"OLN EXPANDS WEEKEND TELEVISION SCHEDULE FOR THE
2005 GIRO D’ITALIA AND OFFERS WEEKDAY WEBCAST ON OLNTV.COM

STAMFORD, CT (April 28, 2005) – OLN®, the home of professional cycling, today announced an expanded weekend schedule of same-day coverage for the 2005 Giro d’Italia, the 88th edition of the Italian national tour, along with an exclusive option to view streaming, live world feed of weekday stages on the network’s Web site, OLNTV.com. OLN’s Cyclysm television coverage will be hosted by cycling experts Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen and Bob Roll and will include same-day coverage of the race on Saturdays and Sundays at 5 p.m. ET beginning May 7. For cycling fans longing for minute-by-minute Giro action weekdays, OLNTV.com will offer streaming video of the world feed and archives of those stages. Cycling fans will be able to watch all the action of the Italian Grand Tour online without commercial interruption for only $5.95.

Between the network’s television and Web coverage, sports fans will have a first-hand look at all of the ups and downs of the 2005 Giro experience. America’s Discovery Team, with 2002 winner Paolo Savoldelli, is in top form to take first place, but they’ll have to contend with 21 other teams, which include 2004’s defending champion Damiano Cunego and his teammate Gilberto Simoni, who won in both 2001 and 2003. Far from a three-man race, other hopefuls include Ivan Basso, who placed third in last year’s Tour de France, and four-stage 2003 Tour winner Alessandro Petacchi, who set a record-winning, nine-stage sweep at last year’s Giro. Stefano Garzelli of Liquigas-Bianchi could also be a strong Giro contender.
On the heels of Lance Armstrong’s announcement to retire after his quest this July for a seventh consecutive Tour de France title, the Giro is sure to provide edge-of-your-seat thrills as cycling fans around the globe tune in to assess the form of some of his biggest rivals. The 21-day race features arduous climbs through the Dolomites and the Central Alps and is sure to provide ample drama throughout OLN’s weekend television coverage and LIVE weekday world feed on OLNTV.com.

The television schedule for the Giro d’Italia follows (same-day; subject to change):


Saturdays, 5-7 p.m. ET
May 7: Prologue TT – Reggio Calabria (1.15 km)

May 14: Stage 7 – Marina de Grosseto to Pistoia (205 km)

May 21: Stage 13 – Mezzocorona to Ortisei (217 km)

May 28: Stage 19 – Savigliano to Sestriere (190 km)

Sundays, 5-7 p.m. ET
May 8: Stage 1 – Reggio Calabria to Tropea (208 km)

May 15: Stage 8 – Lamporecchio to Florence - ITT (41 km)

May 22: Stage 14 – Egna to Livigno (210 km)

May 29: Stage 20 – Albese con Cassano to Milan (121 km)

OLN is the leader in outdoor adventure and action sports television. Now in more than 63 million homes, OLN is the home of best-in-class events like The Tour de France, The Gravity Games, Professional Bull Riders (PBR), the Boston Marathon and USSA Skiing. The Network offers exclusive programming in four primary areas: Outdoor Adventure, Action Sports, Field Sports and Bulls & Rodeo. OLN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the continental United States and Hawaii.
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CONTACT:
Amy Phillips OLN 203.406.2509 [email protected]
Alison Eshelman OLN 203.406.2681 [email protected]

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