Versus will provide eight days of live and taped coverage of the Tour of California starting Sunday, with Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen providing commentary and Bob Roll as the in-race reporter for the premier United States road race.
Since Versus started airing coverage of the Tour of California in 2007, the network has seen average viewership growth of 46 percent. Last year’s race saw the number of viewers tuning in to the network’s daily coverage double from 2007 (3 million vs. 1.5 million), the network announced in a press release.
Versus will give viewers unprecedented access to the competition with in-depth profiles on the race’s top riders, including American cyclist and three-time Tour of California winner Levi Leipheimer, two-time Tour de France runner-up Andy Schleck, three-time Tour of California runner-up Dave Zabriskie and Green Jersey winner at the Tour de France Thor Hushovd. The network will also create unique, animated cycling segments to provide viewers with a better understanding of the sport’s terminology and flow of the race. Other enhancements include a pointer feature which will easily identify and focus on specific riders in the 140-plus peloton.
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