Tour de France 2011 TV Coverage

Tour de France 2011 TV Coverage

The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race that covers more than 3,500 kilometres (2,200mi) throughout France and a bordering country. The race usually lasts 23 days and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken down into day-long segments, called stages. Individual times to finish each stage are totalled to determine the overall winner for the race. The rider with the least elapsed time each day wears a yellow jersey. The course changes every year but it has always finished in Paris. There are similar races in Italy and Spain but the Tour de France is the oldest, the most prestigious and the best known.

Tour de France 2011 TV Coverage – UK TV Coverage of the Tour de France

The Tour de France will be broadcast on ITV (mainly on ITV4) with many of the stages live

ITV4 is available for free on Freeview, cable and satellite systems. ITV4 HD is available via satellite with a Sky HD TV subscription
package.

Eurosport (and Eurosport HD) will be covering all stages live. The Tour de France will be shown live on ITV4 and British Eurosport, with a comprehensive package of television coverage for British viewers.

British Eurosport’s coverage comprises of live action footage, plus an edited highlights show each evening.

British Eurosport is available on cable and satellite systems. It requires a Sky subscription on satellite TV.

British Eurosport HD is available the Sky HD satellite systems. It requires a Sky HD subscription.

Tour de France 2011 TV Coverage – Spanish TV Coverage of the Tour de France

Spanish TV channels will also be covering Le Tour – normally TVE 1, 2, and Teledeporte. These all available for free.

The 2011 Tour de France route

The route

Running from Saturday July 2nd to Sunday July 24th 2011, the 98th Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,471 kilometres (before approval).

These stages have the following profiles:
•10 flat stages,
•6 mountain stages and 4 summit finishes,
•3 medium mountain stages,
•1 individual time-trial stage (41 km).
•1 team time-trial stage (23 km).

Distinctive aspects of the race
•le Galibier climbed twice,
•2 rest days,
•23 level 2, 1 or highest level mountain passes or summit finishes,
•no bonuses will be awarded during the intermediate sprints and stage finishes.

The stages of the 2011 Tour de France
1 Prologue Saturday 2 July Passage du Gois La Barre-de-Monts – Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers 191 km
2 Team TT Sunday 3 July Les Essarts – Les Essarts 23 km
3 Plain Monday 4 July Olonne-sur-Mer – Redon 198 km
4 Plain Tuesday 5 July Lorient – Mûr-de-Bretagne 172 km
5 Plain Wednesday 6 July Carhaix – Cap Fréhel 158 km
6 Plain Thursday 7 July Dinan – Lisieux 226 km
7 Plain Friday 8 July Le Mans – Châteauroux 215 km
8 Medium mountains Saturday 9 July Aigurande – Super-Besse Sancy 190 km
9 Medium mountains Sunday 10 July Issoire – Saint-Flour 208 km
R Rest Day Monday 11 July Le Lioran Cantal
10 Plain Tuesday 12 July Aurillac – Carmaux 161 km
11 Plain Wednesday 13 July Blaye-les-Mines – Lavaur 168 km
12 High Mountains Thursday 14 July Cugnaux – Luz-Ardiden 209 km
13 High Mountains Friday 15 July Pau – Lourdes 156 km
14 High Mountains Saturday 16 July Saint-Gaudens – Plateau de Beille 168 km
15 Plain Sunday 17 July Limoux – Montpellier 187 km
R Rest Day Monday 18 July Département de la Drôme
16 Medium mountains Tuesday 19 July Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux – Gap 163 km
17 High Mountains Wednesday 20 July Gap – Pinerolo 179 km
18 High Mountains Thursday 21 July Pinerolo – Galibier Serre-Chevalier 189 km
19 High Mountains Friday 22 July Modane – Valfréjus – Alpe-d’Huez 109 km
20 Individual time-trial Saturday 23 July Grenoble – Grenoble 41 km
21 Plain Sunday 24 July Créteil – Paris Champs-Élysées 160 km