Every year I watch most of the UCI World Tour race live as they are broadcasted on most of the organizing countries national TVs. The good side of being in Japan is that all European races live broadcast correspond to the evening in Japan.
The 2019 UCI World Tour includes one day “Classic” races and goes up to three weeks “Grand Tour” like the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a Espana.
I like watching the races for the bicycles design, looking at the components used, the team and individuals riding strategies but also to discover the countries landscapes and their beautiful roads.
Here is the 2019 UCI World Tour Calendar details
Tour Down Under 15–20 January on Lequipe TV (Geo restricted)
Great Ocean Road Race 27 January (aka Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road race) Lequipe TV (Geo restricted) and Channel 9 (Geo-Restricted)
UAE Tour 24 February – 2 March on Lequipe TV (Geo restricted)
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2 March on Lequipe TV (Geo restricted)
Strade Bianche 9 March Lequipe TV (Geo restricted)
Paris–Nice 10–17 March Broadcasted Lequipe TV (Geo restricted)
Tirreno–Adriatico 13–19 March Lequipe TV (Geo restricted)
Milan–San Remo 23 March (aka La Primavera and referred as the first “Monument” of the year) Broadcasted on Rai TV and Lequipe TV (Geo restricted)
Volta a Catalunya 25–31 March RTVEes (Geo restricted)
Three Days of Bruges–De Panne 27 March
E3 BinckBank Classic 29 March
Gent–Wevelgem 31 March Lequipe TV (Geo restricted)
Dwars door Vlaanderen 3 April Lequipe TV (Geo restricted)
Tour of Flanders 7 April France 3 (Geo-restricted)
Tour of the Basque Country 8–13 April Eurosport
Paris–Roubaix 14 April Broadcasted on France 3 (Geo-restricted)
Presidential Tour of Turkey 16–21 April on Eurosport
Amstel Gold Race 21 April Broadcasted on France 3 (Geo-restricted)
La Flèche Wallonne 24 April Broadcasted on France 3 (Geo-restricted)
Liège–Bastogne–Liège 28 April Broadcasted on France 3 (Geo-restricted)
Tour de Romandie 30 April – 5 May Lequipe TV (Geo restricted)
Eschborn–Frankfurt 1 May
Giro d’Italia 11 May – 2 June Broadcasted on Rai TV and Lequipe TV (Geo restricted)
Tour of California 12–18 May
Critérium du Dauphiné 9–16 June Broadcasted on France 2 and France 3 (Geo-restricted)
Tour de Suisse 15–23 June
Tour de France 6–28 July (aka Le Tour) Broadcasted on France 2 and France 3 (Geo-restricted)
Clásica de San Sebastián 3 August RTVEes (Geo restricted)
Tour de Pologne 3–9 August on Eurosport
Ride London–Surrey Classic 4 August on Eurosport
BinckBank Tour 12–18 August on Eurosport
Vuelta a España 24 August – 15 September RTVEes (Geo restricted)
EuroEyes Cyclassics 25 August on Eurosport
Bretagne Classic Ouest–France 1 September Broadcasted on France 3 (Geo-restricted)
GP de Québec 13 September on Eurosport
GP de Montréal 15 September on Eurosport
Il Lombardia 12 October Lequipe TV (Geo restricted)
Tour of Guangxi 15–20 October
There are a lot of races to watch indeed, my favorites are the Milan-San Remo (aka La primavera), the Spring classics (the one held in Belgium and Roubaix), the Giro, Le Tour, the Bretagne Classic and the Il Lombardia for the perfect combination of magnificent landscapes, superb roads and riding skills.
Which race(s) is or are your favorite(s) ?
