With three-time defending champion Primož Roglič still recovering from the shoulder and back injuries sustained during that crash last month, the 2022 Vuelta a España has been thrown wide open. Amongst the riders looking to take full advantage are Remco Evenepoel and Jai Hindley, though there'll be plenty more experienced heads in contention too, not least Alejandro Valverde, the 42-year-old home favorite who's racing his last ever grand tour. Here's how to watch Vuelta a España 2022 and get a free live stream from anywhere.
Dates: Friday, August 19 - Sunday, September 11 (stage times below)
FREE live streams: SBS (AU) | RTVE (ESP) | Sporza (BEL)
Global streams: Discovery+ (UK) | Peacock TV (US) | FloBikes (CA) | Sky Sport (NZ)
Watch anywhere: try No. 1 overall VPN 100% risk-free
Roglič crashed horribly during the first week of the Tour de France but put in a heroic effort to help teammate Jonas Vingegaard to victory, before bowing out after Stage 14 to start the healing process. The Slovenian, who's won Paris-Nice and the Critérium du Dauphiné this year, has won La Vuelta three times on the spin, but what sort of shape is he in for this year's race?
2009 winner Valverde is one of several past champions in contention, and he'll be desperate to at least take one stage victory on his farewell tour. Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana and Simon Yates also know what it takes to seize that red jersey, though even with the absences of Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, they're not expected to be quite at the head of the pack.
Surprise Giro d'Italia winner Hindley's season has tailed off, but the Aussie will be re-energized by the prospect of a rare double. Evenepoel, meanwhile, has a golden opportunity to deliver on the hype, and João Almeida, who looked so good before his Giro d'Italia was cut short by illness, has a chance to put that disappointment to bed.
Read on as we explain how to watch the Vuelta a España from anywhere.
2022 Vuelta a España stages and dates
- Stage 1 (TTT) - Friday, August 19 at 6.30pm CEST, 5.30pm BST, 12.30pm ET
- Stage 2 - Saturday, August 20 at 1.15pm CEST, 12.15pm BST, 7.15am ET
- Stage 3 - Sunday, August 21 at 1.15pm CEST, 12.15pm BST, 7.15am ET
- Rest - Monday, August 22
Click to see full Vuelta a España stages and dates
- Stage 4 - Tuesday, August 23 at 1.40pm CEST, 12.40pm BST, 7.40am ET
- Stage 5 - Wednesday, August 24 at 12.45pm CEST, 11.45am BST, 6.45am ET
- Stage 6 - Thursday, August 25 at 12.20pm CEST, 11.20am BST, 6.20am ET
- Stage 7 - Friday, August 26 at 12.30pm CEST, 11.30am BST, 6.30am ET
- Stage 8 - Saturday, August 27 at 1.10pm CEST, 12.10pm BST, 7.10am ET
- Stage 9 - Sunday , August 28 at 12.40pm CEST, 11.40am BST, 6.40am ET
- Rest - Monday, August 29
- Stage 10 (ITT) - Tuesday, August 30 at 1pm CEST, 12pm BST, 7am ET
- Stage 11 - Wednesday, August 31 at 12.35pm CEST, 11.35am BST, 6.35am ET
- Stage 12 - Thursday, September 1 at 12.25pm CEST, 11.25am BST, 6.25am ET
- Stage 13 - Friday, September 2 at 1.15pm CEST, 12.15pm BST, 7.15am ET
- Stage 14 - Saturday, September 3 at 1.05pm CEST, 12.05pm BST, 7.05am ET
- Stage 15 - Sunday, September 4 at 1.05pm CEST, 12.05pm BST, 7.05am ET
- Rest - Monday, September 5
- Stage 16 - Tuesday, September 6 at 12.45pm CEST, 11.45am BST, 6.45am ET
- Stage 17 - Wednesday, September 7 at 1.05pm CEST, 12.05pm BST, 7.05am ET
- Stage 18 - Thursday, September 8 at 12.10pm CEST, 11.10am BST, 6.10am ET
- Stage 19 - Friday, September 9 at 1.55pm CEST, 12.55pm BST, 7.55am ET
- Stage 20 - Saturday, September 10 at 12.45pm CEST, 11.45am BST, 6.45am ET
- Stage 21 - Sunday, September 11 at 5.10pm CEST, 4.10pm BST, 11.10am ET
How to watch a FREE Vuelta a España live stream online
One of the best things about the Vuelta a España is that it's completely free to watch in various countries around the world. For example:
Australia - SBS
Spain - RTVE
Belgium - Sporza
If you're from any of the countries listed above but you're abroad right now, don't worry about missing out on that free coverage - all you need to do is download a VPN to watch a free Vuelta a España live stream and re-connect to your home streaming coverage.
How to watch Vuelta a España 2022 from outside your country
If you're keen to watch the Vuelta a España but you're away from home and the coverage is geo-blocked, then you could always use a VPN to access it (assuming you're not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do.
Use a VPN to get a Vuelta a España live stream from anywhere
Using a VPN is as easy as one-two-three...
1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top choice is ExpressVPN
2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location
3. Go to the broadcaster's live stream - so if you're from Australia, just head to SBS On Demand and watch the cycling as if you were back at home!
How to watch Vuelta a España 2022: live stream cycling FREE in Australia
2022 Vuelta a España live stream: how to watch cycling online in the UK
How to watch 2022 Vuelta a España: live stream cycling in the US without cable
- Related: how to watch Peacock from outside the US