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mareblu

This is the latest info on OLNTV

Cyclysm Sundays
Lance's announcement had to come as good news to the folks at OLN, who, while giving the Giro d'Italia the one-hour-a-week treatment this year, will still be broadcasting live Tour coverage each and every day. Welcome to the new "Cyclysm Sundays," airing every Sunday at 5 p.m.

"Cyclysm Sundays" will feature same-day coverage of many major cycling races, including the spring Classics, and will be hosted by Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen and Bob Roll - OLN's rotating team of cycling experts. (What? No Al Trautwig? Maybe for the Tour. Let us pray.)

Armstrong has announced he will compete in Paris-Nice, the Tour of Flanders, the Tour of Georgia and the Tour de France, all which are part of OLN's "Cyclysm Sundays" schedule.

"Cycling is hugely important to OLN, and the spring Classics are some of the most exciting races out there," said Gavin Harvey, president of OLN. "By presenting cycling every Sunday, we're creating a basis for the entire season. Fans, even those who only recently caught the cycling bug, can turn to OLN to watch the season unfold and experience the building drama of this punishing sport."

That's cool, Gavin. We've met, and you're a nice guy. I know you're doing what you think is best for the network. But man, this hurts. Bring back live daily coverage of the Giro and the Vuelta, and we're hunky dory. As it is, I'm not sure if I can justify the $45 I spend each month on basic cable, largely for OLN. It used to be a guarantee that, from May through September, we would see daily coverage of the three grand tours, rebroadcast ad nauseum, as well as some Classics and domestic events sprinkled in there. Now, we're looking at cycling coverage once a week, at a time that I'm not likely to be watching. And since I can't afford TiVo, I guess I'll have to set the VCR...

In addition to race coverage, Cyclysm Sundays will feature a weekly update on Lance Armstrong and the Discovery Pro Cycling Team; training tips from Chris Carmichael, Armstrong's personal coach; and coverage of something OLN is calling the "National Championship Series," a U.S.-based cycling series in which "the top domestic cyclist is crowned at the end of each season."

Hmm, do they mean USA Cycling's National Racing Calendar (NRC), or has OLN created its own national series?

The format of Cyclysm Sundays will change somewhat in June, when the show focuses mainly on previewing the Tour de France.

"We're excited about this new format," said John Carter, vice president of production and executive producer. "It's going to be a fantastic showcase for Lance's team as they take on the heaviest schedule ever for these great classic races."

The race schedule for Cyclysm Sundays is as follows (same-day unless indicated; subject to change):
March 6th Paris-Nice (France)
March 13th Paris-Nice (France)
March 20th Milan San Remo (Italy)/Tirreno-Adriatico (Italy)
March 27th Criterium International (France)
April 3rd Tour of Flanders (Belgium)
April 10th Paris-Robaix (France)/Redlands* (USA)
April 17th Amstel Gold Race (Netherlands)
April 24th Liege-Bastogne-Liege (Belgium)/Sea Otter* (USA)
May 1st Tour de Georgia* (USA)
May 8th Giro d'Italia (Italy)**
May 15th Giro d'Italia (Italy)
May 22nd Giro d'Italia (Italy)
May 29th Giro d'Italia (Italy)
June 12th Road to the Tour (Tour de France preview)
June 19th Road to the Tour
June 26th Road to the Tour
July 3rd - 24th Tour de France (France)***
Sept 18th Vuelta a España (Spain)
Oct 15th Giro di Lombardia (Italy)

*Tape delay
**Giro d'Italia coverage may be expanded to include Saturday coverage
***Tour de France will include daily coverage