2023 Vuelta a Espana highlights will NOT be on ITV4 – here’s where you can watch it

ITV4 lost the rights to the Vuelta a Espana a couple of years back. The highlights willl still be on free to air UK TV though. They’ll be on Quest, which is a channel you may not think you have, but probably actually do. The race starts tomorrow (Saturday).

If you’re a casual cycling fan, I urge you to scroll down your TV’s digital listings thing and find it. The Vuelta is an easy race to follow as the points and mountains classifications seem so much less significant than at the Tour. Most years, there’s action in the general classification almost daily, on top of which most years the field is very strong.

Live coverage

You can get live coverage on Eurosport. A lot of people have Eurosport as part of their TV package, but if you don’t, you can sign up for what is now called the Discovery+ Player. It’s £6.99 a month – which will cover the entire race – or £59.99 for a whole year (for which you would get live coverage of pretty much all the other major bike races this season and most of next season). The Discovery+ Player means you can follow the entire race on your phone, your laptop or via a TV app (or even on your telly plugged into your laptop as a workaround).

Highlights

A daily one-hour highlights programme will be broadcast on Quest at 7pm (although it’ll be 11pm for the first stage as it’s an evening affair). This is a Eurosport production and is much the same as the programme they do for the Giro each year. Quest is available on Freeview and most of the other UK TV platforms, so there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to get it.

You can (and should!) also subscribe to get weekly email recaps of the race from me.

This is an updated version of last year’s article about UK TV coverage of the Vuelta a Espana.


Comments

21 responses to “2023 Vuelta a Espana highlights will NOT be on ITV4 – here’s where you can watch it”

  1. anita hopkins avatar
    anita hopkins

    My husband and I have been watching the tour of Spain Highlights every night and have really been enjoying them.
    The only thing is, I have been very disappointed that the last 2 night the winner of the stage have not been interviewed at the end, only the main contenders,
    I think that is very unfair and disrespectful as that has probably been the highlight of that riders career. Shame on you.
    regards
    Anita

  2. isnt it great that the commentry for this year dosent include paul sherwin
    couldent watch the tour this year because of him lets hope thats it phil liggett
    dosent seem to get so excited now hes not with him much more enjoyable to listen too

    1. I’m not an enormous fan of Phil Liggett’s but have to say he’s seemed far more relaxed and much less by-the-numbers during this year’s Vuelta. It hadn’t occurred to me that Sherwen’s absence might be the reason for his improved form.

  3. who the hell is David Miller to comment on cheating in the tour of Spain , and why does itv continue to employ him ??? Hes a doper plain and simple get rid of him !!!!!!

  4. A G Brown avatar
    A G Brown

    Time you’ve had adverts.aimless chatter you’re left about 35/40 minutes of actual cycling,thanks but no thanks

  5. Stouters avatar

    Glad to see broadcasters sync with the way I watch. Actually slightly prefer Boulting & Millar’s commentary but cannot cope with the ITV4 daytime ads – not so much their continued existence as their endless cycle of cancer charities, funeral plans, releasing equity from your home, donkey sanctuaries, health benefits from miraculous cures etc. Sooner ITV moves to an addressable ads system and can sift out the cycling fans from its usual daytime audience the better. Highlights show is boss though.

    1. hmmph, I like the donkey sanctuary ones 🙂

  6. Dark Eyes avatar
    Dark Eyes

    In the UK, the Vuelta a Espana highlights are on Quest, it is a Eurosport/GCN production
    https://www.tvguide.co.uk/m-detail/4273393/52309963/cycling-vuelta-a-espana

    1. Oh, they’re doing the Giro thing.

  7. Thanks for the info, been scouring itv for the last 24 hours, the highlights in Quest will do nicely.

  8. Glad to find the Vuelta a Espana on Quest each evening shame the Eurosport commentary team are not of the same standard as the Tour. Part jibberish and the rest is ers and ums… Painful at times. At least its on tv each evening.

  9. David Gordon avatar
    David Gordon

    Sorry to find that ITV4 are not showing the vuelta as I do like their commentary team. I will have to get used to the Eurosport team on Quest.

  10. Perry McGuire avatar
    Perry McGuire

    It’s too bad ITV4 are not showing the Vuelta highlights – as they usually do. I’m based in the Channel Islands and our Freeview station choices does not include Quest (hhmmnn) so have purchased Eurosport Player for the month (£6.99) meaning I’ll be able to see the daily highlights and live coverage (or as a replay of the live coverage). At least there are options available (phew)

  11. Dark Eyes avatar
    Dark Eyes

    You can also watch the highlights programmes for free on the ‘Quest’ website
    https://www.discoveryplus.co.uk/show/vuelta-a-espana-highlights

    Yes, the presentation/commentary is a bit different to the usual ITV4/VTV standard, but it is better than nothing!

  12. Why don’t Eurosport get rid of their useless commentators and employ Chris Horner (who does an excellent review on YouTube and/or the ITV4 crew who are all much more interesting to listen to

  13. ITV disappointment avatar
    ITV disappointment

    Why why why don’t itv cover the Giro and the Vuelta. They do a fantastic job with the TDF. It is so frustrating as a part time cycling fan, that the 3 major races of the season are not covered by the same TV production. It baffles me completely. I simply refuse to watch Eurosport’s coverage and I’m not fond of any others either to be honest. When will ITV get there act together?!? The TDF team is a winning formula. 🤦🏼‍♂️

    1. They covered the Vuelta until a couple of years ago but lost the rights.

    2. Couldn’t agree more. Would love to watch the 3 main grand tours and ToB with itvs perfect commentary team. They’ve completely nailed it! But like you I cannot stand Eurosport’s coverage or quest or any other tbh. Even without the legendary boardman at all this year, his replacement , Pete kennaugh was brilliant (minus the dogey earring)
      Would love to know what Ned’s, David’s and Gary’s take is on them not covering the other two tours. And now the executive producer has left too. Wonder what 2024 will be like.
      Fingers crossed for a CAV final comeback!!!

    3. ITV dont have a bottomless pit of money to bid for sporting rights! I suspect they’d happily cover all 3 grand tours if they could.
      I much prefer their coverage to Eurosport as its worth tuning in for Gary Imlachs dry wit and excellent presenting alone, and Ned has really grown into the commentary role.
      My advice is enjoy it on ITV while you can as I suspect when their current TDF deal ends, Europsport will pay through the nose to get exclusive UK coverage

  14. Eurosport Get rid of caught cheating twice in his cycling career Sean Kelly

  15. Allan Macintyre avatar
    Allan Macintyre

    Why can’t I see the last day of the vuelta on Quest?

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