Just don't get it....

ALaPlage

Ok so after years of seeing next to no news coverage on the sport of Cycling on British TV I really just do not get it at a time when Cycling is not only rising in popularity across the nation but we also have some of the best (potential) professional riders in the Pro Tour and a whole host of up and coming talent in the Domestic series.

BBC News has this week at least shown a brief clip of the ToB stage and did give some daily coverage of the TDF however this morning as we get into the closing stages of the ToB there was not a sniff of a mention on the two sports bulletins I saw between 0730 and 0830. Instead we are treated to Mike Bushell playing some ball game where the contestants are blindfolded and lie on the floor in front of a huge goal while the opposing team try and roll a heavy vinyl cat ball (it has bells inside of it) into the goal.

Now as much as I appreciate Mr Bushells fun and games in bringing us alternative or up and coming sports surely established sports should at least get a look in.

Is it me or are the BBC just anti-cycling? They show the track racing and even had a dedicated series of programmes for the Worlds earlier in the year, Mike Bushell did do a piece with Cav on a training ride for his Breakfast News spot but other than that it really is p**s poor.

What is going on?

Rant over. And a big pat on the back for ITV4 - their coverage may not always be the best (Vuelta) but at least they are doing a good show of it and the highlight of the ToB have been fantastic.

What will it take to get the media to see the light?

danlikesbikes

Your not wrong with your rant. In fact I think you are spot on as it does seem a bit one sided, i'm sure that the corporate response is they are showing sports with a large TV following.

Hopefully their stance will change next year with the 2012 games - however if you have access to the Red Button you might be pleased to know they are streaming the junior, women's and mens world road race & TT.

Ringo 68

I can't understand the lack of cycling on TV.

I was in the pub last night for a familly do and talking to people about cycling, everyone said they loved watching TDF on TV, even those who hadn't ridden bikes since they were kids. My missus, not a sports fan at all, sits and watches cycling and even asks good questions about racing.

I have watched TDF for years, even though I have only got into riding in a big way this year. Consisdering some of the total rubbish that is on the tv these days, surely there is space for more cycling.

gsk82

in an office of 80 plus i'm the only one with a real interest in cycling. there are 2 others who just bout keep up with the grand tours and the TofB but no one else could really care less.

spinndrift

The other sport I take part in is rallying as a co-driver and that gets even less coverage.

ALaPlage

gsk82 wrote:

in an office of 80 plus i'm the only one with a real interest in cycling. there are 2 others who just bout keep up with the grand tours and the TofB but no one else could really care less.

I get that however I think it is a lack of understanding that when people see cycle racing they dont understand who's who (teams and riders) and the science of the racing. So it becomes a vicious circle as it is not featured enough then awareness stays low.

Loads of people ride bikes and I believe with more media coverage it will help grow the appeal of the racing side too. Glad to see its just not me being a grumpy old git then!

Gazzaputt

The sports bulletin on BBC news at around 10.30 had quite a bit about ToB.

Ringo 68

ALaPlage wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

in an office of 80 plus i'm the only one with a real interest in cycling. there are 2 others who just bout keep up with the grand tours and the TofB but no one else could really care less.

I get that however I think it is a lack of understanding that when people see cycle racing they dont understand who's who (teams and riders) and the science of the racing. So it becomes a vicious circle as it is not featured enough then awareness stays low.

Loads of people ride bikes and I believe with more media coverage it will help grow the appeal of the racing side too. Glad to see its just not me being a grumpy old git then!

I am only beginning to get into the tactics of racing and how a team is set up. The more you understand the tactics, the more interesting the race becomes.

I even asked a question about breakaways on Twitter the other day whilst watching the Paris-Brussels race and as I got back in front of my TV it got answered. My wife and daughter thought it was very funny that someone with the same name as me had asked the question until I told them it was me. Then they just called me sad. :roll:

gsk82

ALaPlage wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

in an office of 80 plus i'm the only one with a real interest in cycling. there are 2 others who just bout keep up with the grand tours and the TofB but no one else could really care less.

I get that however I think it is a lack of understanding that when people see cycle racing they dont understand who's who (teams and riders) and the science of the racing. So it becomes a vicious circle as it is not featured enough then awareness stays low.

Loads of people ride bikes and I believe with more media coverage it will help grow the appeal of the racing side too. Glad to see its just not me being a grumpy old git then!

the bbc arent there to promote individual sports though (unless they're widely practiced at public school)

ooermissus

Presumably ITV having the TV rights is part of the answer?

Graculus

Our local news in the South West had no mention of the Exeter Exmouth stage, and only mentioned yesterday's stage in a report saying that it was probably the last ToB stage to take place in Somerset because the council thought that £150K a year on a bike race was a waste of money.

I was so depressed by that - I bet they spend more than that on the councillors' tea and bisuits. Such narrow thinking.

dougzz

So what, how would a 30 or 45 second snippet on a news broadcast do anything. It wouldn't satisfy a proper fan, as it would be non specific general rubbish for mass appeal, and it wouldn't really serve mass appeal as I don't think cycling as a TV sport has any mass appeal. You can't just decide you like something, and then seek to insist it's broadcast widely so that everyone else can be indoctrinated. I think theres plenty of cycling on TV, Eurosport coverage is pretty good, shame they're so useless at coming on air at the right time, but that's a small irritant.

afx237vi

Ringo 68 wrote:

I can't understand the lack of cycling on TV.

