WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY TO SHOW SEASON DEFINING RACES FROM LA VUELTA AND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The final test of the Grand Tour season is set to captivate millions of cycling fans across Europe as Warner Bros. Discovery’s coverage of La Vuelta a España begins on 23 August. 

All 21 stages will be broadcast live on Eurosport 1 (Europe and Asia-Pacific region); TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports 3 (UK and Ireland) with a minimum of 75 live hours of action produced for fans across the three-week race. In addition, fans in the UK and Ireland can enjoy free highlights coverage each day on Quest. Every stage will also be available to stream live and on-demand on HBO Max and discovery+* with in-app innovations such as key moment timeline markers putting viewers in control if their own viewing experience. 

Amplifying the captivating stories of the riders and teams as they go toe-to-toe in the battle for the red jersey, Eurosport and TNT Sports’ localised digital and social media platforms will also provide daily reporting, editorial and behind-the-scenes content from the race in addition to free short-form highlights on YouTube.   

An expert team of reporters will be embedded within the race as it traverses 3,151 kilometres across Spain, Italy, Andorra and France to get to the heart of every story. This includes Anders Mielke, Andrea Berton, Thomas Bihel and Jip van den Bos with three-time La Vuelta a España champion and legend of the sport Alberto Contador presenting live coverage during the final stage from Madrid.      

This on-site approach will be paired with studio analysis shows in the UK (The Breakaway), Spain (La Montonera) and France (Les Rois de le Pédale) to supercharge coverage for local audiences while harnessing groundbreaking augmented reality storytelling tools, such as virtual wind tunnels and team buses, to engage fans beyond the live action. 

Scott Young, EVP at WBD Sports Europe, said: “An incredible Grand Tour season continues to unfold and we are privileged to have another three weeks of epic and unpredictable racing ahead of us featuring some of the most inspiring athletes anywhere.   

“This is not the final chapter in this monumental season however. We have the greatest collection of world-class races and a year-round approach to storytelling, and following just seven days after La Vuelta, we will be in Rwanda covering a historic Road World Championships. We can’t wait to see what new stories are written and promise to bring these to the widest possible audience in our role as pan-European broadcaster and the home of cycling.” 

The 90th edition of the year’s final Grand Tour departs from Turin, Italy and finishes in Madrid, Spain on 14 September. Two-time Tour de France champion and recent runner-up Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark, Visma-Lease a Bike) will be looking to claim his first La Vuelta title as the hot favourite ahead of challenges from a strong UAE Team Emirates XRG, which includes the young Spanish prodigy Juan Ayuso and Portugal’s João Almeida who will both be riding for the coveted red jersey. 

Speaking ahead of La Vuelta a España, Alberto Contador said: “I think the key at La Vuelta is to try not to fail — or fail as little as possible. In Spain you don’t necessarily need to be the absolute strongest, but because there are so many summit finishes, so many days where you must respond and be in the right place, being consistent is what makes the difference. If you’re a rider who stays regular and doesn’t crack completely, that’s a very important step toward victory.”  

WBD’s coverage of La Vuelta a España precedes a historic UCI Road World Championships which will be held in Africa for the first time in its 98-year history. The first races take place in Kigali, Rwanda on 21 September with Eurosport, TNT Sports, HBO Max and discovery+* providing coverage of every men’s and women’s event encompassing at least 25 live hours of action across Europe (excluding Denmark).  

Four-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) is targeting a defence of the Road Race title he won for the first time last year with Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) gearing up to put his Tour de France disappointment behind him to defend his iconic Time Trial rainbow jersey. Fellow Belgian Lotte Kopecky is the current women’s Road Race World Champion with Australia’s Grace Brown also competing to retain the Time Trial title she won in Zürich, Switzerland in 2024. 

WBD has been building the story of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships through its original documentary titled Cycling Africa – The Rise of African Pro Cycling. Available to watch on-demand on HBO Max and discovery+, the 90-minute film features exclusive contributions from cycling luminaries connected to Africa including riders Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa); Biniam Girmay (Eritrea); Chris Froome (Great Britain); Miria Nantume (Uganda) and UCI President David Lappartient to authentically explore the continent’s connection with elite cycling. Part two is due to be released later this year following the conclusion of the World Road Race Championships. 

Commenting on the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, Alberto Contador said: “It’s good for cycling to be global. Bringing in a new continent like Africa, which hasn’t been so present in cycling, I think it’s a positive step. It’s true that the cycling tradition there isn’t as strong as in Europe or other continents, but I believe it’s a great initiative.” 

2025 La Vuelta a Espańa stages

• 23 August – Stage 1: Turin – Novara; 186.1km (flat) 
• 24 August – Stage 2: Alba – Limone Piemonte; 159.6km (mountain) 
• 25 August – Stage 3: San Maurizio Canavese – Ceres; 134.6km (hills) 
• 26 August – Stage 4: Susa – Voiron; 206.7km (hills) 
• 27 August – Stage 5: Figueres – Figueres; 24.1km (TTT) 
• 28 August – Stage 6: Olot – Pal; 170.3km (mountain) 
• 29 August – Stage 7: Andorra La Vella – Cerler; 188.0km (mountain) 
• 30 August – Stage 8: Monzón Templario – Zaragoza; 163.5km (flat) 
• 31 August – Stage 9: Alfaro – Valdezcaray; 195.5km (mountain) 
• 1 September – Rest day 
• 2 September – Stage 10: Sendaviva – Larra-Belagua; 175.3km (hills) 
• 3 September – Stage 11: Bilbao – Bilbaol; 157.4km (hills) 
• 4 September – Stage 12: Laredo – Los Corrales del Buelna; 144.9km (hills) 
• 5 September – Stage 13: Cabázon de la Sal – L’Angliru; 202.7km (mountain) 
• 6 September – Stage 14: Avilés – La Farrapona; 135.9km (mountain) 
• 7 September – Stage 15: Vegadeo – Monforte Lemos; 167.8km (hills) 
• 8 September – Rest day 
• 9 September – Stage 16: Poio – Castro de Herville; 167.9km (hills) 
• 10 September – Stage 17: O Barco de Valdeorras – El Morredero; 143.2km (hills) 
• 11 September – Stage 18: Valladolid – Valladolid; 27.2km (ITT) 
• 12 September – Stage 19: Rueda – Guijuelo; 161.9km (flat) 
• 13 September – Stage 20: Robledo de Chavela – Bola del Mundo; 155.6km (mountains) 
• 14 September – Stage 21: Alalpardo – Madrid; 111.6km (flat)

2025 UCI World Road Race Championships schedule 

• 21 September – Elite women and men’s individual time trial 
• 22 September – U23 women and men’s individual time trial 
• 23 September – Junior women and men’s individual time trial  
• 24 September – Mixed team relay 
• 25 September – U23 women road race 
• 26 September – Junior men and U23 men road race 
• 27 September – Elite women and Junior women road race 
• 28 September – Elite men road race 

*HBO Max currently shows live sport in 35 markets in Europe ahead of it launching in new markets and replacing discovery+ in Austria, Germany, Italy and the UK in early 2026 – the latter of which will become the streaming home of TNT Sports.