May 5, 2006 — There is great news for road race spectators – the Giro d’Italia running May 6-28, will be broadcast on a TV near you.

Jean-Pierre Alarie, Director of Programming of Montreal-based Canal Evasion (considered by some to be the French equivalent of Outdoor Life Network) confirmed that the Giro will be offered for the very first time to Canadian viewers as of May 6, 2006.

Canal Evasion, a French-language network, is picked up by many cable and satellite providers across Canada, including Cogeco, Rogers, Shaw, Videotron and Bell ExpressVu. Viewers can watch that day’s highlights of the Giro from 8:30 pm to 10 pm daily from May 6 to 28, except for May 10 and 17, which are rest days. Quebec sports journalists, Richard Garneau and Louis Bertrand, will provide commentary in French. The Giro coverage will also be replayed the next day from 8:30 am to 10:00 am and at 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm.

Alarie also mentioned that Canal Evasion is also offering the Tour de France for the fourth consecutive season this year. The Tour de France will be shown live from July 1 to 23 at 8:30 am each morning.

One of the world’s elite classic long distance road stage races, the Giro began in 1909 and was inspired by the Tour de France. The 2006 edition begins in Seraing, Belgium and covers 3,553 kms with 21 stages on its way to Milan, Italy. Along the way, competitors ride up the impressive Cimo Coppi (2,618m) in the Italian Alps.

The 2005 Giro winner was Paolo Salvodelli, riding for the Discovery Channel team. He and other Italian cyclists have dominated this event every year since 1997 but Belgian, Eddy Merckx, holds the title for winning five times between 1968 and 1974. Prizes totaling 1,350,000 euros will be reserved for this year’s cyclists. Mazda and Selle Italia are the Giro’s major partners.

More information at the Giro’s website: www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2006 (presently only available in French and Italian); and Canal Evasion www.canalevasion.com/