Wiggins joins Eurosport team starting with Giro d'Italia coverage

Sir Bradley Wiggins will join the Eurosport team to provide coverage of all three of this year’s grand tours, beginning with the Giro d’Italia later this month.

The 2012 Tour de France winner’s televised analysis adds an extra dimension to the cannon of content he’s creating, alongside the 20-episode podcast series, The Bradley Wiggins Show by Eurosport.

Cycling journalist Orla Chennaoui also joins the channel’s team, as lead presenter, and the duo will appear alongside a host of guests throughout the year.

>>> Giro d'Italia 2019 route

These will include former British road race champion Brian Smith, two-time Grand Tour stage winner Nico Roche, 2012 Milan-San Remo winner Simon Gerrans and two-time Olympic champion Jo Rowsell-Shand.

Matt Stephens will be the channel's dedicated grand tour reporter, with commentary coming from Rob Hatch and Carlton Kirby as well as Sean Kelly.

As well as live coverage, each grand tour stage will feature a 20 to 30 minute build-up with Chennaoui. The presenter, joined by special guests, will dissect the race so far and make predictions.

Jamie Steward, Senior Director of Production and Broadcast at Eurosport, said: “We feel we are delivering cycling fans the quality of coverage they deserve while strengthening our position as the ‘Home of Cycling’. Bradley Wiggins is one of the most recognisable and popular names in British cycling.

"We are delighted he will be joining the Eurosport team for the Grand Tours as well as continuing his fantastic work on The Bradley Wiggins Show podcast while Orla Chennaoui is another terrific addition to our coverage.”

Wiggins added: “Eurosport has played such an important role in developing the sport of cycling in the UK and in Europe for many years, establishing a passionate fanbase of cycling followers. I can’t wait to get in the studio and share my thoughts with the viewers and watch some of the greatest sporting events in the world.”

Offering his predictions for the upcoming Italian tour, Wiggins said: “With the three ITT, you think that would favour Tom Dumoulin. You obviously have Egan Bernal as well who is fresh on the back of his Paris-Nice victory – he is an immense talent who I am sure will win the Giro one day. It’s going to be a fantastic race and it's probably the best race to watch of them all.

"I’ll go for Simon Yates, with Bernal as the dark horse.”

You can watch the 2019 Giro d’Italia live and exclusive on Eurosport from Saturday 11 May to Sunday 2 June. This year’s race starts in Bologna and finishes in Verona, with the peloton tackling seven summit finishes and three individual time-trials along the way.