Richie Porte and Alberto Contador will battle for the GC at the 2015 Giro (Getty)
The 98th edition of the Giro d’Italia is set to be a fascinating affair, not least because of the ambitions of one man: Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff). The reigning Vuelta a España winner is not only gunning to top the Giro general classification this May, but then carry his form into July to complete a Giro-Tour de France double, not achieved since El Pirata Marco Pantani conquered both back in 1998. Only ten men have ever achieved the feat, and doing so would put Contador in the rarefied position of holding all three Grand Tour titles at the same time.
However, Contador won’t have things all his own way. He’ll have a number of stellar GC rivals joining him on the start line in San Lorenzo this Saturday, not least Richie Porte and a strong Team Sky line-up, as well as Etixx-Quick-Step’s Rigoberto Uran, who finished second last year and won the Individual Time Trial. Both riders’ chops against the clock will be especially dangerous for Contador given the 2015 Giro has just six summit finishes (compared to 10 last year) and a 60 kilometer Individual Time Trial that will allow the strongest against the clock to eke out considerable time gaps on their more upwardly-inclined rivals. Contador is solid in the TT, but not quite as accomplished as Porte and Uran.
So the year’s first Grand Tour looks set to be a classic. Viewers in the US can watch live TV coverage of every stage on beIN Sports, starting Saturday at 8:15am Eastern.
Viewers in Europe can catch live TV coverage of every stage on Eurosport, starting this Saturday from 2:00pm BST / 3:00pm CET and then on subsequent evenings from around 1:30pm BST / 2:30pm BST. Check Eurosport’s TV schedule for further details.
Here’s how to watch the race live online and on mobile.
Watch 2015 Giro d’Italia Online
Rigoberto Uran in the Maglia Rosa during the 2014 Giro d’Italia (Getty)
For viewers in the US, if you have access to a cable or satellite subscription — either yours or someone else’s — you can watch every stage online for free via beIN Sports Connect. You’ll need a cable or satellite log-in and password to access the stream. The site’s frequently asked questions page has a rundown of technical requirements and other information.
In Europe, viewers with a Eurosport Player subscription can watch every stage online here.
Also check out procyclinglive.com, where free live streams of the race are scheduled to be posted, as well as Cycling TV, which will carry on-demand highlights of every stage.
Watch 2015 Giro d’Italia on Mobile
2014 Giro winner Nairo Quintana leads Rigoberto Uran up the Zoncolan (Getty)
Mobile users in the US can watch every stage via the beIN Sports Application, which you can download in the App Store or the Google Play Store. As is the case with the desktop live stream, you’ll need a cable provider log-in to watch.
Across Europe, you can watch the race via the Eurosport Player App, which you can download in the App Store or the Google Play store. Again, you’ll need a subscription to watch.
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How to Watch Giro d’Italia 2015 Live Stream Online