How to watch the Giro d’Italia free

It’s that time of year again. The best cyclists in the world are heading to the start line for one of the most exciting races on the calendar, the Tour of Italy.

The Giro d’Italia 2026 gets underway on Friday 8th May and runs until Sunday 31st May. This year’s edition has a historic twist: for the very first time in the race’s 109-year history, the Grande Partenza is not in Italy.

The race kicks off on the Black Sea coast in Nessebar, Bulgaria, making it the 12th foreign country to ever host the start. I’ll go into the full route further down.

As for who to watch, Jonas Vingegaard headlines the 2026 field in what promises to be one of the most competitive Giro fields in years. More on the riders below.

Many of you will be wondering how to watch the Tour of Italy free in the UK, given it is not on any free-to-air UK channel. In this article I will show you exactly what you need to stream the entire event from start to finish, from anywhere in the world, completely free.

Best of all, it is a straightforward process and I will walk you through it step by step.

If that sounds good to you… read on.

Where is the Giro d’Italia shown?

In the UK, the Giro d’Italia is covered live by TNT Sports and streamed on HBO Max. If you already have one of those subscriptions, you are all set. If you are a TNT Sports subscriber who is travelling or living abroad and finding your access blocked, our guide to watching TNT Sports abroad covers that scenario.

If you do not have a TNT Sports or HBO Max subscription and want to watch for free, the good news is that you can. The Australian channel SBS On Demand broadcasts every stage of the Giro live and completely free.

Italian public broadcaster Rai also carries the race free via RaiPlay, though the commentary will be in Italian.

For the opening three stages only, Bulgarian broadcaster BNT is showing the race free-to-air, given this year’s race starts on the Black Sea coast.

The catch with SBS and Rai is that they are geo-restricted, meaning they only work if your device appears to be located in Australia or Italy. That is where a VPN comes in.

What’s a VPN and where to get one

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app you download to your device that lets you connect to the internet through a server in another country. Once connected, streaming services see your chosen country’s location rather than your real one, unlocking their content wherever you are in the world.

For example, connect to an Australian server and SBS On Demand will work just as it does for someone sitting in Sydney.

When it comes to choosing a VPN for the Giro, I recommend ExpressVPN. It has consistently fast Australian servers, works reliably with SBS On Demand, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it risk free across the whole race.

Two other solid options worth a mention are NordVPN and Surfshark. Either will also get the job done. For a broader look at VPNs built for streaming, our best streaming VPN guide covers more detail.

To recap:

How to live stream the Tour of Italy from anywhere

Watching the Giro free on SBS On Demand is straightforward. Follow the steps below and you will be up and running in minutes.

You can also connect to Italy and watch free on RaiPlay, though the commentary there is in Italian.

A quick word on free VPNs

Free VPNs will not reliably work with SBS On Demand. They are generally too slow for smooth video streaming, and SBS actively blocks known VPN IP ranges.

Free VPN server pools are small and get flagged quickly. A paid VPN like ExpressVPN maintains a rotating pool of servers specifically to stay ahead of streaming blocks. It is the difference between watching the race and staring at a buffering screen.

Giro d’Italia 2026 route and key stages

The 109th Giro covers 3,459 kilometres with just under 49,200 metres of climbing across 21 stages.

The headline story this year is the start. For the very first time, the Grande Partenza is being held outside cycling’s traditional European heartland. Stage 1 rolls out from Nessebar on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast on 8 May, with stages 2 and 3 also in Bulgaria before the race transfers back to Italy. It is genuinely historic and gives the early stages an unusual and interesting backdrop.

There is only one individual time trial this year, Stage 10, a 40-kilometre flat effort along the Tuscan coast. That makes this a race built almost entirely for climbers, and the final week is loaded with mountain finishes. Rest days fall on 11 May, 18 May and 25 May.

