Giro d’Italia is one of the most prestigious cycling races with the Tour de France and Vuelta a España. In 2025, cyclists are gathering again for yet another fierce battle in the Giro d’Italia. The event starts on the 9th of May and ends on the 1st of June in Italy’s capital Rome.
As always, we’ll see cycling legends battling their way from Durazzo to Rome, passing through cities like Rovigo, Napoli, and Vicenza. Unfortunately, many fans can’t watch Giro d’Italia live and if they can, they’re forced to pay for expensive sports channels.
Well, as of today, this doesn’t have to be the case. What if we told you you could watch Giro d’Italia on a free channel and enjoy the ENTIRE race without paying? Better yet, this trick works no matter your location thanks to the simple trick that we’ll present.
Streaming Giro d’Italia for free online isn’t hard, as long as you follow our guide. You’ll need to use a VPN to alter your online location and access the free channels that stream Giro d’Italia for free. For more information, keep reading. We have plenty of things to cover.
Quick Summary: How to Watch Giro d’Italia Live for Free
In a hurry? Here’s our short-story guide on how to watch Giro d’Italia live for free on SBS on Demand. The point is to alter your IP to Australia with a VPN, unblock SBS, and enjoy the entire 21-day race. Thankfully, you can do so with these 4 easy-to-perform steps:
- Get NordVPN using the button below. It’ll allow for a 70%+ discount for 24-month plans.
- Install NordVPN and connect to an Australian server.
- Visit SBS, make a free account, and stream Giro live anywhere.
- After the race is done, get a refund from NordVPN by using its 30-day refund policy. If not, you can keep using it and reap its numerous benefits.
Which Free Channels Stream Giro d’Italia Live in 2025?
The easiest way to watch Giro d’Italia live online is to pay for a sports channel.
However, is it the smartest way? Likely not.
These channels are very expensive, as we’ll soon show you, so paying that much for a 20-plus-day cycling race sounds ridiculous.
A free channel that streams Giro d’Italia live in 2025 is SBS on Demand. This is an amazing platform, first, because it’s in English, and second, because it’s free. The channel requires a free account, which can be made in seconds. But here’s the catch – it’s region-locked to Australia.
In other words, people in Australia can access it. If you’re abroad, you’ll get a geo-restriction message. This isn’t a problem because this Giro d’Italia livestream guide will explain how to unblock it for free. Just one more thing. This race will also be streamed on RaiPlay.
We have a guide on how to watch RaiPlay overseas but essentially, this is an Italian TV channel. This means you’ll be getting Italian commentary, which isn’t ideal. SBS, on the other hand, streams Giro d’Italia live from start to end in English – a better option in our book.
So, to recap, you can watch Giro d’Italia live online for free on:
- SBS on Demand (Australia)
- RaiPlay (Italy)
For this guide, we’ll focus on SBS but the same procedure applies to RaiPlay.
How to Watch Giro d’Italia Live on a Free Channel?
Okay, so how do you watch Giro d’Italia on a free channel like SBS on Demand? You’ll need an Australian IP address, which you can get with a VPN. We know what you think now. VPNs aren’t free and you still have to pay. This is true only to an extent. We promise the trick is free.
A VPN alters your online location by allowing you to change your IP. The trick is to get an IP from Australia, which will make SBS “think” you’re in this country. As a result, it will allow you to access the channel and enjoy all of its content no matter where you are.
For this scenario, we’ll use NordVPN, as it works particularly well for high-quality streaming. Moreover, it has servers in 117 countries and provides plenty of VPN servers in Australia, all optimized for speed and stability.
Here’s how to watch Giro d’Italia on SBS for free with NordVPN.
1. Subscribe to NordVPN
NordVPN isn’t free. It operates on subscriptions. To subscribe to NordVPN, we advise using the button below that’ll take you to its site directly. Not only that – it’ll let you claim an exclusive time-limited 70%+ discount with 3 free months for all 24-month plans.
You can, alternatively, get the monthly plan at around $13 a month but as said, the biennial Basic plan is roughly 70%% cheaper per month. Nevertheless, click the button above, provide your email address, pay for the subscription, and follow the steps to complete it.
Now, it’s time to download NordVPN. We’ll use our Windows PC for this guide but you can perform the same steps on any other device. On a PC, you’ll download the setup file from the site, install it, and if needed, restart your PC.
Once you open the app, sign in with the credentials provided previously – your email and password. With the successful sign-in, the dashboard will open and will look like the one above. Pretty nice, as praised in our NordVPN analysis.
