Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Annemiek van Vleuten and Amanda Spratt on the podium (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Trek and Voxwomen announced Monday that they have partnered to provide a one-hour post-race highlights and commentary reel for each stage of the 2019 Giro Rosa, starting July 5 and concluding on July 14. The event is largely recognised as the only women's Grand Tour because it is 10 days and covers some of the most mountainous terrain in Italy, but organisers have faced criticism over a lack of limited live coverage that makes it difficult for fans of the sport to follow the race.
"The time is now for more women’s cycling," Trek Director of Sports Marketing Tim Vanderjeugd said in a press release. “The world is witnessing some of the best bike racing ever in the women's peloton, and we feel a responsibility to provide more opportunities to watch it happen. Exposure is huge for cultivating the sport, and that combined with first-class athlete support is a true recipe for growth in women’s professional cycling."
Trek and Voxwomen episodes will air online shortly after the conclusion of the day's Tour de France stage and will include English commentary, stage previews with Trek-Segafredo director sportifs Ina Teutenberg and Girogia Bronzini, highlights from the full Giro Rosa stage, and post-race content, according to the press release.
The broadcast will be produced and managed by Voxwomen and easily accessible globally (except in Italy) on Trek’s racing page and Voxwomen’s website, according to the press release.
The news comes after the organisers of the 10-day race announced on its website that it could not offer full live streaming but that the broadcasters RAISport would provide window highlights on TV during live coverage of the Tour de France.
"Unfortunately, Giro Rosa Iccrea does not yet have the space and media coverage of its male equivalent (so far)," organisers wrote on the event website last week. "The Giro Rosa Iccrea will be broadcast by RaiSport and will have live windows during the live broadcast of the Tour de France (July 6-28) on RaiSport and Rai2. You can also follow the updates that will be published during the race on the Giro's social networks: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram."
Trek has previously provided free broadcasts of DVV cyclocross races and the Jens Voigt hour record. The one-hour post-race broadcast of the Giro Rosa will bring an additional and welcomed element of post-race highlights.
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"We are extremely excited to bring the Giro Rosa to fans of women’s cycling,” said Voxwomen founder Anthony McCrossan. “We have seen increased calls from fans, riders, and teams to put women’s cycling on a platform that makes it easily accessible for viewers."
This year's edition of the Giro Rosa will be one of the toughest in the event's history. It will feature summit finishes on the Passo di Gavia and at Malga Montasio, while there will also be a tough hilltop finale to the concluding stage in Udine.
Cyclingnews will provide detailed race reports, results and galleries after each stage, along with related news and features.
