The Tour de France is nearly upon us, and there are a number of ways to keep informed after
each stage. Here's GCN's favourite methods of watching cycling's biggest Grand Tour.
It may seem obvious, but nothing beats the atmosphere of watching the world's most
prestigious road race in France itself. With entire villages that line the route
turning out onto the streets to see the peloton fly by, a great atmosphere is guaranteed.
If you are looking to head out at some point in July, we'd advise you to plan ahead. The iconic
mountain stages tend to be really busy, so to find a good spot, camp up the mountain
the day before and walk to a good vantage point. If you don't fancy moving around too much, the time trial
stages on days 4, 11 and 17 spread the action out over a longer stretch
of time, with a rider coming past roughly every couple of minutes. Television
companies are always finding revolutionary ways to cover cycling, from helicopters to
motorbikes...to er, segways! The result makes for compulsive watching, offering arguably the
best view of the race without even having to leave the sofa.
Over 200 channels will be broadcasting some, if not
all of the Tour de France this year,
so you'll be hard-pressed not to find it showing on a
TV near you.
We can't think of anything better than enjoying a hot or cold beverage with
some friends on a hot July afternoon.
Bars, cafes,
possibly even your local bike shop will be screening the Tour,
so keep your eyes peeled.
Public places around the world will be tuning into the Tour as well,
so be sure to have a look around your local area.
It's a bit cheeky, but let's face it, most of the Tour de France will be going on while many of us
are stuck at work or school.
Thankfully, the internet can provide you with a wealth of methods to keep tabs
on the day's racing
without rousing suspicion.
Pop on some earphones and listen in on the radio, or look at the live coverage on
one of a huge number of cycling-specific websites,
and increasingly,
on mainstream websites.
Many of the official broadcasters of the Tour around the world offer live streaming
online too, and some of you may recognise the commentator's voice on one particular
channel!
Just remember to look busy when the boss walks past.
Your mobile phone will be your best friend if you want to keep your eye on the
race for the yellow jersey.
Twitter is a fantastic way to get an alternative view on the Tour, with many riders
tweeting their thoughts after each stage.
In terms of live action,
there are a variety of apps that offer race results, standings and regular updates while the
stage is underway.
Wherever you are right now, you've already come to the right place for the best Tour de France coverage.
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GCN will be taking you closer to the action than ever before with our great behind the scenes
videos, and daily updates from the biggest race of the year.