Vuelta a España 2021 live stream: how to watch all cycling stages online from anywhere

Primoz Roglic and other riders during the 2021 Vuelta a Espana
(Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

With a recent Olympics gold medal and his past domination on the roads of Spain. it would be a bold commentator to look past Primoz Roglic as the favorite for the maillot rojo at this year's Vuelta. Join us for a spin as we explain how to get a 2021 Vuelta a España live stream and watch the final cycling grand tour of the season online from anywhere. We also have info on this year's Vuelta a España stage times.

Following a slow start to the season and a disappointing Tour de France, the Slovenian roared back into life with success at the Tokyo Olympics. He now has his eyes firmly set on a three-peat having dominated the past two editions of the La Vuelta.

Vuelta a España live stream 2021

Date: Saturday, August 14 - Sunday, September 5 (stage times below)

FREE live streams: SBS Viceland (Aus) | Sporza (Belgium) | RTVE (Spain)

Live stream: Discovery+/Eurosport Player (UK) | Peacock FREE trial (US) | FloBikes (Can)

Watch anywhere: try No. 1 overall VPN 100% risk-free

Rather ominously for Roglic's rivals, the race both began and ends with an individual time trial, where the defending champion so often does his best work. 

Ineos Grenadiers came with a stacked team featuring Egan Bernal - who makes his Vuelta debut knowing that victory will immortalize him as the first Colombia to win all three grand tours - as well as Richard Carapaz, who also took gold at the Olympics and came so close to glory at last year's Vuelta and this year's Tour de France.

The entirety of the route is contained within Spain's borders this year but it's as cruel as ever, containing nine summit finishes as well as an excruciating double-header of Lagos de Covadonga and Gamoniteiro.

Read on for everything you need to know to watch a 2021 Vuelta a España live stream from anywhere.


How to watch a FREE Vuelta a España live stream online

You can watch a FREE Vuelta a España live stream in a few different places. In Australia, for instance, SBS Viceland is providing free coverage of the entire race.

There are also ways to tune in for free in the UK and the US, with streaming services Discovery+ and Eurosport Player offering free trials to new UK users and Peacock doing the same Stateside. 

Alternatively, if you fancy a European flavor, RTVE is providing free race coverage in Spain, while fans in Belgium can watch on Sporza without paying a penny.

How to watch Vuelta a España 2021 from outside your country

If you're keen to watch the cycling 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 how simple it is to do.

Use a VPN to watch a Vuelta a España live stream from anywhere

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Three simple steps to using a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions:

1. Download and install a VPN - our recommendation is ExpressVPN

2. Connect to the relevant server location - launch the VPN app, click on 'choose location' and select the right location, i.e. Australia for SBS, US for Peacock

3. Head to the chosen broadcaster's live stream - so, whichever service you want to use, all you need to do is head to their website and start streaming.

Peloton of riders during La Vuelta a Espana

(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

2021 Vuelta a España schedule and start times

  • Stage 1 (ITT) - Saturday, August 14 at 5.11pm CEST, 4.11pm BST, 11.11am ET
  • Stage 2 - Sunday, August 15 at 1.32pm CEST, 12.32pm BST, 7.32am ET
  • Stage 3 - Monday, August 16 at 12.10pm CEST, 11.10am BST, 6.10am ET
  • Stage 4 - Tuesday, August 17 at 1.38pm CEST, 12.38pm BST, 7.38am ET
  • Stage 5 - Wednesday, August 18 at 1pm CEST, 12pm BST, 7am ET
  • Stage 6 - Thursday, August 19 at 1.45pm CEST, 12.45pm BST, 7.45am ET
  • Stage 7 - Friday, August 20 at 1.07pm CEST, 12.07pm BST, 7.07am ET
  • Stage 8 - Saturday, August 21 at 1.18pm CEST, 12.18pm BST, 7.18am ET
  • Stage 9 - Sunday, August 22 at 11.55am CEST, 10.55am BST, 5.55am ET
  • Rest - Monday, August 23
  • Stage 10 - Tuesday, August 24 at 12.15pm CEST, 11.15am BST, 6.15am ET
  • Stage 11 - Wednesday, August 25 at 1.57pm CEST, 12.57pm BST, 7.57am ET
  • Stage 12 - Thursday, August 26 at 12.56pm CEST, 11.56am BST, 6.56am ET
  • Stage 13 - Friday, August 27 at 12.18pm CEST, 11.18am BST, 6.18am ET
  • Stage 14 - Saturday, August 28 at 12.50pm CEST, 11.50am BST, 6.50am ET
  • Stage 15 - Sunday, August 29 at 11.35am CEST, 10.35am BST, 5.35am ET
  • Rest - Monday, August 30
  • Stage 16 - Tuesday, August 31 at 12.49pm CEST, 11.49am BST, 6.49am ET
  • Stage 17 - Wednesday, September 1 at 12.10pm CEST, 11.10am BST, 6.10am ET
  • Stage 18 - Thursday, September 2 at 12.38pm CEST, 11.38pm BST, 6.38am ET
  • Stage 19 - Friday, September 3 at 2.50pm CEST, 1.50pm BST, 8.50am ET
  • Stage 20 - Saturday, September 4 at 2.30pm CEST, 1.30pm BST, 8.30am ET
  • Stage 21 (ITT) - Sunday, September 5 at 5.50pm CEST, 4.50pm BST, 11.50am ET

