Cycling Fans on Satellite Pro-cycling satellite race coverage

So, it’s Co-operatives Fortnight in the UK, but the tour is underway! I’ll post more details a bit later, but from channel-hopping, the headline channels are: France 2 (5w), Eurosport (19e), itv4 (28e), RAI Tre and RAI Sport (13e).

The 2011 Amgen Tour of California starts today. Probably. If the snow lets it. Watch the 2011 Tour of California live coverage details page on the main site for updates.

As I mentioned in passing on the Giro d’Italia article, it’s being covered in itv4 (28e) at 22:00 BST each night by Real Peloton‘s Ned Boulting and Matt Rendell which really should be a great watch. Given their belief that they’d have a fantastic 3-minute commentary career, I assume the main commentary is coming from someone like Phil and Paul.

There was an on-screen graphic during the Giro today saying that Eurosport (19e) would have live coverage from 23:00 CET tonight, but that’s not reflected in the web listings just now (tabletennis, it says), which just show a highlights show before tomorrow’s Giro live coverage.

Have you spotted coverage on any other European Free-to-air Satellite TV channels? Please leave me a comment and let me know.

And here’s the first grand tour of 2011, the Giro d’Italia.

As for free-to-air Satellite TV, the Giro is on both RAI 3 and Sport 2 (13e) (thanks Bernie S), as well as Eurosport (19e).

In general, RAI seem to cover the whole thing (including build-up) on Sport 1 or 2 from the start of coverage, then on RAI Tre from 15.45 while Eurosport starts at some point between 14:15 (most days) and 15:45 (today, Saturday). Both have highlights most nights with repeats the following morning about 0915 on RAI Sport and 1000 on Eurosport.

I’m not seeing the Giro listed on any UK or French television (itv’s Ned Boulting tweeted that the Giro was “eye-wateringly expensive”), but as an added bonus, I have just spotted stage 5 of Les 4 jours de Dunkerque on Direct 8 (19e) at 1530 CET tomorrow (Sunday 8 May). I think it may be on France 3, but I didn’t work out if it’s on the free satellite version or only some regional ones.

Have you seen the Giro on other free TV channels? Please leave me a comment and let us know where.

So the World Tour FreeTV cycling season starts in earnest with Paris-Nice, the race to the sun. You can watch the race every day on France 3 (5w), from about 13:30 CET for the first stage, 16:10 CET during the week.

Eurosport (19e) also has live coverage from Monday, but only highlights in the evening today (Sunday 6 March, the first stage).

There will be a race review on itv4 (28e) at some future date, but I didn’t find it in their schedule yet. I think it’s been something like a month after the race in previous years!

The race organisers list Eurovision as a media sponsor, so it might be on other channels too. Have you seen satellite free TV coverage elsewhere?

Grand Tour Time! The first one of 2010 kicks off. As you’d expect, the Tour of Italy starts anywhere except Italy: this year it’s Amsterdam.

Coverage is where you’d expect: Rai Tre daily from 1515 CET, with preview before that, aftershow after it and highlights later on Rai Sport Pìu, both free-to-air at 13e. See Rai Teletext’s sport page for exact details.

It’s also on Eurosport at 19e if you prefer it in German or that’s where your dish is pointing.

Sadly, once again, it seems that none of the free-to-air French or English channels are showing the Giro. Come on itv4 – home of cycling, but only one grand tour?