EUROSPORT ENHANCES COVERAGE ON ALL PLATFORMS AS IT GEARS UP FOR "BIGGER THAN EVER BEFORE" 2018 LE TOUR

Eurosport has covered the Tour de France since 1991 and, after its pioneering coverage of the event last year with every minute available to fans for the very first time, in 2018 every stage will once again be available in its entirety on Eurosport TV and online via the Eurosport Player, eurosport.com and the integrated Eurosport app.

Coverage of the Tour de France on the Eurosport Player will include six additional live camera streams; five motorbike cameras following every move in the peloton, plus a finish line feed. Viewers can also enjoy uninterrupted and advertising free coverage, exclusive Tour de France programming and full catch-up service of every stage, giving fans complete control of their viewing experience.

To support Eurosport’s increased digital offering and take its award-winning cycling coverage to more viewers than ever before, a free seven-day trial of the Eurosport Player will be available for fans across Europe** throughout the 2018 Tour de France.

In 2018 Eurosport will produce more local coverage of the Tour de France than ever before with fans in France, Germany, Sweden, UK and, for the very first time, Poland, receiving dedicated local production of the race and International coverage available in a further 49 markets across Europe.   

Eurosport will air more than 100 hours of live coverage during the 21-stage event with Tour de France Extra – a dedicated pre and post stage show – extending the live race coverage with expert analysis and insight. A prime-time highlights show – Tour Today – will dissect each stage in in detail every race day of the Tour.

Eurosport continues to work with the best experts in the sport for their unique perspectives on what is happening in the peloton. Tour De France stage winner, Juan Antonio Flecha, heads Eurosport’s international coverage with his daily ‘Juan & Only’ feature recapping all the on-road action straight from the finish line, as well as, presenting his Recon series previewing seven key stages that will determine the outcome of the iconic maillot jaune.

Alberto Contador, one of only seven men to win all three Grand Tours, including yellow jersey’s in 2007 and 2009, will join the Eurosport Spain commentary team. El Pistolero, who retired in 2017, will also feature in Eurosport’s international coverage for crucial stages in the Pyrenees. Sean Kelly, winner of nine monument classics, leads analysis for Eurosport UK with Richard Virenque, winner of the King of the Mountains competition a record seven times, and Jacky Durand, a three-time stage winner, will headline Eurosport France’s Tour de France coverage.   

In another digital enhancement for 2018, Eurosport has teamed-up with 2012 Tour de France winner and cycling legend, Sir Bradley Wiggins, to launch a brand-new podcast show. The four-part series will be broadcast every Monday of the Tour, starting July 9, and available on all major podcast providers. Each episode will also be filmed and available for fans to watch exclusively on eurosport.com.  

Emir Osmanbegovic, SVP Sports Content and Production at Eurosport, said: “The Tour de France is the biggest cycling race in the world and our coverage of this year’s event is bigger than ever before. We’ll have every minute of the race live - on all platforms - with more localised production, more legends of the sport providing expert analysis and more exclusive digital content.

“We’re proud of our heritage as the home of cycling and will continue to push the boundaries of broadcasting the sport in Europe with our digital-first approach giving fans complete control of their viewing experience. If you’re a cycling fan, Eurosport truly is the home of the sport and remains the best place to follow the Tour de France on all platforms and devices at home or on the go.”

Commenting ahead of the 2018 Tour de France, Eurosport’s cycling expert Juan Antonio Flecha, said: “This year’s Tour de France promises to be a very open race and we cannot rule out anyone. It's three weeks of drama and we have to see how the script evolves, who is prepared to take risks, who will be left behind and what moves each team will make. It’s the biggest cycling race in the world and the course for this year’s edition features every test imaginable for a rider – descents, sprints, cobbles and climbs. As we saw at the Giro d’Italia in May, one decisive break can change the whole race, so make sure you don’t miss a minute of the action on Eurosport.”

Eurosport’s remains the home of cycling in Europe with an unrivalled calendar consisting of over 200 days of live action and 2,300 hours of coverage across its channels, covering all three Grand Tours, plus 35 UCI World Tour events, including all five monuments.

ENDS.

Notes to Editors

*For the first 75 minutes, and up to 150 minutes, of coverage for 13 stages in all European countries excluding France, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands and UK.

**Offer valid in all European markets except Germany and France.