NBC Sports, Peacock to remain exclusive U.S. home of Tour de France

By Clanders1Feb 15, 2023, 10:47 AM EST

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NBC Sports, Peacock and the Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) today announced a six-year extension for exclusive U.S. media rights for the Tour de France.

Beginning with the 111^th Tour de France in June 2024, Peacock will become the exclusive home of the Tour de France in the United States through 2029 with live start-to-finish coverage of every stage. Select stages will also simulcast live on NBC throughout the three-week event. Daily coverage on Peacock will include NBC Sports-produced pre- and post-race studio shows, full-stage replays, highlights, stage recaps, rider interviews, and more.

As part of its previous agreement, NBC Sports and Peacock will present full live coverage of 110th Tour de France this summer (July 1-23, 2023). NBC Sports’ full coverage schedule for the 2023 Tour de France will be announced in the coming months.

“We’re excited to reach this long-term agreement with A.S.O. to present the world’s most prestigious cycling event live on Peacock for years to come,” said Jon Miller, President, Acquisitions and Partnerships, NBC Sports. “With the Tour de France and our extensive cycling portfolio, we are proud to continue as the home of cycling in the United States, while continuing to bolster Peacock’s best-in-class slate of live sports programming.”

“We are delighted to be able to extend our long-term partnership with NBCUniversal, which promotes the Tour de France and all the major A.S.O. sporting events to the American public on a cross-platform basis, including women’s cycling such as the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift that NBC Sports has supported since the first edition in July 2022. The combined coverage via Peacock, which will show the entire races from the beginning to the end, and network television, will ensure that everyone has access to the best of world cycling. Super fans won’t miss any of the twists and turns that cycling holds. NBC Sports will remain the home of cycling in the United States for another six years and in 2029 we will celebrate the 29th anniversary of a historic partnership that is proof of America’s sincere love for cycling and the Tour,” declared Yann Le Moenner, CEO of A.S.O.

As part of the agreement, NBC Sports will present many additional A.S.O. events throughout the year, including cycling events such as La Vuelta a España, which is the final Grand Tour event of the year following the Tour de France, La Vuelta Feminina by Carrefour.es, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the Spring Classics including the men’s and women’s Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, the Ardennaises Classics (men and women) that are La Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Criterium du Dauphine, and Paris Tours. Also included are the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, the world’s second-largest marathon, and the Dakar Rally, the world’s most challenging off-road endurance race.

Comcast/NBC Sports has served as the U.S. home of the Tour de France since 2001.

Primoz Roglic triumphs at Tirreno-Adriatico for winning return from injury

Associated PressMar 12, 2023, 1:30 PM EDT

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SAN BENEDETTO DEL TRONTO, Italy — Primož Roglič made a winning return to cycling as he triumphed at the week-long Tirreno-Adriatico for a fourth Slovenian victory in five editions at “The Race of the Two Seas.”

It was Roglič’s first race of the season after the Jumbo-Visma rider underwent shoulder surgery last year.

“It’s just nice to come back to racing this way. I really enjoyed the whole week,” Roglič said. “My teammates were super strong.

“One week ago I was just expecting to suffer. It’s even better to win when it’s unexpected. It feels good ahead of the Giro d’Italia too.”

After winning the previous three stages to build up a significant advantage, Roglič protected his lead and finished safely in the peloton during Stage 7 to end the week-long race 18 seconds ahead of João Almeida of Portugal and 23 seconds ahead of British cyclist Tao Geoghegan Hart.

Roglič won the Tirreno in 2019. Fellow Slovenian Tadej Pogačar won the two previous editions but the two-time defending champion was competing at the Paris-Nice race which he won.

Belgian cyclist Jasper Philipsen won a bunch sprint to take the stage win. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider edged out Dylan Groenewegen and Alberto Dainese.

It was Philipsen’s second sprint victory at this year’s Tirreno, setting him up as one of the favorites for next weekend’s Milan-San Remo race.

“I was dying in the end, my legs felt really painful, but I’m happy that I could keep it to the finish,” Philipsen said.

“The sprint stage is always different from a classic like San Remo but of course we have some confidence. We have a strong team I think. So now it’s good to take some time off, recover a little bit and try to be on top level.”

There was an early breakaway in the 154-kilometer (96-mile) route that started and finished in San Benedetto del Tronto but the eight riders were caught with just over 3 kilometers (2 miles) remaining.

Pogacar tops Gaudu, Vingegaard to win Paris-Nice

Associated PressMar 12, 2023, 12:09 PM EDT

NICE, France — An impressive Tadej Pogacar clinched the final stage with a solo escape to win the week-long Paris-Nice.

David Gaudu finished second overall, 53 seconds behind Pogacar, while Jonas Vingegaard was third at 1 minute, 39 seconds back.

Pogacar attacked during the climb of Col d’Eze with 18 kilometers (11.2 miles) to go, finishing the eighth stage 33 seconds ahead of a small group made up of Vingegaard, Gaudu, Simon Yates and Matteo Jorgenson.

The Slovenian rider completed the 118-kilometer trek around Nice in 2 hours, 51 minutes, 2 seconds, crossing the finish line with both arms raised before taking a bow in front of the crowd and clapping his hands.

Pogacar now has a slight mental edge over Vingegaard, also outclassing him last October to win the Tour of Lombardy.

The duel between Pogacar and Vingegaard has become one of the biggest rivalries in cycling. Vingegaard finished second behind Pogacar in the 2021 Tour de France. But the Danish rider managed to beat Pogacar in the 2022 Tour de France for his first major title.

Vingegaard still has time to hit peak form. The Tour de France starts July 1.

Pogacar is the current leader in the UCI men’s road racing world rankings.

Pogacar and Vingegaard both started the season well. Last month in Spain, Pogacar won the Tour of Andalucia while Vingegaard won the O Gran Camino. Pogacar took the yellow jersey by winning the fourth stage. He dumped Vingegaard in the climb of La Loge des Gardes. Only Gaudu could stay on Pogacar’s wheel.

The two-time Tour de France winner extended his overall lead by taking Stage 7, beating Gaudu and Vingegaard in a small sprint atop Col de la Couillole.

French rider Gaudu finished fourth overall in the 2022 Tour de France but failed to finish in the past two editions of Paris-Nice.

The next race on the UCI World Tour is the Milan-San Remo classic on March 18.