The International Cycling Union (UCI) has announced that all nine races in the Women Road World Cup will be broadcast worldwide in 2014, in what the governing body claims is an unprecedented development for women’s cycling.
The UCI said packages produced by UK-based VSquared TV have already been acquired by the likes of UK public-service broadcaster the BBC, Italian state broadcaster Rai Sports, Dutch public-service broadcaster NOS and French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus.
The UCI added “positive discussions” are ongoing with a range of other broadcasters, while coverage will also be available for the internet, including on the UCI’s YouTube channel.
News roundups and highlights packages will be produced from each of the World Cup’s nine rounds. In addition, throughout the season six features will be made about women involved in high level cycling.
UCI president Brian Cookson said: “This is an exciting and positive year for women’s cycling. With the launch in 2014 of La Course by Le Tour de France on the last day of the Tour de France and now this increased visibility of our leading professional women’s cycling series, it is clear that real momentum is building.”
The UCI Women Road World Cup commences in the Netherlands on March 15 with Boels Rental Ronde van Drenthe and will finish with the GP de Plouay-Bretagne in France on August 30.