Cycling on ESPN

TV series or program

Cycling on ESPN

Genre| Multiple-stage bicycle racing
Starring| See commentators section
No. of seasons| 12
Production
Production locations| France and other countries
Camera setup| Multi-camera
Running time| 1 1/2 hours
Production company| ESPN Inc.
Original release
Network| ESPN
ESPN2
Release| 1988 (1988) –
July 24, 2000 (2000-07-24)
Related
Cycling on ABC

Cycling on ESPN is the de facto name for broadcasts of multiple-stage bicycle races airing on the ESPN cable television network.

## Overview[edit]

ESPN was the exclusive American cable television outlet for the annual Tour de France event from 1992-2000.[1] ESPN also broadcast the Tour DuPont race throughout the entirety of its existence from 1989 to 1996.[2][3][4] ESPN also provided coverage of the 1988 Coors International Bicycle Classic, the 1989 World Professional Cycling Championships from Chambéry, France,[5] the 1990 US Pro Cycling Championships in Philadelphia, and the 1996 U.S. Olympic Cycling Team Trials.[6]

### Tour de France coverage[edit]

Further information: Tour de France § Broadcasting

From 1989 to 1991, ESPN only provided three one-hour long highlight specials for each race. Meanwhile, ESPN's sister network, ABC had only provided coverage that recapped the previous week's action on their Saturday afternoon anthology series, Wide World of Sports also since 1989. Come 1992, ESPN announced that they would devote at least 16 hours to covering the Tour the France. All in all, it would be the most comprehensive coverage that an American television network devoted to the Tour de France up until that time.[7]

ESPN would air each stage on a same-day delay during the afternoon for the next 22 days. Instead of producing the broadcasts themselves from the ground up, ESPN relied on France's world feed.[8]

In 2001, ESPN and ABC would be supplanted by the Outdoor Life Network in broadcasting the Tour de France.[9][10][11][12]

## Commentators[edit]

See also: List of sports announcers § Cycling

* David Chauner[13]
* Brian Drebber[14]
* Adrian Karsten \- Karsten was known in the cycling community for his 'side-line' style reporting while anchoring during ESPN's broadcasts of the Tour de France. Karsten hosted the Tour de France from 1994 through 2000—more than any other American host.[15]
* Phil Liggett
* Lon McEachern
* Al Meltzer
* Peter Rogot[16]
* Paul Sherwen
* Barry Tompkins

## See also[edit]

* Sports broadcasting contracts in the United States#Cycling
* Cycling on ABC

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Tour de France 2000 Television schedule". ESPN. July 17, 2000.
2. ^ "ON THE AIR". The Washington Post. May 5, 1996.
3. ^ Shea, Jim (July 3, 1992). "ESPN STARTS CYCLE: TOTAL TOUR COVERAGE". The Hartford Courant.
4. ^ "Race set for return to Maryland Hagerstown is stop on Tour DuPont". The Baltimore Sun. October 22, 1992. Archived from the original on 2021-06-20.
5. ^ Lawler, Sylvia (October 26, 1989). "TV CYCLING ANNOUNCER FROM L.V. REALLY COVERS LEMOND INSIDE TELEVISION". The Morning Call.
6. ^ Blockus, Gary R. (June 10, 1996). "OLYMPIC CYCLING TRIALS END WITH 11 NOMINEES FOR TEAM * THE NAME OF MARTY NOTHSTEIN OF TREXLERTOWN IS A HIGHLIGHT OF THE LIST". The Morning Call.
7. ^ McKerrow, Steve (July 9, 1992). "ESPN peddles Tour de France with a French twist". The Baltimore Sun.
8. ^ Williams, Jennifer (July 3, 1992). "CYCLING COMING TO ESPN". Daily Press.
9. ^ Katz, Richard (July 30, 1999). "Outdoor Life rides on Tour". Variety.
10. ^ Wasko, Janet (7 June 2013). Understanding Disney: The Manufacture of Fantasy. ISBN 978-0745669045.
11. ^ Sayre, Evan (July 1, 2001). "Watch It With Us" (PDF). Queen City Wheels. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 8, 2021.
12. ^ Kunz, William M. (23 April 2020). The Political Economy of Sports Television. ISBN 9781000060447.
13. ^ Larimer, Terry (June 5, 1996). "ANNOUNCING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GAS FOR DREBBER HE WENT OFF THE BIKE, INTO THE ANNOUNCER'S BOOTH AND HAS KEPT ON TALKING". The Morning Call.
14. ^ Frothingham, Steve (August 23, 2018). "Race announcer Brian Drebber dies in motorcycle crash". Bicycle Retailer.
15. ^ Lowe, Felix (July 7, 2021). "TOUR DE FRANCE – RE-CYCLE: WHEN MAN MOUNTAIN EROS POLI CONQUERED MONT VENTOUX". Eurosport.
16. ^ "Deaths Elsewhere". Tampa Bay Times. April 11, 1994.

## External links[edit]

* Official website

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ESPN original programming

Scheduled shows|

* 30 for 30
* Around the Horn
* College Football Live
* E:60
* First Take
* ESPN Major League Baseball
* NBA Today
* NBA on ESPN
* ABC
* Wednesday
* Friday
* Saturday
* Sunday
* NFL on ESPN
* ABC
* Monday Night Football
* Manningcast
* NHL on ESPN
* ABC
* Pardon the Interruption
* SportsCenter
* The Pat McAfee Show
* Thursday Night Showcase
* WNBA on ESPN

Pregame and postgame|

* Baseball Tonight
* Big Monday
* College Football Final
* College GameDay Football
* College GameDay Basketball
* College Football Scoreboard
* ESPN College Football Saturday Primetime
* ESPN College Football Thursday Primetime
* ESPN Megacast
* Monday Night Baseball
* Monday Night Countdown
* NBA Countdown
* NFL Insiders
* NFL Live
* NFL Matchup
* NFL Primetime
* Saturday Primetime
* Sunday NFL Countdown
* Sunday Night Baseball
* Super Tuesday
* Wednesday Night Baseball
* Wednesday Night Hoops

Former programming|

* Arena Football League on ESPN
* AWA Championship Wrestling
* Battle of the Gridiron Stars
* Beg, Borrow & Deal
* BodyShaping
* Bonds on Bonds
* Bound for Glory
* Boxing on ESPN
* The Bronx Is Burning
* Cheap Seats
* The Contender
* Cycling on ESPN
* Dream Job
* ESPN SpeedWorld
* ESPN Sunday Night Football
* Global Supercard Wrestling
* Highly Questionable
* IndyCar Series on ESPN
* I'd Do Anything
* Jim Rome Is Burning
* The Jump
* Knight School
* MISL on ESPN
* MLS on ESPN
* NASCAR Countdown
* NASCAR on ESPN
* NASL on ESPN
* Nine for IX
* Outside the Lines
* Playmakers
* Shaquille
* SpeedWeek
* SportsCentury
* SportsNation
* The Sports Reporters
* Stump the Schwab
* Tilt
* The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...
* This Just In with Max Kellerman
* 2 Minute Drill
* Unscripted with Chris Connelly
* Up Close
* USFL on ESPN
* World Cup Live

* List of programs broadcast by ESPN

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Cycling on United States television

Broadcast networks|

* ABC
* CBS
* NBC

Cable networks|

* ESPN
* FS1
* NBCSN

Streaming services|

* FloSports
* NBC Sports Gold
* Peacock

Other networks|

* GCN

Related programs|

* CBS Sports Spectacular
* Sportsworld
* Wide World of Sports

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