The 2021 UCI World Tour clicks into gear with the UAE Tour, a seven-stage race with a start list that's jam-packed with many of the biggest names in cycling, including reigning champion Adam Yates, who'll be desperate to impress in the first race of his Ineos Grenadiers career. It's time to put those Tour Down Under sorrows to bed, so follow our guide below as we explain how to get a UAE Tour live stream and watch UCI World Tour cycling online wherever you are in the world.
Dates: Sunday, February 21 to Saturday, February 27
Live stream: Eurosport Player (UK) | GCN+ (US) | Rai (FREE in Italy) | Sporza (FREE in Belgium)
Watch anywhere: try No. 1 overall VPN 100% risk-free
The GC field reads like a who's who of the biggest names in cycling, with Yates's primary competition likely to come from 22-year-old Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar, who's under extra pressure to deliver, seeing as he's riding for UAE Team Emirates in their home race.
There's another debutant in the field in Israel Start-Up Nation's Chris Froome, and there'll be plenty of eyes on the likes of Mathieu van der Poel, Vincenzo Nibali, Rigoberto Uran, Tour de la Provence winner Iván Sosa and 40-year-old Alejandro Valverde too.
The UAE Tour has a reputation for being a sprinter's race, and this year's edition will be no different, incorporating four flat stages (Stages 1, 4, 6 and 7). Some of the star speed merchants in the field include Caleb Ewan, Sam Bennett, Pascal Ackermann, Giacomo Nizzolo and Fernando Gaviria, which makes for a fascinating spectacle.
Sprint stages aside, there are also two mountain stages (Stages 3 and 5) and an individual time trial (Stage 2). Read on for everything you need to know to watch a UAE Tour live stream from anywhere in the world right now.
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How to watch UAE Tour 2021 from outside your country
If you're desperate to watch every stage of the UAE Tour 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 get a UAE Tour live stream from anywhere
How to watch a FREE UAE Tour live stream online today
Prepare to dust off that Lonely Planet phrase book if you want to 'voir en direct', because anyone in Italy and Belgium can watch a FREE UAE Tour live stream.
You can watch the race on Rai in Italy, and Sporza in Belgium. Around two hours of coverage is on offer each day.
We've tested both of these out in the past and can confirm that both L'Equipe TV and Sporza's online coverage other races has been 100% free, open and accessible for anyone located in Italy and Belgium. We'd highly expected that to be the case again, but will be running a further round of testing once the action begins in the Emirates.
And any Italian or Belgian residents abroad right now that are worried about missing the action need only download a VPN to re-connect to their home streaming coverage.
We've tested the VPN we recommend for streaming this race in the past and can confirm that it typically will help Italian and Belgian residents abroad watch Rai and Sporza online, respectively - and will be checking in again once the action is under way just to make sure.
2021 UAE Tour live stream: how to watch online in the UK
How to watch UAE Tour 2021: US cycling live stream details
UAE Tour 2021: schedule and times
- Stage 1 - Sunday, February 21, 12.25pm GST / 8.25am GMT
- Stage 2 - Monday, February 22, 12.25pm GST / 8.25am GMT
- Stage 3 - Tuesday, February 23, 12.25pm GST / 8.25am GMT
- Stage 4 - Wednesday, February 24, 11.45am GST / 7.45am GMT
- Stage 5 - Thursday, February 25, 12.05pm GST / 8.05am GMT
- Stage 6 - Friday, February 26, 12.35pm GST / 8.35am GMT
- Stage 7 - Saturday, February 27, 1.05pm GST / 9.05am GMT
