the race appears on the Canada-specific FloBikes listing, because availability on the service varies by territory.
Free streams and highlights
No free-to-air channel has listed live coverage of the Tour of Guangxi, so a paid subscription is the only confirmed way to watch it live. Fans of free national broadcasters such as SBS, RTBF or France Télévisions should not assume this race is included because those channels carry others.
For catch-up, look for official video after each stage in the clips and highlights section of TNT Sports' Tour of Guangxi page.
Using a VPN legally while travelling
Broadcasters often limit streams to viewers in their home country. If you are travelling, a VPN lets you connect securely to your home country, so you can keep watching on the account you already pay for.
How to do it:
- Download NordVPN, our recommended VPN for streaming while travelling.
- Connect to a server in your home country, for example the UK for HBO Max's TNT Sports plan.
- 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 you are entitled to, paid or free-to-air, while abroad.
Always use legitimate platforms. Unofficial streams often breach copyright and expose viewers to malware and fake ads.
Why the Tour of Guangxi matters
The Tour of Guangxi is the final men's WorldTour race of the year. The organiser's route announcement sets out six stages through five cities, covering 1,068.6km.
The opening day to Chongzuo should be a nailed on sprint with the day largely flat with the crowded sprint field keen to open up the legs after the rough flight over from Europe. Stage 2 is a different kettle of fish with a late climb plateauing to a flat finish in Jingxi where it is likely to be a reduced bunch sprint unless someone can make the difference on the climb and stay clear solo or in a small group for the final 30km, which is very unlikely.
The third stage to Bama is the longest of the the race with a few late kickers towards the end. It should, however, still be a day for the sprinters to contend the finale. Stage 4 to Tian’e has over 2600 metres of climbing but does look like it will be for the sprinters again with an undulating course all day and an almost entirely downhill final 30km. Stage 5 to Yizhou should be another day for a big bunch kick to the line.
Stage 6 decides the race. It finishes at Nongla on a 3.1km climb averaging about 6.2%, and the final 1.4km has sections steeper than 20% according to local media. There is no stage left to recover lost time, and the climb has decided the overall winner in previous editions.
Quick recap
- Watch live in the UK on TNT Sports via HBO Max, from £30.99 a month or £25.99 a month on the 12-month saver
- In the US, the race is on HBO Max, with plans listed at US$18.49 and US$22.99 a month
- Canadian viewers should check the FloBikes Canada listing
- No free live stream is confirmed; check TNT Sports' Tour of Guangxi page for highlights
- Travelling abroad? Use a VPN to keep access to your home subscription securely
- Avoid illegal or pirate streams; they are unsafe and breach copyright
Velora only promotes VPN use to maintain access to legitimate, paid or free-to-air services while abroad.
