How to Watch the Santos Tour Down Under for Free Anywhere: Live Streams, Broadcasters, and Start Times

The Santos Tour Down Under is the race that officially kicks off the professional cycling season every January. The 2026 edition takes place from January 17 to January 25, 2026, turning Adelaide and the surrounding regions into a week-long celebration of WorldTour racing.

Stages are held daily, with races usually starting in the late morning or early afternoon local time. This means viewers in Europe can typically watch stages early in the morning, while audiences in North America will need to tune in overnight or very early morning, depending on the stage profile and start time.

With fast sprint finishes, selective climbs such as Willunga Hill, and full live coverage available - including a free broadcast in Australia - the Santos Tour Down Under is one of the easiest major cycling races to follow from anywhere in the world if you know where to watch.

Where to stream the Santos Tour Down Under

Region	Streaming Service	Details	Cost
Australia	7plus	Live + on-demand coverage of every stage	Free
Australia	Seven Network	Free-to-air TV broadcast	Free (with TV)
UK & Europe	Discovery+ / Eurosport	Full live coverage + replays	Subscription required
United States	Discovery+ / GCN+ (varies by year)	Live stream depending on cycling rights	Subscription required
Canada	FloBikes	Dedicated cycling coverage + replays	Subscription required
New Zealand	Sky Sport / Sky Sport Now	Live stages + highlights	Subscription required

7plus streaming schedule and start times

7plus provides the most straightforward way to watch the Santos Tour Down Under for free, with live and on-demand coverage of every stage. Streams are available via the 7plus website and app throughout the race.

Stages are typically scheduled to start in the late morning or early afternoon local time in Adelaide, which uses Australian Central Daylight Time (ACDT) during January. Most stages begin between 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. ACDT and finish in the mid-afternoon, although occasional circuit or city stages may start later in the day.

Because of the time difference, start times vary significantly for international viewers:

• Local time (Adelaide, ACDT): late morning to early afternoon
• Central European Time (CET): very early morning, usually between 2:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. CET
• United States (ET): evening of the previous day, typically around 8:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET
• United States (PT): late afternoon to early evening of the previous day, roughly 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PT

How to watch the Santos Tour Down Under for free

The easiest way to watch the Tour Down Under for free is through 7plus, but the platform is geo-blocked outside Australia. If you’re abroad, you’ll need a reliable VPN to access the free stream.

1. Download a trusted VPN with Australian servers – I recommend NordVPN
2. Connect to an Australian location
3. Go to https://7plus.com.au/santos-tour-down-under in your browser
4. Create a free account (email required)
5. Stream every stage live

Why a VPN helps when you're overseas

A VPN isn’t about tricking the system – it’s simply the easiest way to access the same content you’d get at home when traveling. It allows you to:

• unlock geo-restricted streams
• avoid unreliable third-party links
• watch official high-quality broadcast feeds
• keep access to your usual services while abroad

It’s especially helpful for cycling because rights are scattered across different broadcasters depending on the country.

Team-by-team preview – Santos Tour Down Under

Team	Riding Style / Strengths	Key Notes for 2026 Edition
UAE Team Emirates	Strong climbers, excellent control on rolling terrain	Expected to dictate pace in the Adelaide Hills; deep squad allows multiple GC strategies.
Ineos Grenadiers	Structured, defensive racing; expert in echelons & tempo riding	Likely to test rivals in crosswinds; strong mix of climbers and experienced engines for GC push.
Team Jayco AlUla	Aggressive home squad with local road knowledge	Big advantage on technical, heat-heavy stages; balance of sprinting and GC hopes.
Lotto Dstny	Pure sprint focus and powerful lead-out train	Sprint stages are their priority; GC less likely due to weakness on Willunga Hill and Mount Lofty.
BORA–hansgrohe	Versatile with opportunistic breakaway riders	Can threaten both stages and GC with the right climber; strong late-race attackers.
Trek-Segafredo	Consistent all-rounders, strong finishers on rolling circuits	Not flashy, but always present in decisive moves; solid GC outsider potential.
Soudal–Quick-Step	Elite sprinting squad, sharp positioning	Will target flat finishes; unpredictable but capable of sneaking a GC top-10.
EF Education–EasyPost	Aggressive, breakaway specialists	Loves chaotic stages; good in heat and short climbs; often produces surprise results.
Movistar Team	Climbing-focused, best on longer gradients	If the race becomes selective, they’re dangerous; adaptation to Aussie pace is the challenge.
Team DSM-firmenich	Disciplined young squad with tactical structure	Not dominant, but precise; potential for breakthrough riders in punchy hill stages.