Cycling fans will be treated to action from three bike races in the upcoming weeks on both the computer screen and the TV screen.
Versus is offering a delayed broadcast of the 3-stage Tour of Ireland running Friday through Sunday and featuring comeback cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Then Universal Sports provides the 64th edition of the Vuelta a Espana from Aug. 29 through Sept. 20 as a live online videofeed and cable broadcast in the morning, followed by another cable broadcast later in the day.
At the same time, from Sept. 7 through 13, Universal is offering a live cable broadcast and an online streaming videofeed of the Tour of Missouri.
Watch and enjoy
These are amazing times for our ability to watch cycling on cable and computers, so we might as well enjoy it.
All three Grand Tours were offered this year — the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta by Universal Sports and the Tour de France by Versus. There also was TV coverage on Versus of the Tour of California.
Tour of Ireland
Here's the schedule of the Tour of Ireland. In addition to Armstrong, 10-time Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish will compete for Team Columbia. Also, last year's winner Marco Pinotti, also of Columbia, will be on hand to defend the title he earned last year.
Stage 1 — 196km, The Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, Enniskerry to Waterford : Friday, August 21st @ 6PM ET/3PM PT
Stage 2 — 196km, Clonmel to Killarney : Saturday, August 22nd @ 5PM ET/ 2PM PT
Stage 3 — 184km, Bantry to Cork City : Sunday, August 23rd @ 4PM ET/ 1PM PT
Vuelta a Espana
Universal Sports has posted the roster for three week Grand Tour around Spain. It contains mainly cycling luminaries, although neither Armstrong nor defending champion Alberto Contador will be on hand to represent Astana.
Among the US cyclists who will be riding are Chris Horner, Astana; and Tom Danielson, Thomas Peterson, Christian Vande Velde [although officially on the roster, he may defend title in Missouri instead], and Tyler Farrar from Team Garmin.
See the schedule on the Universal Sports-Cycling page for videostream and cable broadcast times.
Tour of Missouri
This is the third Tour of Missouri, which runs Sept. 7 through 13. Defending champ Christian Vande Velde won't be there, as he's riding for Garmin at the Vuelta. But inaugural Tour winner George Hincapie is expected to compete, as will his Columbia teammate Cavendish.
An interesting contest at the Tour of Missouri will be the rivalry between Cavendish and Norway's Thor Hushovd, who won the points jersey at this year's Tour de France.
You can check start times for the 2009 Tour of Missouri at the race website, or check back later to the schedule at the Universal Sports-Cycling webpage.
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