With the recent victory of Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) at the 2018 Criterium du Dauphine, Welsh cycling has arguably reached a new height and now this recent success is being transferred into its television broadcasts.

Welsh-language television channel S4C will join ITV4 and Eurosport as the third broadcaster aired in the UK to show every kilometre of the 2018 Tour de France live on-screen.

Each day's stage will be broadcast in full with highlights being shown later that evening through Seiclo, S4C's flagship cycling series.

The same series will also show a one-off highlight programme of Thomas's recent Dauphine win on Saturday 16th June at 22:00.

S4C is a channel available across Sky, Freeview and Virgin TV and will start its coverage on Saturday 7th July at 14:00.

With the coverage being broadcast completely in the Welsh language, chances are the majority of you will be sticking to the familiar voices of Carlton Kirby and Jonathan Edwards over on Eurosport and Ned Boulting and Gary Imlach on ITV.

However this expansion to a new horizon is further proof that firstly the appetite for professional cycling in the UK is still on the rise and that secondly Thomas will be entering this upcoming race with a certain weight of expectation.

The Cardiff-born rider will take to the Tour de France startline no longer as loyal domestique in support of four-time champion Chris Froome but rather as a handy plan-B and even co-leader for Froome who continues to recover from his Giro d'Italia-winning ride in May.

So far, Thomas's best Grand Tour finish is 15th at the 2015 and 2016 Tour while his first taste of Grand Tour leadership ended in disaster at the 2017 Giro d'Italia after crashing into the back of a stationary motorbike.