The Tour of Flanders 2026, also called the Ronde van Vlaanderen, brings the very biggest names in the men's and women's peloton together on the Flemish cobbles on Sunday, April 5.
This is as much a test of form as it is a celebration of Flanders as a cycling region – bringing together a rare combination of Belgian cycling stars – and is second only to Paris-Roubaix in the Spring Classics stakes.
Whether you're at home or abroad, here's how to watch live, with all official TV channels, legitimate free streams, and a simple way to keep access to your home subscription securely through a VPN while travelling.
Ronde van Vlaanderen 2026 Race Times
Sunday 5 April 2026
| Timezone | Elite Women Start | Elite Men Start | Est. Women's Finish | Est. Men's Finish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local | CEST / UTC+2 | 13:25 | 10:00 | 17:35 | 16:30 |
Race Favourites
Firstly, here's who is racing in the men's and women's fields.
Tour of Flanders 2026 Start List (175 riders)
Tour of Flanders Women Start lList
The men's race pits Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) against Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike), with Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quickstep). Evenepoel is making his Flanders debut which is a real moment for Belgian cycling. You can see a full rundown of the favourites, route and tactical picture in our full race preview.
The women's field is led by defending champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ). Three of the biggest names in women's cycling will be facing off in one of the most dramatic, power-demanding settings, which makes this a key race to watch.
How to Watch Ronde van Vlaanderen 2026
Broadcast rights vary by country. The table below lists the confirmed official broadcasters, costs and whether coverage is free-to-air.
Where to Watch the Ronde van Vlaanderen 2026
| Region | Broadcaster | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | TNT Sports via HBO Max | £30.99/mo | Covers both men's and women's races live |
United States | FloBikes | $149.99/yr or $29.99/mo | Live and on-demand coverage |
Canada | FloBikes | $149.99 USD/yr or $29.99 USD/mo | Live and on-demand coverage |
Australia | SBS | Free | Free-to-air and via SBS On Demand |
Belgium | VRT / RTL | Free | Free-to-air in Dutch (VRT) and French (RTL) |
France | France Télévisions | Free | Free-to-air via France TV app and website |
Netherlands | NOS | Free | Free-to-air via NOS.nl and NOS app |
Italy | RAI / Eurosport | Free | RAI offers free-to-air coverage |
Spain | RTVE | Free | Free-to-air via RTVE Play |
Legal Free Streams
Velora tip: Several countries offer free-to-air official coverage of both the men's and women's Ronde van Vlaanderen. These are legitimate national broadcasters, not unofficial streams:
- Belgium: VRT (Dutch) and RTL (French)
- France: France Télévisions
- Netherlands: NOS
- Australia: SBS
- Italy: RAI
- Spain: RTVE
Access to these services is typically geo-restricted to viewers within each country. If you're travelling abroad on race day, you can connect via a VPN to your home country to keep watching these official, legal feeds, just as if you were at home.
Using a VPN Legally While Travelling
Broadcasters limit live streams to home viewers based on location. If you're travelling, a VPN lets you securely connect back to your home network so you can keep watching your existing paid or free-to-air account from abroad.
Velora Choice: NordVPN
Use a secure VPN connection to watch cycling on your existing subscription services or free streams while you’re away from home. Always follow local laws and your provider’s terms of use.
Our editorial team uses NordVPN by choice, we all purchased it independently to watch cycling races wherever we are.
- 8,400+ VPN servers covering 167+ locations
- One of the fastest VPNs on the market
- Protection from surveillance & cyberthreats
- Use NordVPN on up to 10 devices
How to do it:
- Download NordVPN, our recommended VPN for streaming while travelling.
- Connect to your home country (e.g., UK for HBO Max, Belgium for VRT, or Australia for SBS).
- 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.
Key Moments to Watch (Men’s Race)
- ~12:46 – First cobbles (Lippenhovestraat & Paddestraat) – The race hits the pavé. Early positioning, early crashes. Low stakes, high chaos.
- ~13:30 – Oude Kwaremont (1st passage) – First real test of the day. Teams show their hands and any weakness is exposed early.
- ~15:17 – Oude Kwaremont + Paterberg (2nd passage) – The race explodes here. First major selection — the favourites’ group shrinks dramatically.
- ~15:30 – Koppenberg – Iconic, brutal, often decisive. Riders who lose contact here rarely come back.
- ~15:42 – Taaienberg – Counter-attack territory. Riders who survived the Koppenberg try to go solo or bridge across.
- ~16:09–16:13 – Oude Kwaremont + Paterberg (final passage) – This is where the winner is decided. The last 13 km after the Paterberg is the race to the line.
If you can only watch one hour: tune in at 15:00 CEST – everything from the second Kwaremont onwards is the real race.
Key Moments to Watch (Women’s Race)
- ~15:01 – First cobbles (Lippenhovestraat & Paddestraat) – The pavé begins almost immediately after the official start. Early positioning and nerves set the tone.
- ~15:34 – Wolvenberg – First significant climb. Teams begin to organise around their leaders and the peloton starts to thin.
- ~16:18 – Eikenberg – The race heats up. A steep, narrow climb where attacks start to stick and the group of favourites takes shape.
- ~16:29 – Koppenberg – Brutal, iconic, and often decisive. Riders who lose contact here rarely come back.
- ~16:42 – Taaienberg – Counter-attack zone. Survivors of the Koppenberg try to go clear or bridge across.
- ~17:12–17:17 – Oude Kwaremont + Paterberg (final passage) – Where the winner is decided. The last 13 km from the Paterberg to Oudenaarde is the race to the line.
If you can only watch one hour: tune in at 16:15 CEST – from the Eikenberg onwards, the women’s race is relentless.
Quick Recap
- Watch live via official broadcasters like FloBikes, TNT Sports via Discovery+, SBS, VRT, France Télévisions, NOS, RAI and RTVE.
- Free legal viewing is available in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy and Spain.
- Travelling abroad? Use a VPN to keep access to your home subscription securely.
- Avoid illegal streams, they're unsafe and breach copyright.
- Watch the Ronde van Vlaanderen 2026 live, free where available, and securely from anywhere.
Velora Choice: NordVPN
Use a secure VPN connection to watch cycling on your existing subscription services or free streams while you’re away from home. Always follow local laws and your provider’s terms of use.
Get NordVPN - Special OfferFAQ
Velora only promotes VPN use to maintain access to legitimate, paid, or free-to-air services while abroad.
Cover image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
