Universal Sports Going Cycling in Spain

The Tour de France gets all the love from the casual cycling viewer, but hardcore fans want more. That is where the smaller cable sports networks come in. Universal Sports is trying to carve out a nice of its own in the cycling space, and a big part of that is its coverage of Spain’s big three-week tour: the Vuelta a Espana.

The event kicks off Saturday, August 28 with a pre-show at 3:30 PM ET followed by stage 1 coverage at 4 PM. Coverage will continue on the network every day at 10 AM through the remainder of the race, concluding Sept. 19. Universal Sports will air a replay nightly in primetime.

Steve Schlanger has been tapped for play-by-play with Todd Gogulski-a former teammate of Lance Armstrong and Greg LeMond-providing analysis.

Hoping to generate some extra revenue from hardcore fans, Universal Sports will also be streaming every stage, along with highlights, recaps and live updates on rider locations… for $14.99.

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