Giro d’Italia Donne organisers have confirmed that they will provide a live television and streaming broadcast of the 10-day event, however, the only racing that fans can expect to see will be the last 15 kilometres of each stage, held from July 2-11.
The event organisers have confirmed to Cyclingnews that the UCI approved the live broadcasting of the final 15km of each stage because it fits inside a broader live 60-minute package that also includes the podium ceremony and post-race rider interviews and analysis.
"Yes, roughly [15km], it depends on the length of the race," a representative of the organisation wrote to Cyclingnews. "The length of the live is 60 minutes. A live show that also includes the finish line with the award ceremony and the first interviews with the winning athletes."
Organisers also told Cyclingnews that they aim to offer more than 15km of the actual race itself in its live broadcasting in future editions. "Yes, this it the plan."
Organisers of what was formerly known as the Giro Rosa failed to offer live broadcasting of the event at all in 2020, and alongside other organisational concerns, the event was downgraded from a Women's WorldTour to the 2.ProSeries.
Organisers that wish to be part of the Women's WorldTour must provide 45 minutes of live television, in addition to the post-race highlight and broadcast reels. The UCI mandated this beginning last year to help raise the level of viewership and professionalism of the races, and to meet the fast-growing demands of fans interested in watching the top-tier women's cycling on live platforms.
Pulse Media Group (PMG Sport), that have taken over as organisers of the newly-named Giro d'Italia Donne alongside Federazione Ciclistica Italiana (FCI), revealed on its revamped website in May that it was committed to branding and marketing initiatives, and they promised better security and roughly 30-minutes of live broadcasting, all in an effort to win back its status on the Women's WorldTour.
A ProSeries-level race is not required to guarantee a live broadcast, however, to get back into the UCI Women’s WorldTour next year, it would have had to meet the live broadcasting requirement.
According to race organisers, the UCI approved the 15km of live race-specific coverage. In addition, the UCI has already announced the inclusion of the Giro d'Italia Donne to the 2022 Women's WorldTour and it is set to take place from July 1-10, 2022.
"The decision of UCI to bring the Giro d’Italia Donne back into the Women’s World Tour in 2022 is a great piece of news that the Giro and all the athletes deserved to receive and that confirms our desire right from this year to invest all the available means to give the right value to this great sporting event," said Roberto Ruini, founder of PMG Sport and General Manager of the Giro d’Italia Donne.
The amount of actual racing that will be available to fans with in the live coverage is just 15 kilometres at the end of each stage. Organisers have confirmed that it will be wrapped into a larger 60-minute programme of analysis and interviews, which will likely piece together how the rest of the race unfolded.
"For the first time in its history, the last 15 km of each stage of the Giro d'Italia Donne can be followed live every day," stated in the press release.
"A live broadcast of about an hour with the most important passages of the stage, updates of the classification, comments of the guests in the studio, to get to the final finish line and the awards ceremony with the first interviews with the winning athletes."
Giro d'Italia Donne's broadcast can be followed daily with a start time varying between 14:15 to 15:15 CET, depending on the stages, on PMG Sport channels; website, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Giro d'Italia Donne's official website, Repubblica, Tutobiciweb, and throughout Europe on Eurosport Player and on Global Cycling Network (GCN) , where subscription costs apply, covering 190 countries worldwide.
In addition, a format will be produced with the highlights of each stage in 50 minutes that will be broadcast on TV in Italy on Rai Sport HD in the evening with variable schedules, and on Eurosport 1 and online on tg.la7.it and on Bwin TV, media partner of the event together with Corriere dello Sport - Stadio and Tuttosport.
The 50 minutes will also be simulcast (TV and digital) throughout Latin America on Claro TV, in the UK on BBC, in Australia on SBS TV, in New Zealand on Spark Sport, in South Africa on SABC Sport, in the Netherlands on NOS TV, in Romania on SportExtra, while in Asia it will be televised in 69 countries by Eurosport. In addition, Rai2 will broadcast a 10-minute summary as part of Tour Replay.
"This year, which sees us in the forefront also as organizers, we have significantly expanded the potential audience, thanks to a global distribution of national and international broadcasters and streaming media never seen before," said Ruini.
"In addition, for the first time we broadcast live the last 15km of the race, a further productive effort to pursue the goal, shared with FCI and UCI to give maximum prominence to a historic sporting event and all its protagonists."
