EUROSPORT GEARS UP FOR BIGGEST EVER YEAR OF CYCLING IN 2017

Europe’s number one sport destination will fuel the passion of cycling enthusiasts this year with over 200 days of live cycling and 2,300 hours of coverage across its channels.

Eurosport’s unrivalled cycling calendar once again covers all three of the Grand Tours, with exclusive and extended Giro d’Italia coverage* for 2017, plus 25 UCI World Tour events, including all five Monuments.

This year Eurosport will show a record 21 Grand Tour stages LIVE as part of 300 hours of coverage from the sport’s three biggest events. In line with Eurosport’s strategy of connecting with local fans, for the first time, both the UK and Germany will produce on-site coverage at this year’s Tour de France with local presenters and talent covering the local stories that matter.

Eurosport continues to work with the biggest names in the sport for their unique analysis and insights, these include three-time Tour de France winner, Greg LeMond, plus Tour stage winner, Juan Antonio Flecha and Sean Kelly, winner of nine monument classics. Roberto Vacchi (Sweden) and Richard Virenque (France) will provide headline commentary and local expertise across Europe.

Eurosport’s coverage continues to push boundaries and this year will include the first live broadcast in 360 Virtual Reality during a professional race at La Route du Sud in June. Live on-air coverage will be supported with dedicated talent-based magazine shows, such as Tech Talk, with every minute also available on Eurosport Player – the all-access on demand digital pass.

Eurosport.com - Europe’s No 1 online sports news website – will continue to provide extensive digital coverage of the sport and Discovery Communications recent investment in Play Sports Group will ensure that Eurosport content is accessible to a wider digital community of cycling fans.

Peter Hutton, Eurosport CEO, said: “If you’re a cycling fan, Eurosport remains the only place to follow the sport. The cycling community is one of the most passionate and we are excited to offer them even more races and coverage than ever before – cementing our position as the Home of Cycling. This year we’ll show over 200 days of coverage for the first time with all the Grand Tours and one-day classics, starting with Milan–San Remo this weekend, but there is much more to come.”

He added: “We are delighted that for the very first time fans in Germany and the UK will receive localised coverage of the sport’s biggest event, the Tour de France. We know that fans appreciate dedicated coverage and we are committed to investing in our production so it best connects to a local audience and tells the cycling stories that matter to them.”

The first one-day classic of the season, Milan–San Remo, is live on Eurosport 2 this Saturday from 14:15 CET.

ENDS.

Notes to Editors

*Exclusive coverage across Europe and Australia. Within the home market of each race and Asia, Eurosport holds non-exclusive rights. Within the home market of Italian races, rights are yet to be attributed. Excludes coverage in France. 

Key cycling events on Eurosport in 2017:

Grand Tours

Giro d’Italia – May 5-28

Tour de France – July 1-23

Vuelta a España – August 19-Sept 10

 UCI World Tour

25 races, including all five ‘Monuments’, live between February and October. Including all five Monuments:

 *Milan–San Remo – Saturday, March 18

Tour of Flanders – Sunday, April 2

Paris–Roubaix – Sunday, April 9

Liège–Bastogne–Liège – Sunday, April 23

Giro di Lombardia – Saturday, October 7

Six Day Series

All five Six Day Series events including the final in Mallorca on March 17.