ITV4 vs Eurosport Commentary for TdF
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Eurosport wins for me - and if you get the chance to see the HD version it looks stunning.
Harmon's knowledge of the riders is impressive. I like Phil but how many times a day do Phil/Paul tell you a rider has to be in the first 15/20/30 to stay out of trouble? Paul just repeats Phil's last sentence.0 -
While Cancellara is in yellow I wish Kelly would learn how to pronounce it correctly- reminds of football commentators who mash up foreign names.0
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BBC Radio 5 Live mis-pronounced Cancellara and Astana this morning and told us that Cavendish retained the sprinter's yellow jersey.0
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Put it this way, ive noded off watching the Eurosport coverage but not with ITV4....Cycling never gets any easier, you just go faster - Greg LeMond0
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hayesu wrote:BBC Radio 5 Live mis-pronounced Cancellara and Astana this morning and told us that Cavendish retained the sprinter's yellow jersey.
How can you mis-pronounce Astana?
There's no doubt eurosport is actually interesting to listen to in a way itv4 isn't but Kelly's voice can be quite soporific even when he's got something interesting to say!
My particular gripe with ITV4 is the inability to get any time calculations right - witness sherwen adding instead of subtracting in yesterday's highlights
and Boardman never has anything to say
If Eurosport could only borrow Imlach to host then their coverage would be superb.
Fat people are so insensitive0 -
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hayesu wrote:BBC Radio 5 Live mis-pronounced Cancellara and Astana this morning and told us that Cavendish retained the sprinter's yellow jersey.
Wasn't it Cancel - era, and Astanta?All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."0 -
Yes - Astanta. I can't remember how Cancellara came out - something like Cancellanna.
Maybe it'll be Lance Armstring tomorrow.0 -
One thing ITV4 is doing better is bringing their programs from the towns.
Eurosport, do that. Get a presenter and guests, take them to France for 3 weeks and present the coverage from France.
You could even (maybe) put a camera in the commentary box (like Wimbledon on the beeb) and ask commentators thoughts during the build up and wrap up.0 -
going to backtrack... ITV4 a bit 'full on' for me...too much for a 3hr+ broadcast. Eurosport, just need to 'up der pace' a bit, when it gets exciting. Sean is the man.
Anyone see the amusing guy on BBC TV yesterday morning doing the sports update? ... they showed Cav winning second stage in a row and then the guy said something equivalent to 'Mark Cavendish is now in 134th place, doesn't seem to make sense to me , there you go'.... Jeez this is the Beeb's 'sports expert'. He obviously had no idea on how GC was calculated.0 -
of the two,i think eurosport wins by a mile,ITV cant compete with sean kellys seemingly effortless expertise,hes almost always spot on with how things will happen.
Saying that,im grateful for both channels,if im on a backshift and just dont have time to watch a sky+d eurosport stage when i get in from work then the ITV4 highlights are just the biz.if im off ill often watch live on eurosport and ITV4 highlights later.
Its great to have all this coverage0 -
As much as I liked ITV4s commentary (from CH4 days) I switched back to Eurosport after a few hours but it's great to have the option.
Who is the young sounding guy who does the "Tour de France news" bits on Eurosport? Please, someone teach him to pronounce "th" - he sounds like a 12 year old: fink, free (three), etc.
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I used to watch the C4 coverage back in the 80s with Ligget and it was great. Since they started broadcasting on the US station Ligget's commentating has changed greatly, it's all very much from a 'Yo Lance' American perspective and I really can't watch it at all.
For years now I've much preferred Eurosport. Duffers is the curmudgeonly old chatterbox, cycling's equivalent of Peter Alliss and I love him all the more for it, miss him.
Harmon is the new anchorman these days and he brings a great knowledge to his commentating, referring to past heroes, mythical Tour tales, whilst remembering that such and such in the breakaway today finished third in the GP De Marsellaise back in February!! Always gives a mention to the riders and event's back on the British road scene too.
But it's King Kelly who is the star. He speaks the language Cylingese - a special hybrid of French, English and Flemish that most of the season long hardmen of the peloton speak even to this day. (Except Boonen's English is probably better than Kelly's
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Cylincgese guest spots from Roche are always welcome too, If only we could get Bob Millerin for a chat as well no one would understand a word!!0 -
Both (commentary teams) put in poor performances today I thought. Both failed to point out during the last 5km that Nocentini had at the very least a good chance of taking yellow.
EDIT - :oops: Apologies to Paul and Phil who pointed out that Nocentini could be in yellow with 2km to go.0 -
As did Harmon et al...0
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NapoleonD wrote:As did Harmon et al...
I didn't hear Harmon or Kelly mention anything about Nocentini being in yellow during the last half an hour of the stage.
Again, if they did and I didn't pick it up then I apologise.0 -
That's how I found out and posted it before the finish of the stage earlier on...
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12635508&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=2600 -
NapoleonD wrote:That's how I found out and posted it before the finish of the stage earlier on...
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12635508&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=260
Oh right, I must have dozed off for a second. :oops:0 -
I think Sean's improved in leaps and bounds this year. I can't stand the Liggit/Sgt Maj Sherwin Lance love-fest of ITV4.'Google can bring back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.'
Neil Gaiman0 -
Earthbound wrote:For years now I've much preferred Eurosport. Duffers is the curmudgeonly old chatterbox, cycling's equivalent of Peter Alliss and I love him all the more for it, miss him.
