British Eurosport's cycling coverage increases audience by 15%

The number of people watching British Eurosport's coverage of cycling events during 2015 increased by 15 per cent over 2014 figures, the specialist sports broadcaster announced on Thursday.

Viewing figures for the Classics and Grand Tours had all markedly increased in comparison to the same events 12 months previously, with the final stage of the Tour de France viewed by 221,000 people making it the most-watched cycling event on the channel for over a decade.

In total, Tour de France viewing figures were up 12 per cent, Giro d'Italia up nine per cent and the Vuelta a España increasing an astonishing 30 per cent to a figure only just below that for the Tour.

>>> “It would be great to see Froome on the track,” says Merckx

One of the largest single-day increases was for the British RideLondon-Surrey Classic, whose audience rose 378 per cent. Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders also grew by a wide margin, increasing 33 and 40 per cent.

Watch: Garmin Edge 20 and 25 review

“Eurosport has an unrivalled heritage in cycling and cycling remains at the heart of what we do,"  commented British Eurosport managing director David Kerr.

"We have covered nearly 50 road cycling events live so far this season, as well as delayed coverage of many other events, including cyclo-cross and track cycling.

“The spring Classics were a huge success and viewing figures all three Grand Tours increased in 2015, with enhanced production and expert analysis contributing to the increase."