I am a huge professional cycling fan.  I live for the three weeks in the summer when I get to watch the best of the best battle the mountains of the Pyrenees and the Alps and the cobblestone of French villages as they ride the Tour de France.  I also love seeing the French countryside but that is just a bonus.

Versus, channel 32 on the local Time-Warner Cable, is the “official” network of the Tour.  I have never been disappointed in their coverage.  I miss Al Trautwig this year.  He has been replaced with Craig Hummer.  I am still trying to figure out who Craig Hummer is but that is really not that important.  The other three major “talking heads” are actually former professional cyclists – Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen and Bob Rolls.

The mountain stages, both in the Pyrenees and in the Alps, are long days.  Live coverage starts early on these days.  This is advertised well in advance – on both current day program, the program channel and within Versus.  These days live coverage is set to start at 6:30 am.

Not a single one of these days has Versus started programming at 6:30 am.  Some half hour infomercial comes on at 6:30 and they break into already in progress coverage of the Tour stage at 7 am.  I am extremely annoyed with this and have emailed Versus.  I want to know why we don’t get the entire time of the show.