Quest for the Yellow Jersey Begins Across NBC Sports Group Properties

All 21 stages will air live on NBC or NBCSN. Live race coverage begins with stage 1 on Sat., July 5, at 6 a.m. ET on NBCSN. Exclusive features will be made available on the NBC Sports Tour de France Live mobile app. (Photo: AP Images)

NBC Sports Group presents live and primetime coverage of each stage of the 101st Tour de France, the world’s most prestigious and grueling cycling race, on NBC, NBCSN, and the NBC Sports Tour de France Live mobile app. Daily live coverage of the Tour de France begins Saturday, July 5, at 6 a.m. ET on NBCSN with Stage 1, and continues each night with the Tour Primetime show featuring a look at the day’s most compelling action with new analysis, interviews, and updates. Coverage culminates with the final stage Sunday, July 27, at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN.

The 2014 Tour de France features nine new stage cities, including a return to England for the first time since 2007. Chris Froome (Team Sky) looks to defend his 2013 Tour de France title against two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), and 25-year-old American Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp), who topped both Froome and Contador to win the 2014 Critérium du Dauphiné.

NBC Sports Group’s coverage features:

• All 21 stages live on NBC or NBCSN and NBC Sports Tour de France Live

• NBCSN, the primary home of the Tour de France, offers live coverage throughout the race, withTour Primetime, a nightly studio show

• NBC features coverage of Stages 1 (Leeds to Harrogate) and 2 (York to Sheffield) from the UK Saturday, July 5, at 2 p.m. ET and Sunday, July 6, at 4 p.m. ET, respectively; and live coverage of Stage 8 (Tomblain to Gérardmer La Mauselaine) on Saturday, July 12, at 8 a.m. ET; plus a special review show on Sunday, July 22 at 2 p.m. ET recapping the final stages of the epic race

Commentators

Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, the voices of cycling, will call the race action for the live shows with reporters Steve Schlanger, Carolyn Manno, and Steve Porino (‘Inside-the-Race’). Todd Harris will host nightly studio coverage with analysts Bob Roll and Christian Vande Velde.

Production

NBCSN will utilize several production features, including a pointer feature which will easily identify and focus on one rider in the peloton; exclusive, in-depth profiles and features on teams and riders; and an onscreen predicted time for the peloton riders who are trying to catch the leading riders. Coverage will also include reporting from the road via ‘Inside-the-Race’ correspondent Porino, who will offer updates on race situations from aboard a motorcycle on the course.

Digital Coverage

NBC Sports Group will surround its linear coverage with extensive digital coverage, including two premium-subscription products, one for desktops, and one for mobile devices and tablets.

NBC Sports Tour de France Live for desktops offers live streaming video of every stage online in full HD, with the ability to pause, rewind and slow-mo the video. While watching live coverage, viewers will also have access to a live GPS tracking map to follow the riders’ progress and to see an enhanced interactive map for each stage. Also, subscribers can personalize their Tour experience by choosing their favorite riders and teams to track throughout the Tour.

To experience the Tour de France on-the-go, fans can also separately purchase the NBC Sports Tour de France Live mobile and tablet app, which is available for iPhone and iPad, as well as Android devices. All the features of the NBC Sports Tour de France Live online experience for desktops will be mirrored in the NBC Sports Tour de France Live app, including live video of every stage. The app is sold separately from the online product.