Tour de France 2019: Watch on TV, live stream, start time, route map, prize money, jersey colours
The Tour de France 2019 is under way and we have rounded up the key details you need to know about the big event
The Tour de France has started its 106th run with riders from around the world gathering to prove their worth in the saddle.
Defending champion Geraint Thomas will hope for back-to-back success but faces stiff competition from other top contenders in the field.
Colombian stars Nairo Quintana and Rigoberto Uran are desperate to make an impact this year while Vincenzo Nibali is also among the contenders expected to make a charge for the prestigious title.
RadioTimes.com has rounded up everything you need to know about how to watch the Tour de France 2019 – plus route and prize money information.
When is the Tour de France 2019
The event gets underway on Saturday 6th July and runs until Sunday 28th July.
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How to watch the Tour de France 2019
You can watch all of the live action on ITV with a highlights show on the night of every stage.
Coverage can also be live streamed daily via ITV Hub.
Welsh-language channel S4C are also broadcasting every stage of the competition live.
Fans can also tune in to watch all of the action live on Eurosport in the UK.
Live coverage of every stage will be broadcast between the Eurosport 1 and 2 channels before a daily highlights show each evening.
Eurosport's comprehensive coverage will also feature a new show, The Breakaway, which will discuss the big issues from the Tour de France along with fan interaction and questions from viewers at home.
Amazon Prime members can get a 7-day free trial to the Eurosport channel.
After the free trial, the Eurosport channel is £6.99 per month. Amazon Prime is £7.99 per month but can be accessed with a 30-day free trial.
Tour de France TV schedule
All UK time. Coverage details to be updated once confirmed.
Stage 18 – Thursday 25th July
Eurosport
Live: 9:45am
Highlights: 8:00pm
ITV4
Live: TBC
Highlights: TBC
S4C
Live: 2:00pm
Highlights: 9:30pm
Stage 19 – Friday 26th July
Eurosport
Live: 12:15pm
Highlights: 8:00pm
ITV4
Live: TBC
Highlights: TBC
S4C
Live: 2:00pm
Highlights: 9:30pm
Stage 20 – Saturday 27th July
Eurosport
Live: 12:00pm
Highlights: 8:00pm
ITV4
Live: TBC
Highlights: TBC
S4C
Live: 2:00pm
Highlights: 10:00pm
Stage 21 – Sunday 28th July
Eurosport
Live: 4:30pm
Highlights: 11:00pm
ITV4
Live: TBC
Highlights: TBC
S4C
Live: 5:00pm
Highlights: 10:00pm
Tour de France 2019 teams
Our sister website Bike Radar is packed full of information on the runners and riders in this year's Tour.
Check out their comprehensive guide to all of the Tour de France 2019 teams including the full list of favourites to triumph.
Tour de France 2019 route
The Grand Depart will take place in Brussels for just the second time in 106 editions of the race.
Riders will cross the Belgian border into France on the third day before drifting to the east of the country.
The group will cycle south-west through the heart of France before reaching the southernmost point of the route, Tourmalet.
From here, riders will head back to the eastern border before flying up to Rambouillet for one final stage which will finish up at the Champ-Elysees in Paris.
For more details, check out Bike Radar's comprehensive guide to the Tour de France route.
Tour de France jersey colours
There's far more to each jersey than meets the eye, with each dazzling design carrying its own significance.
The yellow jersey is worn by the classification leader, but what do the polka dots, green, and white outfits represent?
Who will win the Tour de France?
Orla Chennaoui is Eurosport's new lead presenter for the Grand Tour coverage, and she has given her predictions on who to watch out for.
"I’m going to go for Jakob Fuglsang as my pick for yellow, and stick with Egan Bernal as outside," she said.
"Everyone is expecting huge things from Bernal but we have to remember he’s never led a Grand Tour team before and by rights, he should be riding in support of Geraint Thomas.
"If Thomas shows any crack in form though I’d expect Ineos to throw their full weight behind Bernal which, in my mind, would then make him the favourite."
Why is Chris Froome not in the Tour de France?
British star Chris Froome missed the Giro d'Italia in order to fully focus on the Tour de France, but was then ruled out of the big event after a major crash in training left him with a broken leg.
The four-time champion broke a leg, ribs and an elbow on the outskirts of Roanne, France and was rushed to intensive care following the incident.
Eurosport presenter Chennaoui has also spoken about the impact Froome's absence could have.
She said: "It has to completely re-shape Ineos’ approach first of all. One of the things neutral fans were very much looking forward to was seeing how the dynamics between Chris and Geraint would play out on the road because we were looking at it from afar last year and you would have seen one version of events.
"Having to pull out from the Tour de Suisse was unfortunate for Thomas, but the important thing is he’s ok and can still compete.
"His preparation has been far from ideal and he had that crash at Milan San Remo too.
"It’s been disrupted, but I think if he can get some decent training rides in him I don’t think it will make too much difference."
Tour de France 2019 prize money
A total prize money pot of £2million (€2.3m) is on offer for riders competing in the Tour de France this year.
The winner of the individual general classification will earn approximately £445k (€500k) for triumphing in the iconic competition.
The remainder of the prize money will be divided between riders based on their finishing position, though exact figures are yet to be confirmed.
Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