Harmon is the new anchorman these days and he brings a great knowledge to his commentating, referring to past heroes, mythical Tour tales, whilst remembering that such and such in the breakaway today finished third in the GP De Marsellaise back in February!! Always gives a mention to the riders and event's back on the British road scene too.
In the early 90's when Duffield set the Eurosport commentary going, he was great and very refreshing after the Ligget and his boy idiot show. they have got worse, now they are States oriented.
There was an honesty about Duffield with his fumbling about in his bits of papers and missing the action whilst doing so, but.
Harmon is a cheat by inferring he has knowledge but it comes from his technical equipment giving him Wikipedia information and other stuff he has prepared beforehand to use at a glance. This includes the many, many Quiz's he fills up the time with.
So many times he and Kirby go of at a tangent with Motorbike Stories that you may think are Cycling related.
He used to hog the mike and keep Kelly away until the penny dropped that Sean's sense of Humour could put him down with just one word as he didn't understand Cycling Language. (cyclingese you call it)
It used to be great fun just waiting for a Kelly put down.
Now he don't get a chance because of the constant questions that he repeatedly asks Kelly over and over the same thing.
Just to be a control freak and the make believe he has cycle racing knowledge.
I love Harmon's story of a previous year riding a bike down the course while Sean drove on ahead and it started to pour with rain but Kelly went on to the finish.Earthbound wrote:But it's King Kelly who is the star. He speaks the language Cylingese - a special hybrid of French, English and Flemish that most of the season long hardmen of the peloton speak even to this day. (Except Boonen's English is probably better than Kelly's )
I quote "there was Sean standing in the rain with a bottle and a towel waiting".
Now you can read between the lines to think that Sean has thought you want to learn about bike riding well it's doing it in all weathers, son.
Not summer evenings riding a mountain bike in a so called "Chain Gang" through Epping Forest and then the next day getting on the motorbike.Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 19720 -
Harmon is a cheat by inferring he has knowledge but it comes from his technical equipment giving him Wikipedia information and other stuff he has prepared beforehand to use at a glance.
Given that he has an uncanny ability to identify obscure riders from a really poor tv image, I don't think "preparing" is the same a cheating. I'm always impressed when he id's riders from their frame, riding style, or bum, it seems. He knows his onions, for sure.0 -
I thought it was great today when Harmon was going nuts as Bertie attacked, and our man Kelly was speaking in that same 'thats nothing special' tone he has. Gotta love him... hard as nails!0
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Like many of you lot. I watch Eurosport and tape ITV4 or vice versa - Paul Sherwin and Phil Liggett really annoy me now as they are covering the race for the Cycling thicko's that are the Americans - christ if i hear Sherwin saying TEAM ASTANA - TEAM SAXOBANK etc again i will scream FFS - we know they are a Team you numbnuts does it sound better saying it this way for the mentally challenged Yanks - cockney rhyming slang apoligies
It`s a Lance Love in when these 2 are on.....somebody should tell them it`s a british station for a british audience and drop the i want to have lance`s babies lark !!!0 -
One of the best things about ITV4 is Gary Imlach. The man is superb. I was a bit surprised he did not give some barbed comment, about Tom Boonen struggling and getting into trouble with white lines again...
His book about his father is supposed to be a great sports book, and well worth the effort.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/se ... ianreview80 -
Has anyone else noticed on itv that when Paul (may have them the wrong way round) is talking you can hear Phil commentating in the background? Its like he's commentating for the highlights show at the same time...its so annoying.0
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Just watching the ITV4 highlights show now (I watch live on Eurosport HD) and the commentary is awful. Cringe making at times.0
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Ms Tree wrote:I think Sean's improved in leaps and bounds this year. I can't stand the Liggit/Sgt Maj Sherwin Lance love-fest of ITV4.
Do you not think the commentary used for ITV may be also used for the Versus broadcast in the USA?!!
I was watching the tour when I was in California last year and it's Ligget & Sherwin talking up the American riders for the audience watching over there.....0 -
Liggett and Sherwen gets used worldwide I tink...
Just finished watching the highlights show. Really like Imlach and Boulting.
Anyone know what the music was at the end of the st 7 highlights show??0 -
Toshmund wrote:One of the best things about ITV4 is Gary Imlach. The man is superb. I was a bit surprised he did not give some barbed comment, about Tom Boonen struggling and getting into trouble with white lines again...
His book about his father is supposed to be a great sports book, and well worth the effort.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/se ... ianreview8
I would agree that Gary Imlach is the very best thing that ITV4's got in their coverage of the tour . And always has been worth every penny of his fee ( ..whatever that might be ..) in the years since he was brought in from analysing American football on Channel 4 .
Always funny and spot-on with his summations of the day at work . A great leveller to Phil and Paul's shrill hyperbole ( to be fair , I often wonder if Gary Imlach could keep up that level of acuteness on the mike all day , and every day , were he to stand in for Phil and Paul . Probably not ) .
Harmon and Sean ? Good guys . Brilliant ."Lick My Decals Off, Baby"0 -
I would agree that Gary Imlach is the very best thing that ITV4's got in their coverage of the tour . And always has been worth every penny of his fee ( ..whatever that might be ..) in the years since he was brought in from analysing American football on Channel 4 .
Always funny and spot-on with his summations of the day at work . A great leveller to Phil and Paul's shrill hyperbole ( to be fair , I often wonder if Gary Imlach could keep up that level of acuteness on the mike all day , and every day , were he to stand in for Phil and Paul . Probably not ) .
Harmon and Sean ? Good guys . Brilliant .
Got in one.0
