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Fan favorite, Jens Voigt of Germany, will be in the running to win the Tour Down Under as he rides for team Radioshack-Leopard.

NBC Sports Network will begin its coverage of the 2013 cycling season with the 2013 Santos Tour Down Under. As the first race of the year on the UCI ProTour calendar, the six-stage race will cover more than 800 km around southern Australia, beginning with the People’s Choice Classic, a circuit around Adelaide.

NBC Sports Network will air daily 30-minute stage recaps of the race starting Sun., Jan. 20 through Sun., Jan. 27, and will air a special one-hour show on Feb. 10 at 12 p.m. ET, with a recap of the entire week of racing.

NBC Sports Group’s cycling announcing team of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen will call all the Tour action.

Some of the world’s top cyclists will participate in the race, including 2012 winner Simon Gerrans of Orica GreenEdge, who is back to defend his title. American rider Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Sharp is also racing, along with two-time Tour Down Under winner Andre Greipel of Lotto-Belisol, Andy Schleck of Radioshack Leopard and Mark Renshaw of Blanco Procycling. Fan favorite and veteran Jens Voigt is also racing for Radioshack-Leopard.

NBC Sports Network will also air coverage of the Tour of Qatar on Feb, 17 at Noon ET, and the Tour of Oman on March 3 at Noon ET.

NBC Sports Network’s On-air Schedule for the 2013 Tour Down Under (all times ET, subject to change):

Sunday, Jan. 20
Classic Adelaide, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 22
Stage 1: Prospect-Lobethal, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 23
Stage 2: Mount barker-Rostrevor, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 24
Stage 3: Unley-Stirling, 3:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 25
Stage 4: Modbury-Tanunda, 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 26
Stage 5: McLaren Vale-Old Willunga Hill, 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 27
Stage 6: Adelaide, 12:30 p.m.

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