The Vuelta a Espaa 2026 begins on Saturday, 22 August in Monaco, and will run for three weeks to finish on Sunday, 13 September in Granada, Spain. The final Grand Tour of the year, it represents the last chance for big name contenders who have so far missed out to redeem their seasons but the Spanish race has its own character and challenges for fans to enjoy too.Vuelta a Espaa 2026: Need to KnowToday: Stage 1 Monaco to MonacoFree Streams: SBS (Australia), RTVE (Spain), VRT/RTBF (Belgium)Watch Anywhere: Unlock your free stream with NordVPN (75% off)The biggest name on the start list is five-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogaar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who will be looking to complete his set of Grand Tour titles. He is not alone on the start list, however, with Primo Rogli (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) among the big GC names taking part. This year's route is concentrated mostly in eastern and southern Spain, with a denouement in the Sierra Nevada in the final week. Below, Cycling Weekly has put together all the key information on broadcasters and live streams so you can watch the Vuelta a Espaa wherever you are. Quick guide to watching the Vuelta a EspaaUK: TNT Sports /HBO Max (30.99/mon) - free highlights on 5US: Peacock ($12.99/mon)Canada: Flobikes ($49.99/mon)Australia: SBS (Free)Free live streams: SBS (Australia), RTVE (Spain), VRT (Belgium)Anywhere: Watch your local stream from anywhere with NordVPNCan I watch the Vuelta a Espaa 2026 for free?Fans across the world from Australia to northern Europe will be happy to learn that there are numerous free streams of the Vuelta a Espaa available this year, thanks to broadcasters in their regions. In Australia, the race is being shown on TV and online by SBS, the country's public service broadcaster. Streaming is available at SBS On Demand. In Spain, which is of course the Vuelta's host nation, the race will be free to air on state-owned broadcaster RTVE.The Vuelta is also free to watch in Belgium, with Flemish-language coverage on VRT and the Sporza website and French coverage on RTBF.Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you're not in any of these countries right now then you'll need a VPN more on that below.How to watch the Vuelta a Espaa while abroadMost streaming platforms have geo-restrictions these days, which means they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN.A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device's location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you're abroad. Unlock your Vuelta a Espaa stream with NordVPNWith super fast connections, multi-device support and able to unlock any platform, NordVPN is our favourite for streaming. 30-day money back guarantee 3 months extra free 75% offGet NordVPN today and unlock your streaming service from anywhere in the world.View DealWant to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations of using a VPN... Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?How to watch the Vuelta a Espaa 2026 in the UKIn the UK, the race will be shown live across TNT Sports, Warner Bros. Discovery's premium sports channels, with it being on TNT Sports 1 and 3 depending on the day and the time. Check the schedule here.The will also be available online and on mobile devices on HBO Max with a package price of 30.99 a month. There will also be free-to-air Vuelta a Espaa highlights on 5 in the UK during the race, broadcast nightly from 7-8pm.How to watch the Vuelta a Espaa 2026 in the US and CanadaFor North American viewers, this year's coverage of the Vuelta a Espaa is divided across Peacock for those in the US and FloBikes for those in Canada.Peacock is part of NBC Sports, which comes at $12.99 per month and includes programming from NBC and Bravo.In Canada, Flobikes is in charge of broadcasting the Vuelta a Espaa 2026. Subscriptions cost CA$49.99 a month, with big savings for long-term plans. The Flobikes TV app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android.How to watch the Vuelta a Espaa 2026 in AustraliaThose in Australia can catch the full Vuelta a Espaa for free on SBS with streaming available via SBS On Demand.You will need an account with an Australian postcode (e.g. 2026).What to expect at the Vuelta a EspaaThe Vuelta a Espaa is the final three-week race of the year, following the Giro d'Italia in May and the Tour de France in July. It wasn't always this way round for the first 60 years of its history the Spanish race was the first Grand Tour on the calendar, before being moved in 1995 with the aim of attracting bigger name riders.Despite this, it continues to exist in the shadow of its siblings to some extent, but can still feature an impressive start list. This year's is none too shabby, featuring Tadej Pogaar as favourite no less, supported by a very capable team including Joo Almedia and Jay Vine.He might be the overwhelming favourite, but there are others to contend with, including Primo Rogli (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek).Also riding are Oscar Onley (Netcompany-Ineos), the Visma-Lease a Bike pair of Wout van Aert and Matthew Brennan, Tour green jersey Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and KOM in France Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost).The relentless parcours means the GC contenders will rarely be far from the action from start to finish. Read More: How to watch cycling for free in 20262026 Vuelta a Espaa stage start and finish timesVuelta a Espaa 2026 routeStageDayStartFinishDistanceTypeEstimated stage times (CEST)124 AugustMonacoMonaco9kmITT4:17pm-7:30pm225 AugustMonacoManosque (France)215kmHilly12:42pm-5:16pm326 AugustGruissanFont Romeu174kmMedium mountains1:21pm-5:18pm427 AugustAndorra La Vella (Andorra)Andorra La Vella105kmMountains2:49pm-5:22pm528 AugustFalset (Spain)Roquetes173kmHilly1:34pm-5:20pm629 AugustAlcossebreCastell177kmMedium mountains1:11pm-5:18pm730 AugustVall d'AlbaAramn Valdenlinares150kmMountains1:40pm-5:19pm831 AugustPuolXeraco171kmFlat1:42pm-5:20pm91 SeptemberLa Vila JoiosaAlto de Aitana187kmMountains12:26pm-5:14pm103 SeptemberAlcarazElche de la Sierra185kmHilly1pm-5:18pm114 SeptemberCartagenaLorca151kmFlat2:08pm-5:21pm125 SeptemberVeraCalar Alto166kmMountains1:07pm-5:17pm136 SeptemberAlmucarLoja193kmMedium mountains12:41pm-5:16pm147 SeptemberJanSierra de la Pandera154kmMountains1:33pm-5:19pm158 SeptemberPalma del RoCrdoba190kmMedium mountains12:46pm-5:17pm1610 SeptemberCorteganaLa Rabda181kmHilly1:18pm-5:19pm1711 SeptemberDos HermanasSevilla185kmFlat1:24pm-5:20pm1812 SeptemberEl Puerto de Santa MaraJerez de la Frontera32kmITT2:06pm-5:30pm1913 SeptemberVlez-MlagaPeas Blancas210kmMedium mountains12:06pm-5:14pm2014 SeptemberLa CalahorraCollado del Alguacil187kmMountains12:36pm-5:16pm2115 SeptemberCarrefour GranadaGranada112kmHilly4:23pm-7:07pmWe test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. 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