2. Connect to a Server in Australia
To watch Giro d’Italia live for free, you need an Australian IP address. Open the server list by clicking the Globe icon on the left-hand side. Under Countries, scroll down a bit, and you’ll locate Australia. Click on it or tap if you’re on a phone, and you’ll connect in seconds.
NordVPN should signal when it’s done with Connected in green, which indicates that you have an Australian IP needed to access SBS on Demand anywhere. If you want, you can use an IP-checking site to verify the new IP is in place but that won’t be needed, as NordVPN always works.
3. Watch Giro d’Italia 2025 Online for Free
Now that you’ve completed these simple steps, visit SBS and create a free account.
Once the Giro d’Italia livestream starts, find it and start watching. At the time of writing this guide, the race hasn’t started yet. However, you can see that SBS on Demand works with NordVPN below.
With it, you can watch everything else the channel has to offer, without a TV license. Note that you can also use this trick to enjoy Vuelta a España live on a free channel.
4. Get a Refund from NordVPN (Optional)
So far, we haven’t exactly explained what’s free about our trick. Well, the free part is the 30-day money-back guarantee from NordVPN.
Remember that Giro d’Italia lasts for about 22 days, yet, you have 30 days to get a refund from this VPN. Do you get it now?
You can live-stream Giro d’Italia from start to end and STILL get a refund without a problem! Once the race ends, contact NordVPN using the live chat widget on the site and explain that you want a refund. The support team will immediately come to your aid.
Getting a refund is easy and always works, as long as you request it in the first 30 days. That said, you’ve managed to watch Giro d’Italia online for FREE in the end, as the upfront payment is entirely refunded. What a terrific workaround!
Best VPNs to Watch Giro d’Italia for Free Online
Unblocking geo-restricted content comes down to the VPN’s prowess. Not every VPN can do this and bypassing geo-blocks is a challenge for many. For this reason, we came up with the 3 best VPNs for watching Giro d’Italia on a free TV channel like SBS or RaiPlay.
1. NordVPN
Pros
- Threat Protection Pro
- Unblocks SBS on Demand and RaiPlay anywhere
- The fastest NordLynx VPN protocol
- Servers in 117+ countries
- Double VPN servers for added security
- 10 simultaneous connections
Cons
- Pricey monthly plans
- Rare connection issues
NordVPN is famous for its security and privacy. However, the provider is capable of streaming and unblocking Giro d’Italia live stream anywhere. Besides, its servers in 117+ countries are 10 Gbps, and with NordLynx inclusion, they’re the fastest they’ve ever been.
This VPN’s apps are gorgeous, with features you won’t find in its competitors. While it’s limited to 10 connections per account, features like Threat Protection Pro and Meshnet are unique. The first protects you from viruses, malware, and ads across all devices.
NordVPN Meshnet, however, allows for remote control and file sharing with up to 60 other devices! We love NordVPN’s Double VPN servers for adding another encryption layer. Plus, its obfuscated servers work in China, allowing for reliable connections anywhere.
We compared NordVPN and ExpressVPN, concluding that the former won. While that’s only by a margin, NordVPN can unblock 20+ Netflix catalogs (more than ExpressVPN), with SBS on Demand and RaiPlay for watching Giro d’Italia for free. Also, NordVN comes with a dark web monitor in all plans.
This feature will inform you of unwanted email breaches and let you react accordingly. Its subscription plans are flexible, as it offers 4 tiers. The cheapest you can get NordVPN is at around $3 a month but if you pay more, you’ll get NordPass, NordLocker, and/or NordProtect.
The VPN is one of the most popular for plenty of reasons. This is just one of them, bearing in mind it has a no-logs policy, 256-bit encryption, Private DNS, RAM-only servers, and much more. We advise using the button below to get its latest and greatest discount.
Stream the Entire Giro Live With NordVPN
2. ExpressVPN
Pros
- Lightway Turbo protocol for speed
- Several security audits
- MediaStreamer (Smart DNS)
- Servers in 105 worldwide countries
- Very easy to install and use
Cons
- No multi-hop servers
- It’s a bit pricier
ExpressVPN is our second favorite. Its 3,000+ servers worldwide are optimized for streaming, torrenting, and secure browsing. Above all, this is the fastest provider currently (with NordVPN), which is why streaming even in 4K is smooth as butter.
