Tour de France stage 11 takes place today, Wednesday 15 July 2026, with the riders covering 161.3km from Vichy to Nevers.
The neutralised start is scheduled for 13:50 CEST, which is 12:50 BST in the UK. The finish is expected between 17:31 and 17:50 CEST, or 16:31 and 16:50 BST, depending on the speed of the stage.
Live UK television coverage begins on TNT Sports and HBO Max at 12:30 BST, giving viewers time to see the build-up before the riders leave Vichy.
Stage 11 should end in a bunch sprint, with Tim Merlier, Olav Kooij, Biniam Girmay and Jasper Philipsen among the leading contenders. The full Tour de France 2026 stage 11 preview covers the route, climbs, favourites and tactical battle in greater detail.
Tour de France stage 11 start and finish times
| Event | French time | UK time |
|---|---|---|
| Live television coverage begins | 13:30 CEST | 12:30 BST |
| Neutralised start in Vichy | 13:50 CEST | 12:50 BST |
| Intermediate sprint | 14:40-14:44 CEST | 13:40-13:44 BST |
| Côte de Billonnière | 14:47-14:51 CEST | 13:47-13:51 BST |
| Race passes through Moulins | 15:16-15:23 CEST | 14:16-14:23 BST |
| Race passes through Decize | 16:00-16:11 CEST | 15:00-15:11 BST |
| Côte de Billy-Chevannes | 16:43-16:57 CEST | 15:43-15:57 BST |
| 20km remaining | 17:05-17:21 CEST | 16:05-16:21 BST |
| Expected finish in Nevers | 17:31-17:50 CEST | 16:31-16:50 BST |
The timetable is calculated using expected average speeds of 43km/h, 45km/h and 47km/h. A fast opening battle for the intermediate sprint or an easily controlled breakaway could move the stage towards the earlier end of the schedule.
Quick answer: when should UK viewers watch stage 11?
Viewers wanting to see the complete stage can join TNT Sports or HBO Max from 12:30 BST.
The first important action should arrive around 13:40 BST, when the green jersey contenders reach the intermediate sprint at Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule.
Those primarily interested in the bunch sprint should begin watching between 15:45 and 16:00 BST. That covers the final categorised climb and the point at which the sprint teams should begin bringing the breakaway under complete control.
The final 20km are expected to begin between 16:05 and 16:21 BST, with the stage finishing shortly before 16:50 BST at the slowest projected schedule.
How to watch Tour de France stage 11 in the UK
Every kilometre of stage 11 will be shown live through TNT Sports and HBO Max.
Coverage is scheduled to begin at 12:30 BST, around 20 minutes before the neutralised start. TNT Sports provides the linear television broadcast, while HBO Max is the main streaming option for viewers using a smart television, computer, tablet or mobile device.
There is no full free-to-air live broadcast in English. Daily highlights are available through 5, with the programme scheduled for the evening.
Our guide to how to watch the Tour de France 2026 in the UK explains the changed broadcasting picture, subscription options and free highlights coverage.
The complete Tour de France 2026 television schedule and daily start times also lists the expected timings for every remaining stage.
How to watch stage 11 outside the UK
US viewers can watch stage 11 through Peacock. The neutralised start is at 07:50 ET, with the finish expected between 11:31 and 11:50 ET.
Canadian coverage is available through FloBikes, using the same Eastern and Pacific time-zone timings as the United States.
Australian viewers can watch free through SBS and SBS On Demand. Coverage begins on Wednesday evening, with the neutralised start at 21:50 AEST and the finish expected between 01:31 and 01:50 AEST on Thursday morning.
In France, the stage is shown through France Télévisions and france.tv, while Belgian viewers can follow through RTBF, VRT and the Warner Bros. Discovery platforms.
The Tour de France 2026 live stream guide by country covers the legal television and streaming options across Europe, North America, Australia and other international markets.
Photo Credit: GettyThe race situation before stage 11
Tadej Pogačar begins stage 11 with a lead of 3:36 over Jonas Vingegaard after winning the Bastille Day stage to Le Lioran.
Pogačar attacked on the Col de Pertus and finished 32 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel. Paul Seixas took third, while Vingegaard finished seventh and lost another 44 seconds to the yellow jersey.
The full stage 10 report and results explain how Pogačar waited until the steepest decisive climb before making the race-winning move.
Stage 11 should give the GC contenders a less demanding afternoon, although they cannot treat the approach to Nevers casually. Sprint teams and yellow jersey squads will all want the same positions near the front during the closing kilometres.
Pogačar, Vingegaard and the other overall contenders should finish together unless the heat, wind or a crash creates an unexpected split.
Why the intermediate sprint matters
The intermediate sprint arrives after only 27.9km in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule.
That unusually early position should make the first hour more competitive than the stage profile suggests. Mads Pedersen leads the points classification with 293 points, but Girmay and Merlier still have opportunities to reduce his advantage.
The intermediate sprint awards 25 points to the winner. Another 70 are available at the finish in Nevers, meaning a maximum of 95 points can be collected during the stage.
