ITV has extended its broadcast rights deal for live coverage and highlights of cycling’s premier event, the Tour de France, in a new deal finalised on Monday.

Under the new agreement with the ASO, ITV4 will continue to broadcast live daily coverage throughout the Tour and will continue to broadcast daily evening highlights on the channel.

ITV.com/tour will also extend its digital and online coverage around the race this year.

Niall Sloane, ITV’s Controller of Sport said: “ITV’s coverage of the Tour de France has a terrific reputation with viewers and sports fans and I’m delighted that, in one of the most exciting periods for British cycling, we have secured coverage on ITV4 until 2015.”

Viewing to ITV4’s highlights of the 2011 Tour de France, in which Mark Cavendish won the green jersey, was up by 33 percent year-on-year.

2012 promises to be a huge year for British cycling, with 2011 Sports Personality of the Year Cavendish switching to Team Sky to ride alongside Bradley Wiggins.

Wiggins, who crashed out of last year's race with a broken collarbone, will be competing for the overall race win while Cavendish will be aiming to add to the 20 stages he has won in the past four Tours.

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