Moreover, ExpressVPN has a nifty Smart DNS function, also called MediaStreamer. It allows for unblocking geo-restricted platforms on any device without setting up the VPN. ExpressVPN’s ease of use is more than welcome. All of its apps are impeccable.
Even better, ExpressVPN includes a native tvOS client, so Apple TV users can watch Giro d’Italia live stream on a free channel as well. We want to mention how safe and secure ExpressVPN is, thanks to AES-256 encryption and an automatic kill switch.
The VPN has many audits on its apps and a no-logs policy, and being in the British Virgin Islands, it’s perfect for keeping your online privacy intact. In its apps, you’ll find an ad blocker that can also block trackers and adult sites, keeping your children safe online.
Overall, the VPN has no bigger downsides, as it even includes 8 simultaneous connections per subscription. Each subscription comes with ExpressVPN Keys, a reliable password manager to help you manage your sign-in options and keep your passwords safe and sound.
Its price is a tad higher compared to the other two VPNs. However, the silver lining is a 61% discount and 4 free months for the biennial plan.
With a 30-day refund policy, you can watch Giro d’Italia live for free with it and witness one of the most popular Grand Tours! Get your discount below and explore ExpressVPN’s numerous features for streaming and overall privacy.
Stream Giro d’Italia Live With ExpressVPN
3. CyberGhost
Pros
- Dedicated streaming servers for SBS/RaiPlay
- It doesn’t retain activity logs
- Applications for all devices
- NoSpy servers owned by CyberGhost
Cons
- It’s unusable in China
- Only 7 concurrent connections
CyberGhost is known for its exquisite streaming capabilities. With servers in over 100 countries, many of them are in Australia and Italy. This allows the VPN to unblock SBS on Demand or RaiPlay anywhere, thereby, unblocking Giro d’Italia live too.
CyberGhost is performing well, thanks to the WireGuard protocol. Its 10 Gbps servers are extremely numerous, and many of them are streaming-dedicated. As a result, CyberGhost works with a variety of streaming services, including Netflix and BBC iPlayer.
The VPN comes with many advantages, such as an ad blocker, a kill switch, and split tunneling. P2P servers are there too and NoSpy servers are operated by CyberGhost — they’re not rented, which guarantees another thick privacy layer you’ll surely appreciate.
Speaking of which, CyberGhost has a no-logging policy with an audit from Deloitte and it publishes several transparency reports each year. Its apps for desktop platforms aren’t the most intuitive but they pack a punch in terms of features and capabilities.
It’s good to know it’s not working in China in 2025, so streaming Giro d’Italia online is impossible there. On the brighter side, the VPN includes 7 simultaneous connections and 24/7 live chat service in multiple languages to fix all problems.
Price-wise, it’s the cheapest on this list. A 45-day refund policy covers its cheapest 2-year plan which starts at just around $2.2 a month. No doubt, this is one of the most reputable VPNs to watch Giro d’Italia live on a free channel and still enjoy fast speeds with unlimited traffic.
Watch Giro Live Stream With CyberGhost
Will Free VPNs Work? Here’s Why We Don’t Like Them
Free VPNs are notoriously bad for streaming and we highlighted that multiple times. Look at our free Netflix VPN article, for example. There, we explained that not a single free VPN works with it, except for a few with limited monthly bandwidth.
They’re solid for one-time content like movies. You watch it once and then go about your day. However, the Giro d’Italia livestream lasts for 20+ days, and with limited traffic of 5-10 GB a month, it’s impossible to follow the entire thing.
Another nail in the coffin is a severe lack of servers. Free VPNs usually lack Australian servers, let alone Italian VPN locations for RaiPlay. In our tests, free VPN displayed below-average performance too. Before you ask, plenty of them include WireGuard.
However, they intentionally limit your speeds to coerce you into buying their paid plans. Free VPNs like Hola and Urban VPN also aren’t secure. They store logs and sell your private information to third-party companies. Many have admitted to that!
Honestly, we find it hard to recommend any free provider for watching Giro d’Italia live on a free channel. Simultaneously, we also want you to try them, just to see we’re not lying. For such a long and exhaustive race, you’re better off with a premium provider.
Besides, look at our top 3 list again. You’ll see that EVERY provider has a 30 or 45-day refund policy. While paying upfront might be uncomfortable for you, after you get a refund, you lose nothing, making free VPNs obsolete and pointless.
