Tips for Watching the Tour de France
About the Tour
The 112th edition of the Tour de France starts Saturday, July 5, and ends Sunday, July 26. The largest spectator sport in the world asks 184 riders to spend three weeks — across 21 stages — traversing 2,075 picturesque miles -- roughly the distance from Salt Lake City, Utah, to New York City. So much effort and only two days off! The Tour started as a publicity event, to create a race so hard that only one person was left at the end. They even raced multiple stages in one day!
Le Ride is a cool documentary showcasing the 1928 Tour where Amazing Race host Phil Keogan rides a classic bike and retraces the route his countryman from New Zealand rode.
What are the Jerseys About?
“A stage win can change your life . . . second place can’t”
The grand tours are the ultimate test of endurance. Simply finishing a grand tour is an accomplishment. To wear the yellow jersey, worn by the tour leader, is seen as a career-defining moment. Amerian Quinn Simmons came in second on stage 6 of the 2025 tour. He laments, “Tomorrow, we'll wake up, and no one will even know I was second here. A stage win in this race can change your life, [but] second place can't.”
Wear the yellow jersey at the end of the race, and you’ll pedal away with just under US$600,000 for winning the general classification. Traditionally, the winner splits the earnings with the entire team, demonstrating that cycling is a team sport in every regard. Don’t worry, the money is recouped via endorsements and their annual salary. The highest-paid rider in 2025 is defending champion Tadej Pogacar, who makes over nine million dollars a year.
The three other jerseys are green for best sprinter/points classification, polka dot for best climber, and white, best young rider (under 25). Points decide the best sprinter and climber. Specific climbs and sprints are highlighted during each stage, and points are given to those who cross the line first, second, third, etc. The white jersey is for the best-positioned rider under 25 years old.
Finding the Tour on TV and Online
In the United States, Peacock is your primary option to watch the tour. NBC Sports owns the rights to the race. A few stages may be on the USA network. But you‘ll find daily coverage on the Peacock app.
If you want more than cycling in your paid sports subscription, check out FuboTV. Fubo allows you to record programs, but does not provide on-demand viewing. A favorite of cycling enthusiasts, the website Cycling Fans offers live access.
Cycling is a unique sport to watch. The leader of a stage race isn’t necessarily the first bike on the road. The overall leader (wearer of the maillot jaune, aka the yellow jersey) is the person with the lowest cumulative time. This doesn’t mean they win every day, but they must stay close enough to the front to retain their lead. Many times, it’s a race within a race. While one group of riders (known as the breakaway) aggressively battles for the stage win, a second group focuses on winning over three weeks. While not common, there are occasions where the overall winner of the race does not win an individual stage. Each stage win is worth around $13k.
Profile for Stage 12 of the 2025 Tour. Stages ending with a climb are where the biggest time gaps occur.
21 Days? How Long is each Stage?
An average stage of the Tour can last for up to six hours. Only the cycling junkies watch everything. It makes for excellent background entertainment. You look up when the announcer's voice suggests it’s appropriate. If this is your first time watching cycling, you’ll hear a lot of strange words -- use this glossary as a reference.
Suggestions on how to Watch the Tour
The tour is a stage race as opposed to a one-day race. It’s a moving caravan around France with riders, team directors, photographers, chefs, mechanics, officials, fans, media and helicopter pilots all gathering and dispersing each day. Keeping up with the daily happenings of the race is part of the allure. There will be spats within teams, between riders and TV cameramen, and even (sadly) between fans.
There’s no wrong way to watch the tour -- as long as you watch, the cycling gods will smile upon you with favor. But here are a few suggestions.
Enjoy the grandeur of France. The beauty of France is on full display during the Tour. The French government views the race as a means to promote tourism in France. Scores of fans from all over the world line the race route, all at no cost to them. After watching a few stages, you will realize why France is the most visited country in the world.
Choose a favorite team from 22 teams, each with eight riders. Most teams have a national affiliation. EF Education–EasyPost is the American team, led by the forward-thinking cycling exec and former rider, Jonathan Vaughters.
Find a favorite rider -- Team leaders have a jersey number ending in one. 11, 21, 31... if you can’t find a team, key in on the top riders. It’s okay to like multiple riders. Typically, you will find sprinters and climbers to cheer for on multiple teams. Realize the riders have their rivalries. Respect the rivalry -- you can’t like both the Yankees and the Red Sox -- get it?
Follow your favorite riders on social media. The riders are kinda busy right now (though Michael Woods finds time for a blog), but their team pages are often abuzz with activity. Better yet, follow the commentators and photographers. Husband and wife team Jered and Ashley and Jered Gruber are my personal favorites among photographers.
Hone in on specific stages -- Flat stages are for the sprinters, with the hills for climbers. All of the grand tours are decided in the mountains. Be sure to catch the “queen” stage. That is the title given to the most challenging stage of the tour.
Watch the summary show -- Each evening, Peacock airs a condensed version of the stage. If you can stay away from social media, the condensed stage usually suffices.
Hang out at a bike shop -- Don't know much about cycling and need to ask questions? Lurk around a bike shop showing the Tour de France. I recently broke a shifter cable, and Conte’s bike shop in Vienna saved me with a quick repair. While waiting, I gladly watched last year’s Tour de France Femmes race. Any shop showing cycling races is worthy of your business. Remember, always support the local bike shops. Amazon won’t love you the way the local bike shop does.