The Tour de France international sporting event returns next month on SBS. The 2021 Tour de France will be available live, free and in HD, exclusive to SBS from Saturday 26 June to Sunday 18 July.
From Brest to Paris, the 108th Tour de France will feature eight flat stages, five hilly stages, and two individual time trial stages. The race will traverse a total of nine regions, 31 departments and cover six mountain stages with three finishes at altitude. The eighth stage, from Vierzon to Le Creusot, will navigate 248kms and will be the longest stage since the year 2000.
SBS will again provide extensive coverage of the Tour de France. Broadcast times vary, with most stages starting at 8:30pm AEST. Then, tune into SBS daily for morning updates from 7.00am and stage replays from 11.00am. Every stage of the Tour de France will stream live on SBS On Demand and the Cycling Central website. Cycling Central will feature news, opinion, stats, highlights and video on demand.
The SBS commentary team will once again cover the event live from SBS’s studios with cycling journalist Michael Tomalaris at the helm. He’ll be joined by co-host and former Giro d’Italia stage winner David McKenzie. Calling every stage from start to finish is former road cyclist and triple winner of the Tour de France’s green jersey Robbie McEwen and Matthew Keenan who’s known for his encyclopaedic knowledge of world cycling. World record-breaking cyclist Dr. Bridie O’Donnell will return to the team for the second time to provide in-depth analysis throughout the race.
SBS will launch a brand-new live preview show called Bonjour Le Tour, hosted by former cycling champion Kate Bates with SBS French Radio’s Christophe Mallet. The show will present key highlights from each stage, as well as showcase the regions of France that will feature in the upcoming stage. Bonjour Le Tour will celebrate all the cultural moments that only the Tour can deliver, broadcasting on SBS from 5.00pm – 6.00pm on weekdays, and 5.30pm – 6.30pm on weekends.
SBS director of sport, Ken Shipp said: “SBS is firmly established as the home of first class cycling coverage. It’s at the heart of what we do with 300 hours of cycling content across the network each year, including the La Vuelta, and the Giro d’Italia. We are excited to once again bring one of the largest and most prestigious sporting events in the world to life. I’m incredibly proud of the dedication and round-the-clock work from the SBS on-air and production team who bring the Tour de France to Australian viewers every year, and we are delighted to continue offering the visual feast that this wonderful challenge brings until 2030.”
Four-time winner Chris Froome will be back this year, as well as 2018 winner Geraint Thomas, and defending champion Tadej Pogacar. Aussie contenders expected to ride include Richie Porte, who finished the 2020 Tour de France in third place, and Caleb Ewan.
The Koda Tour Tracker app will return in 2021, streaming live pictures and allowing viewers to see real time data, stage profiles and catch up video to complement the full Tour de France coverage and deliver a fully comprehensive offering.
The Zwift SBS Tour de France podcast also returns, hosted by SBS French Radio’s Christophe Mallet and David McKenzie with special guests. The daily podcast features updates on the race, as well as the fascinating characters and distinctly ‘French’ things that make this cycling race one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
SBS’s food accompaniment Plat du Tour returns for a second year, airing during SBS’s coverage of the Tour de France. Hosted by renowned French chef Guillaume Brahimi, Plat du Tour took over from the long-running Taste le Tour that wrapped in 2019 after 15 seasons with Gabriel Gaté.
Plat du Tour champions the rustic, homespun skills of the French cook. Guillaume Brahimi will take viewers on a tour of great French cooking, and the series will feature 21 recipes that originate from different regions of France and correlate to the different Tour de France stages.
Recipes include Paris Brest, Buckwheat Galette and the Tarte Aux Poireaux. After the 2021 Tour de France is complete, Plat du Tour segments will air as special episodes on SBS Food. Plat du Tour is produced by Blink TV for SBS.