Paid Channels That Stream Giro d’Italia Live
With the free channels for watching Giro d’Italia out of the way, it’s time to move to the paid side. We want you to remember that the VPNs presented cost from $2.2 to $4.99 a month approximately. Yet, they also offer a refund policy.
Now, we’ll go through a few paid channels that will stream the entire Giro d’Italia live.
- MAX (US) – at least $26.99 a month
- Discovery+ (UK) – £30.99 a month
- Sky Sports (NZ) – starts at approximately $55 a month
If you examine the prices of these channels, they start at around $26.99 a month, with Discovery + and Sky Sports being £30.99 and $55 a month respectively. Important to note is that these channels aren’t available worldwide.
This calls for a VPN once again, as discussed in our article on how to access Discovery Plus abroad.
For example, if you’re in Europe and you want to use Sky Sports, you’ll have to pay for a VPN and then $55 a month for the channel. This channel has no refund policy either, so you’ve spent $55 without the option to get it back.
It’s easy to see why it’s smarter to watch Giro d’Italia live on a free channel like SBS on Demand or RaiPlay instead. While you’ll pay for a VPN, you can be refunded and lose nothing. Here, that’s not the case and you’ll end up with the cost of a chosen channel.
If you already have a subscription to any of them, that’s another story. But then, you wouldn’t be reading this article. Right?
Giro d’Italia Stages & Dates Information
In this Giro 2025 live stream guide, we explained that the event will start on the 9th of May and end on the 1st of June. The race has 21 stages, with a total distance of 3,443.3 km.
Below is a list of all the stages with their start dates:
- 9 May: Durazzo – Tirana, 160 km
- 10 May: Tirana – Tirana TUDOR ITT, 13.7 km
- 11 May: Valona – Valona, 160 km
- 13 May: Alberobello – Lecce, 189 km
- 14 May: Ceglie Messapica – Matera, 151 km
- 15 May: Potenza – Napoli, 227 km
- 16 May: Castel di Sangro – Tagliacozzo, 168 km
- 17 May: Giulianova – Casteiramondo, 197 km
- 18 May: Gubbio – Siena, 181 km
- 20 May: Lucca – Pisa TUDOR ITT, 28.6 km
- 21 May: Viareggio – Casteinovo ne’Monti, 186 km
- 22 May: Modena – Viadana, 172 km
- 23 May: Rovigo – VIcenza, 180 km
- 24 May: Treviso – Nova Gorizia, 195 km
- 25 May: Fiume Veneto – Asiago, 219 km
- 27 May: Piazzola sul Brenta – San Valentino, 203 km
- 28 May: San Michele all’Adige – Bormio, 155 km
- 29 May: Morbegno – Cesano Maderno, 144 km
- 30 May: Biella – Champoluc, 166 km
- 31 May: Verres – Sestriere, 205 km
- 1 June: Roma-Roma, 143 km
Giro d’Italia consists of a combination of several types of stages. The first two stages are hilly, followed by two flat, and then two hilly stages. ITT stands for Individual Time Trial and there are two of these. The race has four mountain stages too, with two intermediate stages.
Is Watching Giro d’Italia for Free With a VPN Legal?
As we wrap up this guide, we want to address one more question — the one above. In short, it IS legal to watch Giro live stream with a VPN. Using a VPN to unblock geo-restricted content is a common practice among people worldwide and no one suffered.
In fact, many use it to watch Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and other streaming services. One thing to note is that it’s likely against the terms and conditions of the respective platforms. Logically, they’re restricted for a reason.
However, this isn’t a criminal offense. Therefore, don’t be afraid to use a VPN to unblock the live stream of Giro d’Italia for free on SBS on Demand or RaiPlay.
VPNs are legal as long as you’re using them “normally.” If something’s illegal without a VPN, it’s also illegal with a VPN — remember that well.
Conclusion
In today’s guide, you’ve hopefully learned how to watch Giro d’Italia live online on a free channel. Streaming Giro for free in 2025 isn’t such a hard task considering you’ll lose no money. We recommend using SBS on Demand which will stream the entire race.
However, if you’re an Italian speaker, RaiPlay is also a good option, as it’s also a free channel with Italian commentary. As for the VPN choice, ours is NordVPN due to the fastest speed, a vast server park, and impressive streaming optimization.
Simply connect to the server in Australia or Italy, visit SBS on Demand or RaiPlay, and when the race starts, enjoy a 21-day cycling spectacle. Remember that the Tour de France 2025 starts soon after the Giro ends. For the curious, we explained how to watch the Tour de France for free in this article.
