OUTDOOR LIFE GAINS COUP IN SECURING TOUR DE FRANCE RIGHTS

          Outdoor Life Network (OLN) will announce today that it
     has won the U.S. TV rights to the Tour de France beginning
     in 2001, according to USA TODAY's Sal Ruibal.  The deal is
     reported to be a "multimillion-dollar deal" and calls for
     OLN to "team with" Fox Sports Net (FSN) and CBS to bring
     viewers "as many as six hours a day of live and taped Tour
     coverage."  OLN "outbid" Disney's ABC/ESPN, which has
     carried the Tour for nine of the last 10 races.  OLN "aims
     to provide a live daily coverage of every Tour stage,
     followed by a highlight show" on FSN and a 90-minute OLN
     evening show.  CBS will air an hour-long special "every
     weekend during the race."  Ruibal adds that NBC "just bought
     the rights" to the NORBA U.S. national mountain bike finals
     August 21 in Mount Snow, VT, where Tour de France winner
     Lance Armstrong will compete (USA TODAY, 7/29).