The stages worth clearing your schedule for:

• Stage 7 (14 May): Blockhaus summit finish. The 13.6km climb averages 8.4% and the last 10km kick up to 9.4%. Expect the first real GC shakeup of the race.
• Stage 10 (19 May): Individual time trial, Tuscan coast. 40km of flat, pure power. This is where the gaps will open up between the overall contenders who can and cannot ride against the clock.
• Stage 14 (23 May): Aosta Valley to Pila. 15.9km at 7.3% to the summit finish after a demanding Alpine day. The first serious Alpine examination.
• Stage 16 (26 May): Switzerland, summit finish at Carì. Over 3,000 metres of climbing in just 113 kilometres, finishing with 11km at 8% average. A day that could reshape the whole race.
• Stage 19 (29 May): The queen stage, Piani di Pezzè summit. Passo Duran, Forcella Staulanza, Passo Giau and Passo Falzarego before a brutal 4.9km at 9.8% finale. This is where the Giro will likely be decided.
• Stage 20 (30 May): Double ascent of Piancavallo. A final circuit of around 53km featuring the summit climb twice. Last real GC opportunity before Rome.

The race concludes with the traditional Stage 21 circuit in Rome on 31 May.

Giro d’Italia 2026 favourites and riders to watch

Jonas Vingegaard arrives as the headline name. The two-time Tour de France winner has mixed up his programme for 2026 after two consecutive runner-up finishes to Pogačar at the Tour, and with only one time trial on the menu, the route plays to his all-round climbing strengths.

The biggest threat looks to be Giulio Pellizzari, the 22-year-old Italian riding for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. He finished sixth at both the Giro and the Vuelta last year, won the Tour of the Alps earlier this season and came second at Tirreno-Adriatico. He is riding in front of home fans, he is in superb form, and he has serious backing from a strong team.

Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) has been in excellent recent shape, including a podium at the Tour of the Alps. Adam Yates leads UAE Team Emirates XRG and is always dangerous in the mountains. Felix Gall and Enric Mas are genuine outsiders capable of a podium if the race goes their way. Jai Hindley, the 2022 winner, is at Red Bull in support of Pellizzari but knows this route suits him and will be eyeing a result of his own.

For the sprint finishes on the flatter stages, Jonathan Milan, Paul Magnier and Dylan Groenewegen are the names to watch. And Filippo Ganna will be particularly motivated on Stage 13, which finishes in Verbania, the town where he grew up.

This is a deep, high-quality field and with so many mountain finishes and relatively little time-trial content, the race is genuinely open.

Summary

If you want to watch the Tour of Italy free in the UK, SBS On Demand is your best option and a VPN is what makes it accessible from outside Australia. The process is simple: get ExpressVPN, connect to Australia, create a free SBS account and start streaming.

The 2026 race runs from 8 May to 31 May, starting in Bulgaria for the first time in history before heading across Italy and into Switzerland for a hard, climber-friendly final week.

For other races throughout the season, our full guide to watching cycling online covers everything from Grand Tours to the Spring Classics. The same VPN approach also works for the Tour de France in July and the Vuelta a España in August.

Frequently asked questions

Can I watch the Giro d’Italia free in the UK?

Yes. The Australian channel SBS On Demand broadcasts every stage live and free. Because SBS is geo-restricted to Australia, you need a VPN to access it from the UK. Connect to an Australian server, visit SBS On Demand, create a free account and you are watching. Italian broadcaster Rai also carries the race free via RaiPlay, though commentary is in Italian.

Does SBS On Demand work outside Australia?

Not by default. SBS On Demand is restricted to Australian IP addresses. If you try to access it from the UK you will see a region error. A VPN with Australian servers solves this by masking your real location and making you appear to be browsing from within Australia. ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark all work reliably with SBS.

What time do Giro d’Italia stages finish in the UK?

Most stage finishes are expected between 4:00pm and 4:30pm BST. Mountain stages can run a little later depending on the length and racing conditions on the day. SBS On Demand offers same-day highlights and on-demand replays for stages you cannot watch live.

Do I need an Australian account for SBS On Demand?

SBS On Demand requires a free account to watch. You can sign up with any email address. If prompted for a location during registration, use an Australian postcode (2000 for Sydney is a common choice). No Australian payment method is needed as SBS is entirely free.

Is it legal to use a VPN to watch SBS from the UK?

Using a VPN is legal in the UK and in most countries. SBS is a publicly funded free broadcaster. That said, accessing it via VPN is technically against SBS’s terms of service, so that is worth being aware of. The VPNs we recommend are also useful for keeping your connection secure on public Wi-Fi and unblocking content while you travel.

Which VPN is best for watching the Giro d’Italia?

ExpressVPN is our top recommendation. It has fast, reliable Australian servers and has consistently worked with SBS On Demand over multiple race seasons. NordVPN and Surfshark are both strong alternatives at a lower price point.