How popular is Vuelta in your country?

[Asturiano]

People in Spain think Vuelta is not really popular in foreign countries. So tell us about the popularity of Vuelta in your country, if you can watch Vuelta in a national TV channel and if Vuelta has become more popular that it was or not.

 

[Walkman]

Not that popular at all.

You must be a cycling fan (or sports fan) in order to realize it's on since almost only Eurosport are reporting on it. May be a short clip on the news in case someone from my country are doing well but that's not happening too often.

 

[Netserk]

I think it's been on national TV (TV2 the biggest commercial station in the country, basically every household has this channel) since 2010.

 

[RedheadDane]

It's being shown on national TV and referred to during the "regular" sports news sections.
Don't know how many is actually watching it, and how many for whom it's just something that takes the time-slot from what's usually shown at that time.

 

[Asturiano]

If you don't say the name of your country, we are not able to know the country you are talking about.

 

[Netserk]

If you don't say the name of your country, we are not able to know the country you are talking about.

Both RHD and I are from Denmark.

 

[vavafroome]

UK - ITV4 shows highlights daily and its free in every household and also Eurosport on pay services

 

[Arredondo]

In Holland, national television (NOS) only broadcast live the weekend stages. But i'm not mourning about that, because the commentators don't know a **** about cycling

The Vuelta is live every day on Dutch ES of course, but i'm always watching on Sporza. I think 80% of the Dutch people who love cycling

 

[Pricey_sky]

In the UK npt a great deal of interest from those outside of cycling. Sky sports news might mention the results for a few seconds and perhaps a small article in the sports section of national papers if Froome does well. Doubt national news mention it.

 

[fungusbear]

UK- Highlights every day on ITV4 and Eurosport do live coverage. Really not very popular unless you are an avid cycling fan. The only annual race people watch (and not a huge number watch it) is the Tour de France.

 

[Pricey_sky]

UK- Highlights every day on ITV4 and Eurosport do live coverage. Really not very popular unless you are an avid cycling fan. The only annual race people watch (and not a huge number watch it) is the Tour de France.

Tour of Britain is also getting a bit more press now too.

 

[theyoungest]

The weekend stages of the Vuelta are broadcast in Holland, they get about a quarter of the viewership a Tour de France stage would, so there's your popularity figure. Maybe if the Dutchies do well viewership will increase.

 

[Netserk]

BTW I expect the Vuelta (and Giro) to move from TV2's main channel to a new sub-channel next year, but I hope they will both stay on the main channel.

 

[JRTK73]

In New Zealand it is on a sport's channel and we get last two hours live from 2am. Highlights are shown the next morning. The race barely gets mentioned in the newspapers, on the radio or on the six o'clock news. Although the fact that George Bennett was in the top ten overall was mentioned.

The Tour de France is an event known by everyone; only cycling fans know about the Vuelta.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

UK- Highlights every day on ITV4 and Eurosport do live coverage. Really not very popular unless you are an avid cycling fan. The only annual race people watch (and not a huge number watch it) is the Tour de France.

There if you know where to look. Mentioned on Sports news summaries in news bulletins in the main channel, but in a laughably inept way. This morning we were told (on BBC News Channel) that Froome lost a second to Valverde yesterday (he didn't), and that he will hope to make up time on the time trial tomorrow (it's the day after tomorrow, and Froome would have a more immediate interest in an important MTF today), but not who won the stage yesterday.

Those interested enough to look in the right place are well served: those with casual interest are being fed uninformed drivel.

 

[Carols]

USA-outside the avid cycling community the Vuelta is virtually unknown. If you purchase a special sports channel there is 2 hours of daily live coverage. Of course I have this channel .

There are no status updates on any of the normal channels. Every once in a while you'll see an advert on the flag ship national station that owns the sports sub station.

The Tour is the only cycling event that gets any recognition outside the small purchased select sports channels that carry events. Even the Tour only gets 1 hour weekly on the national channel but 4-5 hours of daily coverage on the sub station. Plus daily updates in the regular press.

 

[cineteq]

USA-outside the avid cycling community the Vuelta is virtually unknown. If you purchase a special sports channel there is 2 hours of daily live coverage. Of course I have this channel .

Here in Canada, same thing. Although Sportsnet broadcasts it live.

 

[l.Harm]

Netherlands - only le Tour gets a LOT of coverage, tv, papers, talkshows. La Vuelta almost nothing, only Eurosport shows it. Flemish television as well which we have here. But they broadcast almost everything

Popularity - wouldn't see this has changed a lot over the years. Minimal public interest in general, only the ones who are into cycling obviously.

 

[argyllflyer]

UK - ITV4 shows highlights daily and its free in every household and also Eurosport on pay services

ITV4 does not have UK-wide coverage - some transmitters (relays) don't carry it. Available online though.

 

[JRTK73]

I thought in most continental European countries the coverage for the Vuelta would be less than the TDF but still significant. It seems from reading a few posts like the Vuelta isn't much more popular in Europe than it is outside of Europe.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The weekend stages of the Vuelta are broadcast in Holland, they get about a quarter of the viewership a Tour de France stage would, so there's your popularity figure. Maybe if the Dutchies do well viewership will increase.

Same as always. Don't think anybody followed the athletics until Daphne Schippers suddenly started winning something. Now there's suddenly attention.
Same with everything here

Next year there will be more F1 followers due to max verstappen etc.
If Kelderman ever manages to win the Tour god behold the dutchies are coming

 

[Stromeon]

There if you know where to look. Mentioned on Sports news summaries in news bulletins in the main channel, but in a laughably inept way. This morning we were told that Froome lost a second to Valverde yesterday (he didn't), and that he will hope to make up time on the time trial tomorrow (it's the day after tomorrow, and Froome would have a more immediate interest in an important MTF today), but not who won the stage yesterday.

Those interested enough to look in the right place are well served: those with casual interest are being fed uninformed drivel.

So true. There's usually a sentence or two in the paper about what happened in the stage yesterday and a small article if Froome is involved but the level of accuracy in reporting basic and well-established facts makes Carlton Kirby look like Nostradamus. On today's stage: 'The final 70km are very difficult [not really] and the concluding climb of the eight-kilometre Alto de San Rafael [it's not the concluding climb, and it's Valdelinares that is eight-kilometres, but that doesn't follow if you read the next bit] , which peaks at 1,554 metres [no it doesn't, and neither does Valdelinares] will tell us more about how Froome has recovered from his crashes at the Tour de France in July.'

 

[l.Harm]

The weekend stages of the Vuelta are broadcast in Holland, they get about a quarter of the viewership a Tour de France stage would, so there's your popularity figure. Maybe if the Dutchies do well viewership will increase.

I didn't even know the weekend stages were broadcasted here Stupid anyway.

 

[gooner]

This year it's shown live for the first time on TG4, an Irish language tv station. Overall in newspapers it gets little attention outside of when Roche, Martin and Deignan have their diaries published.

Put it this way, besides myself there isn't one person I know that is watching it currently

 

[TourOfSardinia]

In Italy the RAI haven't got the budget to broadcast the Vuelta - the commentators say they really want to though. Thus it is less popular here than the Giro/Tour