The RCS Sport agency, organiser and commercial rights-holder of the Giro d’Italia, has agreed a deal with the Velon umbrella group of WorldTour cycling teams under which on-bike footage will be delivered for this year’s edition of Italy’s ‘Grand Tour’ event, which commences tomorrow (Saturday).
Under the deal, Velon will deliver the footage for RCS Sport across eight of the Giro d’Italia’s 21 stages. These will include the team time trial on stage one; stage two, which has a possible sprint finish; the hill stages of four, nine, 12, and 15; and the mountain stages of 16 – the Queen Stage – and 20, which features the Colle delle Finestre.
Velon consists of roughly two thirds of the 17 elite WorldTour teams. All 11 member teams will be at the Giro d’Italia in the shape of BMC Racing Team, Etixx – Quick-Step, Lampre – Merida, Lotto Soudal, Orica GreenEDGE, Team Cannondale – Garmin, Team Giant – Alpecin, Team Lotto NL – Jumbo, Team Sky, Tinkoff – Saxo and Trek Factory Racing.
The agreement allows on-board camera footage to be shown during Giro d'Italia television coverage and on the event website, digital media sites and social media profiles. The Velon teams may show race highlights on their websites and digital media channels, with images also appearing on the organisation’s website velon.cc.
The VeloNews website said Velon teams will benefit financially from the deal, with the introduction of onboard video and other broadcast improvements having been a focus of Velon since its inception last November. The teams carrying cameras on each stage will be announced throughout the race.
RCS Sport's Giro d’Italia director, Mauro Vegni, said: “It has always been important for us to bring fans close to the action and new technologies are making it possible to bring them into the peloton and show the Giro d’Italia, the hardest race in the world's most beautiful place, in a whole new perspective to fans all around the world.”
RCS Sport has said the 98th Giro d’Italia , which starts from the Italian Riviera on Saturday and concludes in Milan on May 31, will be televised around the world in 171 countries. Long-standing host broadcaster, state operator Rai, will base its coverage around three hours of live programming for every stage.