australia flag

How to watch Vuelta a España 2021 for FREE in Australia

free Vuelta a España coverage

Aussie cycling fans are amongst the luckiest in the world, as free Vuelta a España coverage is available Down Under thanks to SBS and its Viceland channel.

That means you can live stream all of the action through the SBS On Demand service if you're not in front of a TV. As well as apps for Android and iOS, you can access SBS On Demand on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV stick, Apple TV and most smart TVs.

If you've already got a subscription, you can also tune in via GCN+, which costs $12.99 per month or $64.99 for a year.

But be warned - all of the action takes place late at night, so be prepared to lose a fair bit of sleep. The Vuelta a España schedule is listed above.

Outside Australia? Don't worry if you're out of the country and want to catch that SBS broadcast - just grab a VPN and you can watch the race as if you were back at home on your laptop, mobile or other TV streaming device. 

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How to watch Vuelta a España: live stream cycling in the UK

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Cycling fans based in the UK are spoilt for choice, with the Vuelta a España being shown by Eurosport, GCN+, and Discovery+. 

A subscription to Eurosport costs £6.99 per month or £39.99 for a whole year.

A subscription to the GCN+ streaming service also costs £6.99 per month or £39.99 per year, and it works across a range of devices including Chromecast, Apple AirPlay, and smart TVs.

Discovery+ also has you covered for live Benelux Tour coverage, with a subscription to its Entertainment and Sport package costing £6.99 per month or £59.99 per year.

Start times vary, but most of the action takes place in the early afternoon. You can find the Vuelta a España schedule above.

If you’re out of the UK but still want to tune in, make sure you install a VPN so you can continue accessing UK streaming services from anywhere.

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How to watch Vuelta a España 2021: US cycling live stream details

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Peacock TV recently replaced NBC Sports Gold as NBC's cycling streaming option, and it's the service to head to to watch this year's Vuelta a España Stateside.

It costs just $4.99 a month - or $10 per month for the commercial-free service - and best of all it offers a FREE 7-day trial.

As well as cycling, Peacock Premium offers loads of other great content, including Premier League soccer, Premiership rugby, WWE and top-notch TV and films.

Prepare for some early mornings though, with much of the action set to get underway at around 6am ET / 3am PT.

If you find yourself unable to access your normal coverage because you're out of the country, remember that you can use a VPN to tune in just like you would at home. 

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How to watch the 2021 Vuelta a España: live stream cycling in Canada

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FloBikes is the place to tune in to for live Vuelta a España coverage in Canada.

A monthly subscription will cost you $30 while a yearly account will set you back $150 ($12.50 per month), which will give you access to coverage of major cycling events throughout the year.

Be sure to set your alarm though, as a great deal of the stages get underway at around 6am ET / 3am PT. The Vuelta a España schedule is listed further up the page.

Not in Canada to catch that Flobikes stream? Well you know the answer by now... use a VPN to make sure you don't miss a moment, no matter where you are. 

Aatif Sulleyman

Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.