| MUMBAI:
Eurosport has announced that it has acquired broadcast rights to a comprehensive
range of cycling events, including the three major world tours - Tour de France,
Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España - and key races in the global professional
cycling calendar for sports fans in the Asia-Pacific. In
addition to new live broadcast rights, Eurosport also acquired the rights to live
stream these cycling events on the Internet and to mobile devices in the region.
"These
are multi-year deals, mostly exclusive, that will put Eurosport in the forefront
of live sports television in this region," said Eurosport MD, Asia-Pacific,
Arjan Hoekstra. "This
will also make us one of the leading sports channels to offer Asia-Pacific viewers
with the most comprehensive range of top cycling events from around the world.
We understand that many sports viewers across the Asia-Pacific are dedicated cycling
fans and we responded to this market demand by aggressively acquiring live broadcast
rights to top-tier cycling properties," Hoekstra added. The
2009 season of the Tour de France will be available live on Eurosport in selected
Asia-Pacific countries namely India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines,
Myanmar, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Brunei. Hong Kong will begin live broadcast coverage
of the Tour in 2010. Viewers
across Asia-Pacific with access to Eurosport can enjoy live coverage of world-class
cycling events of:
Tour de France: (Tour of France) - Beginning
in Monaco this year and passing through five nations, the 3,445 kilometre race
covers seven mountain stages, finishing at the famous landmark, Champs-Élysées
in Paris. Seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong may compete in the race again. Giro
d'Italia: (Tour of Italy) - Known as The Giro, the long-distance road race
is held in Italy over three weeks encompassing May and early June. It is the second-most
important stage race after the Tour de France. Last year, The Giro captivated
250 million viewers from more than 140 countries. Vuelta
a España: (Tour of Spain) - A three-week road cycling stage race that
forms part of the Grand Tours of Europe.
Paris-Nice: Also known
as The Race to the Sun, it is a professional cycling stage race held in France,
from towns near Paris to the southern coastal city of Nice. Paris-Roubaix:
A classic road cycling event starting in the French city Compiègne and
ending in the northern city of Roubaix near the Belgian border. The courses rough
terrain and cobblestones earned it the name of The Hell of the North. La
Flèche Wallonne: A men's major professional road cycling race held
in Belgium. Liège-Bastogne-Liège:
One of the oldest classic road cycling events that takes place in Belgium. Racers
compete in a roundtrip course between Liège and Bastogne. Paris-Tours:
A single-day race from Paris to Tours in central France. This race is also known
as the Sprinters Classic for its flat course and sprinting finishes. Tour
of Qatar: A six-stage road cycling race held in Qatar and is part of the UCI
Asia Tour.
Tirreno-Adriatico: Known as the Race of the Two Seas,
the elite cycling event follows a route between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts
of Italy. It is considered an important preparation race for the Milan-San Remo
classic. Milan-San
Remo: Also known as the Spring Classic, the 294 km course between Milan and
San Remo is the longest one-day professional race.
Giro di Lombardia:
(Tour of Lombardy) - The last major cycling race in the European calendar. | 
