The “Crème de la Crème” of Cycling
May and June have been chock-full of sporting championships in the U.S., Women’s and Men’s College World Series, NBA championship, the Stanley Cup, French Open, and now the World Cup.
In July and August cycling’s “crème de la crème” takes center stage. The men’s Tour de France and the women’s Tour de France Femmes will captivate avid cyclists worldwide.
Mark your calendars for July 4–26, 2026 for the men’s Tour and August 1-9, 2026, for the women. Keep reading for how to watch both tours in the U.S.
Suffer fest
This year the men’s Tour distance covers 2,071 miles (3,333 km) over 21 stages, which is the equivalent of riding from Los Angeles to Chicago. The total elevation gain is 178,641 feet (54,450 meters)!
CyclingNews provides a good overview and profile of each stage of the men’s race. Here is a separate article by CyclingNews that provides an excellent overview of the women’s tour.
In the U.S. you can watch all the stages of the men’s and women’s tours on Peacock. NBC Sports will broadcast select stages.
Peacock offers two subscription tiers: $10.99/month and $16.99/month (ad-free), giving you full access to all programing on Peacock.
If you’re not already a Peacock subscriber, you can sign up for just one or two months to watch the Tours and then cancel your subscription. Peacock streams every stage live and on delayed demand, including pre‑ and post‑race shows.
What do you most enjoy about watching the Tours?
The competition? The French scenery? Or both? Personally, I like both.
What keeps me engaged during a laborious 120-mile flat stage is primarily the scenery. The incredible camera work, from on the ground and from the sky, capturing the French countryside, mountains, castles and picturesque villages, is like watching a Rick Steves’ travel log.
However, the brutal mountain stages, with the pressing-in of crazed crowds, provides some nerve-wracking drama and captivating storylines.
Links to more info
The men’s tour launches from Barcelona, Spain, as it winds its way to Paris 21 stages later. Here’s a link to the men’s tour website.
The women’s tour peloton rolls out from Lausanne, Switzerland and ends on Stage 9 in Nice, France. Here’s a link to the women’s tour website.
Long time anchors Phil Liggett and Bob Roll host the men’s broadcast with color commentary from other cycling notables as well. Liggett has been covering the Tour for 53 years.
Watching the tours is a good way to stay motivated to put in some miles during the hot and humid Florida temperatures of July and August. It will keep you in shape for events, including road, MTB, gravel or triathlons in the early fall to the end of 2026.
For a comprehensive list of events in Florida and neighboring states click on FloridaCycling.us, our companion website. New events are being added.
Enjoy the Tours…and the World Cup.
Ride often. Be safe. And stay hydrated.
Bruce