Catch the Tour Down Under

For those of us who love cycling, this week represents a rare opportunity to see a stage race on television. The 2014 version of the Tour Down Under, which is, of course, contested in Australia, will be shown on a daily basis on NBC Sports (channel 220 on Direct TV; channel 33 on Comcast). The segments will air at 4:30 p.m. today through Friday; at 2 a.m. Saturday; at 11 p.m. on Sunday; and a highlight show will be broadcast at 10 p.m. on Sunday, 9 Feb. 14. Many of the sport’s big names and big teams are on hand, and the venerable combination of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen will handle the commentary. The network also has ambitious plans for the rest of the season. Other events on its schedule, which runs through October, include Paris-Roubaix, Fleche Wallonne, Liege Bastogne Liege, Tour of California, Tour of France, U.S. Pro Cycling Championship and the UCI road cycling championship. Questions? Comments? Drop me a line at cyclechuck@comcast.net.