Here’s the free-to-air satellite details for the first big French cycle race of the year. Please add any updates in the comments, particularly any ITV coverage. Update: RAI Sport Sat (13e) seems to have coverage at similar times to the (encrypted now) France 4.
Sun 09.03 Prologue: Individual Time Trial Amily (5 km) France 4 13:40 – 15:00 (live?); France 3 15:00 – 15:35 (live?); ZDF 16:15 approx -17:00, in ZDF SPORTextra (highlights?); Eurosport 23:30 – 0:15 (highlights);
Mon 10.03 1st stage: Amily-Nevers (185 km) Eurosport 15:00 – 16:45; France 4 15:25 – 16:35;
Tue 11.03 1st stage highlights: Amily-Nevers (185 km) Eurosport 14:30 – 15:00; 2nd stage: Nevers-Belleville (201 km) Eurosport 15:00 – 16:45; France 4 15:25 – 16:35;
Wed 12.03 3rd stage: Fleurie-Saint Étienne (165,5 km) Eurosport 14:30 – 16:15; France 4 15:25 – 16:35;
Thu 13.034th stage: Montélimar-Mont Ventoux (176 km) Eurosport 15:30 – 16:45; France 4 15:25 – 16:35;
Fri 14.03 5th stage: Althen des Paluds-Sisteron (172,5 km) France 4 15:25 – 16:35 (live); Eurosport 17:15 -18:00 (highlights);
Sat 15.03 6th stage: Sisteron-Cannes (206 km) France 4 15:25 – 16:35 (live); Eurosport 17:15 -18:15 (highlights);
Sun 16.03 7th stage: Nice-Nice (119 km) France 3 15:05 – 16:55 (live); Eurosport 20:00 – 21:00 (highlights);
Mon 17.03 7th stage highlights: Nice-Nice (119 km) Eurosport 13:15 -14:15
All times CET. France 3 and 4 are at 5 west (in French), Eurosport is at 19 east (German digital, German and English analogue) and ZDF is at 13 and 19 east (in German). Sources: France 4 Sport, Eurosport.DE, ZDF
According to KingOfSat France 4 went encrypted late last year, which is rather irritating. Naughty France Televisions! I’ll leave their times up because RAI Sport Sat has live coverage today and tomorrow with similar times to France 4 (once the skiing finishes, I guess…), and I suspect they may be similar for the rest of the race.
Comment by MJ Ray — 2008-03-09 @ 12:43+00:00
RAI Sport Sat do indeed seem to be broadcasting roughly at France 4’s times, according to teletext. I’m currently unable to verify the picture, due to the storms having knocked my dish out of line again (I’m less than a mile inland, so it’s getting the full force and I only did a temporary fix to the elevation last time).
Comment by MJ Ray — 2008-03-12 @ 02:11+00:00
Been up the ladder last night and did a quick fix. All’s well for now. Must go up and do a two-handed fix and try to make the fixing really tight soon.
Comment by MJ Ray — 2008-03-13 @ 11:15+00:00