The Tour de France is an annual multi stage bicycle race that was founded in 1903 as a way of increasing sales for the Magazine, L’Auto. Despite being stopped for a total of eleven years because of the first and second World War, the race has continued to grow in strength and popularity. In 2016, the race begins on July 2nd, and continues until July 24th. There will be many TV stations covering the event. Watch from anywhere with Smart DNS.
Though originally started as a publicity stunt, the Tour de France has become one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world. It is also one of the most grueling. The cyclists in this event go a total of 2,175 miles, broken in to 21 different stages over 23 days including two days of rest. It is said there are no miracles in the Tour de France, but there can certainly be surprises.
The field will start with 198 riders, all with their own individual goals. These riders are in groups of nine, so there are 22 teams in total, representing 13 different countries. The list of teams and riders can be found here. That said, there are certainly some cyclists you will want to keep an eye on. These guys may not win, but are sure to put up a good fight. Here is a list of the cyclists, and the teams they are cycling for.
- Chris Froome – Team Sky (defending champion)
- Alberto Contador – Tinkoff
- Nairo Quintana – Movistar
- Fabio Aru – Astana
Prize wise, there are a few things to compete for, depending on the strategy taken by the rider/team. Along with the individual stage victories, you have the most combative rider award. This award is given out per stage and is worth 2000 Euros. There is also a prize of 20k Euros given out for being the super combative rider. The overall winner of the race takes home 500k Euros, with second place taking home 200k. There are other prizes to compete for, some are listed here.
- The yellow jersey – worn by the leader of the general individual time classification.
- The green jersey – worn by the leader of the points classification.
- The red polka dot jersey – worn by the best hill climber.
- The white jersey – worn by the best young rider aged 25 years old or less in the general individual time classification.
It should be noted that these jerseys are highly coveted. Out of the 198 racers, roughly 2% will receive one. If you are familiar with the Master’s Golf Tournament in the US, it would be the equivalent to winning a green blazer. Also like the Master’s, though the course may have changed some over the years, it is still a long sought after “trophy” to have.
Earlier we mentioned the Tour de France was going to be covered on many channels around the world. That is where a Smart DNS will assist you. If you are in the US, coverage for the race will be broadcast on NBC Sports in HD, exclusive interviews, and GPS tracking of your favorite racer. There are two catches to the coverage though. You would need to have a premium subscription to NBC Sports, and if you are outside of the US, a SmartDNS service because it is only available to US residents only.
We would like to make some recommendations though. Apparently, the UK’s ITV has the race for free. The problem is, if you live outside of the UK, you would be geo-blocked. Much like when we were talking of the stream being available to the US only, the same holds true for ITV. However, with a SmartDNS service, you could get around these restrictions and view the race, just like you were in the UK.
Best Smart DNS to Watch the Tour de France
You have a few Smart DNS services to choose from. When it comes to streaming live sporting events you want to make sure the company is reliable and ready to unblock the channels you plan to watch on the device you plan to stream them on. The last thing you want to do is get ready to watch a stage on the tour and be disappointed. Visiting a site only to be greeted by a restricted access message is never fun, but it’s especially annoying when you’re trying to watch your racer compete in the oldest of bicycle races. Here are some services that are up to the task.
| Rank | Provider | Price | Rating | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | $3.54 28% Off | 9.9 Read Review |  |
| 2 |  | $4.16 17% Off | 9.8 Read Review | |
| 3 |  | $3.12 37% Off | 9.6 Read Review | |
The Smart DNS providers listed above offer free trials. The trials are open to all new members and do not require any payment information. These companies understand you need some time to test their services. Just enter your email address and test out the services free of charge. The free trial will give you a week to decide if you want to continue with their service as well as testing other channels.
We enjoy using Unblock-Us for live events. The service is easy to set up and is quite reliable. They have a full list of channels along with supported devices. You can use the service on your PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, game console, media player and more. Unblock-Us was one of the first Smart DNS services to launch and has built up a great reputation in the industry. Unblock-Us is our favorite because it has always worked and we have never had any problems with the service.
For those who want to add privacy protection we suggest OverPlay. They offer VPN access in addition to Smart DNS, however you won’t need a VPN to unblock geographic restrictions. A VPN will work for that purpose, but it’s more expensive and really just overkill. Additionally, some content providers like Hulu try to block VPNs from accessing their sites. A VPN is a good choice for those who want an encrypted connection.
Don’t miss a minute of the action. Watch your favorite riders compete in the Tour de France with a Smart DNS. Watch on your tv, phone, tablet, game console or media player. Please share our post with your friends so they can enjoy the race as well. Follow us @SmartDNSFan for the latest Smart DNS guides and deals.