Pedersen has built his lead by scoring on hilly stages where the pure sprinters have been unable to follow. Stage 11 forces him to compete against them directly, both at the intermediate sprint and at the finish.
Lidl-Trek should therefore be active from the opening kilometres. The wider strengths and weaknesses of his campaign are covered in our analysis of whether Mads Pedersen can win the Tour de France green jersey.
The intermediate sprint is expected between 14:40 and 14:44 CEST, equivalent to 13:40-13:44 BST.
The Côte de Billonnière follows only five kilometres later. Breakaway riders may use the climb to counterattack once the green jersey points have been awarded.
When will the breakaway be caught?
The stage contains only two category-four climbs and around 1,400 metres of elevation gain, making it one of the easiest days for the sprint teams to control.
A small group should still attack, particularly from teams without a leading sprinter or realistic general classification objective. The peloton is unlikely to give that move enough time to threaten the finish.
The final climb is the Côte de Billy-Chevannes, measuring 1.5km at 5%. Its summit comes with 37.9km remaining and is expected between 16:43 and 16:57 CEST, or 15:43 and 15:57 BST.
That is the point at which the remaining attackers should begin losing their advantage. The climb is not difficult enough to remove Merlier, Kooij, Girmay or Philipsen, while the remaining distance gives their teams plenty of time to complete the chase.
A lone rider could survive towards the final 15km, but a breakaway victory would require hesitation between Soudal Quick-Step, Decathlon CMA CGM, NSN Cycling Team, Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Premier Tech.
What time will the final sprint begin?
The race is expected to pass through Guérigny, with 15.3km remaining, between 17:11 and 17:29 CEST.
Urzy comes with 10.9km to go between 17:17 and 17:35, before the peloton enters Nevers with 1.7km remaining between 17:29 and 17:48.
The finish should be reached between 17:31 and 17:50 CEST, equivalent to 16:31-16:50 BST.
The decisive positioning battle will begin well before the final ten kilometres. The roads into Nevers include several changes of direction, and every sprint team will want control before the speed rises beyond 60km/h.
GC teams will add further congestion by protecting their leaders until the closing kilometres. Anyone positioned too far back when the sprint trains take control may struggle to find a clear route forward.
Who are the stage 11 favourites?
Tim Merlier starts as the leading favourite after winning consecutive stages in Bordeaux and Bergerac.
He has been the fastest rider in the most recent bunch finishes and has shown that he can win even when Soudal Quick-Step does not provide a perfect lead-out.
Olav Kooij won the first bunch sprint of the race in Pau and should again be one of Merlier’s strongest challengers. Decathlon CMA CGM has enough support to place him near the front, although he must begin his sprint closer to Merlier than he did in Bergerac.
Biniam Girmay has produced consistent results without taking a stage victory. His positioning, durability and interest in the green jersey make both the intermediate sprint and the finish important.
Jasper Philipsen has repeatedly reached the final kilometre without converting his opportunities. Nevers gives Alpecin-Premier Tech another suitable finish, but the team needs to improve its timing and delivery.
Mads Pedersen is less likely to beat the pure sprinters on a completely flat finish, but his points-classification lead gives Lidl-Trek a reason to contest every available position.
Stage 11 weather update
Stage 11 will be raced during another day of extreme heat.
Temperatures are expected to reach approximately 34°C around both Vichy and Nevers during the afternoon. Red heat warnings are in force across the relevant departments, with the riders travelling through the hottest part of the day.
Thunderstorms are also possible later in the afternoon. The risk appears greatest around the expected finishing window, meaning roads approaching Nevers could become wet even if most of the stage is completed in dry conditions.
The wind is not expected to be strong enough to produce sustained echelons, although a sudden change associated with storms could still make exposed roads nervous.
Teams will continue using additional drinks, ice and cooling measures after the race’s earlier heat-affected stages. Our Tour de France heat protocol explainer covers the extra feed zones, cooling methods and possible race changes available during extreme conditions.
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Photo Credit: Getty -
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Thomas Maheux
Latest withdrawal update
There are 175 riders remaining from the original field of 184.
Matteo Trentin was the latest confirmed withdrawal, missing stage 10 after developing a fever during the first rest day. No further withdrawal had been confirmed before the stage 11 start.
The updated Tour de France 2026 withdrawal list tracks every rider who has left the race, the stage on which they departed and the confirmed reason.
Best time to watch stage 11
For the complete live broadcast:
Join at 12:30 BST.
For the intermediate sprint and green jersey battle:
Join by 13:35 BST.
For the final climb and breakaway chase:
Join between 15:40 and 15:50 BST.
For the final 20km:
Join by 16:05 BST.
For only the sprint:
Join by 16:25 BST, although the stage could finish as early as 16:31 BST.
Stage 11 is unlikely to change the yellow jersey standings, but it is one of the most important remaining opportunities for the sprinters. With 95 points available across the intermediate sprint and finish, it could also become a significant day in the battle for green.
