Universal Sports Network will air more than 52 hours of exclusive LIVE multiplatform coverage of Spain’s premier cycling event, the 2014 Vuelta a España, beginning this Saturday, August 23, at 1 p.m. ET. LIVE coverage of the remaining 20 stages of the third and final Grand Tour of the season continues daily starting at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, August 24. The 69th edition of the Vuelta will air both on-air and online at Universal Sports.com to authenticated users.
Universal Sports’ coverage of the 2014 Vuelta a España will follow some of the world’s best cyclists on a mountainous course across Spain beginning Saturday, August 23, with the team time-trials commencing in the city of Jerez de la Frontera in southwestern Spain, and culminating Sunday, September 14, in the northwestern Galician capital Santiago de Compostela. The 2014 Vuelta champion will be crowned just 10 days prior to the start of the 2014 UCI Road World championships, also in Spain.
In addition to LIVE event coverage of the Vuelta, Universal Sports will present recap shows at 10 a.m. ET on both rest days, September 1 and 9, and following all 21 stages at 8 p.m. ET on September 19. The network will also present primetime re-airs of each stage daily.
Defending champion Chris Horner (Lampre-Merida), the first American to win the Vuelta, will return to Spain in search of a back-to-back title. Horner will face strong opposition from a star-studded field including Chris Froome (Sky) and Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp), who are both coming off of a disappointing Tour de France, Giro d’Italia winner Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and two-time champion Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) who is looking for his third Vuelta victory after missing last year’s race. Other GC favorites scheduled to compete for the red jersey include Quintana’s teammate and 2009 Vuelta winner Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Spaniard Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) and 2011 Tour winner Cadel Evans (BMC Racing).
The Universal Sports broadcast team will feature veteran announcer Steve Schlanger on play-by-play alongside analyst Todd Gogulski, who spent more than a decade racing professionally, including on the U.S. National team, and had more than 100 victories during his career.
Universal Sports is available on Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Verizon FiOS, satellite providers DIRECTV and DISH, and numerous regional cable and IPTV operators in markets across the country. To find Universal Sports in your channel lineup, please visit universalsports.com.
Universal Sports Network Broadcast Schedule: 2014 Vuelta a España
ALL TIMES ET – subject to change
DATE TIME (LIVE) EVENT Stage Profile
Aug. 23 1-3 p.m. Stage 1: Jerez de la Frontera / Jerez de la Frontera Team Time-Trial
Aug. 24 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 2: Algeciras / San Fernando Flat
Aug. 25 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 3: Cádiz /Arcos de la Frontera Hill
Aug. 26 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 4: Mairena del Alcor / Córdoba Hill
Aug. 27 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 5: Priego de Córdoba / Ronda Flat
Aug. 28 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 6: Benalmádena / La Zubia Mountain
Aug. 29 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 7: Alhendín / Alcaudete Hill
Aug. 30 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 8: Baeza / Albacete Flat
Aug. 31 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 9: Carboneras Guadazaón / Aramón Valdelinares Mountain
Sept. 1 10 a.m.-12 p.m. REST DAY: RE-CAP SHOW
Sept. 2 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 10: Real Monasterio de Santa María de Veruela / Borja Time-Trial
Sept. 3 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 11: Pamplona / Santuario de San Miguel de Aralar Mountain
Sept. 4 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 12: Logroño / Logroño Flat
Sept. 5 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 13: Belorado / Obregón. Parque de Cabàrceno Hill
Sept. 6 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 14: Santander / The Camperona. Valle de Sabero Mountain
Sept. 7 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 15: Oviedo / Lagos de Covadonga Mountain
Sept. 8 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 16: San Martín del Rey Aurelio / La Farrapona Mountain
Sept. 9 10 a.m.-12 p.m. REST DAY: RE-CAP SHOW
Sept. 10 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 17: Ortigueira / A Coruña Flat
Sept. 11 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 18: A Estrada / Monte Castrove. Meis Mountain
Sept. 12 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 19: Salvaterra do Miño / Cangas do Morrazo Hill
Sept. 13 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Stage 20: Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil / Puerto de Ancares Mountain
Sept. 14 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Stage 21: Santiago de Compostela / Santiago de Compostela Indiv. Time-Trail
Sept. 19 8-10 p.m. RE-CAP SHOW