I was in the pub last night for a familly do and talking to people about cycling, everyone said they loved watching TDF on TV, even those who hadn't ridden bikes since they were kids. My missus, not a sports fan at all, sits and watches cycling and even asks good questions about racing.

I have watched TDF for years, even though I have only got into riding in a big way this year. Consisdering some of the total rubbish that is on the tv these days, surely there is space for more cycling.

There's tons of cycling on TV. In the past month I've watched the Vuelta, the GP Quebec, the GP Montreal, the Tour of Britain, Paris-Brussels... hell, I even watched a bit of the MTB Worlds on Sky Sports.

There's plenty if you know where to look, so I'm not sure why people expect it to be on primetime BBC 1 or have the results of minor races being read out on the news. You could argue the same case about every single other sport - even the RWC doesn't get big coverage outside ITV.

(On preview, what dougzz said.)

Moomaloid

Yeah i'm with AFX, this year there has been a huge amount available for viewing, which has been fantastic. Whilst Cycling has seem a huge growth in popularity in UK, the professional side of the sport is still a minority sport so the BBC will only ever cover achievements in the say the Olympics, maybe world champs. I think the BBC have actually really improved in their support.

ITV 4 should be applauded and Eurosport are the true saviours for us all, even if they still p!ss about with the scheduling.

Anyway, i love the fact that Professional Cycling is not a major sport in the UK. Its 'MY' thing and yeah i'm selfish about it, but i don't want every man and his dog getting into it HA HA...

Great crowds on the TOB this year though, so the UK does know how to get behind the sport. FAR better than when i first fell in love with the sport. Its come so far.

top_bhoy

On mainly flat stages, even the most die hard afficionado would be hard placed to put forward a case that it is exciting viewing (aka Tof Qatar ). Why would national TV take up those races other than say the 10 min approach to the finish? Most people don't appreciate the team tactics, slipstreaming, gearing, etc; they do appreciate the effort riders put in and the scenery races pass through. Hilly stage races, tough classics...these are the races which appeal to people and TV appears to be providing them in increasing volume.

Confined mostly to indoors with a broken ankle, I was glad of the recent Vuelta coverage and thought ITV4 made a good job of it. It helped break the day from web surfing, reading and the general monotony of daytime TV. Hats off to ITV4.

ALaPlage

In terms of coverage of the actual races I agree there is plenty of opportunity to find cycling through Eurosport and ITV4. My point is around the news coverage which is practically non existent on both BBC and ITV.

Whether a 30-40 second coverage would or would not satisfy a cycling fan or educate the masses is also not really the point - it would just be nice that a mention is made! ToB, a race on home soil and its just not given any decent coverage on the news.

andyp

ALaPlage wrote:

Now as much as I appreciate Mr Bushells fun and games in bringing us alternative or up and coming sports surely established sports should at least get a look in.

Is it me or are the BBC just anti-cycling? They show the track racing and even had a dedicated series of programmes for the Worlds earlier in the year, Mike Bushell did do a piece with Cav on a training ride for his Breakfast News spot but other than that it really is p**s poor.

It's you.

Mike Bushell has ridden on the track, climbed Mt Etna with Cavendish, ridden BMX and had a go at cyclocross in the past couple of years. For a minority sport, I'd say that's a very good amount of coverage.

Added: I've just been reminded that he also had a go a bike polo. The bloody hipster.

thegreatdivide

Mike Bushell shouldn't be allowed to talk about cycling after that embarrassing piece he did during the Giro. I still shudder at the vision. :shock:

andyrac

spinndrift wrote:

The other sport I take part in is rallying as a co-driver and that gets even less coverage.

Hmm, tell me about it - thing is it used to get fairly decent coverage, until the sport shot itself in the foot.


I wonder whether it would help even if Cav won the Worlds next week - i doubt it. Danny hart won the MTB DH Worlds, can't remember seeing anything in the mainstream......

As far as I'm concerned, the Sports Editors in this country are pretty clueless - and stay with the same sports, ad infinitum.

Pross

Wasn't Bushell trying out a disabilty sport for blind people hence the blindfold abd vells in the ball? I think what he does to give some coverage is excellent in the time available and naybe it is an idea for a programme in its own right. The beeb do some cycling coverage and covered the worlds road race in full a couple of years back. Let's face it though the ToB isn't even big in cycling circles other than in this country so with so many other big sports going on it is hardly surprising they don't cover it especially as any pics would have to have "courtesy of ITV" on it.

Dorset_Boy

Radio 5 barely mentioned the Vuelta in its sports bulletins even though Frome & Wiggins were in contention right to the last day.
Sadly the BBC think there is only football, Wimbledon, Football, the 6 Nations, Football and Football.

Yes there's reasonable coverage of the races on TV, but coverage in the main news media is awful.

BBC would rahter put a person a Div 4 soccer match than have reports from more than one rugby match on a Saturday for example.

durhamwasp

andyp wrote:

Mike Bushell has ridden on the track, climbed Mt Etna with Cavendish, ridden BMX and had a go at cyclocross in the past couple of years. For a minority sport, I'd say that's a very good amount of coverage.

Added: I've just been reminded that he also had a go a bike polo. The bloody hipster.

As well as cycling Mont Ventoux a couple of years back.

RichN95.

I'm often amused about people complaining about the lack of coverage of cycling. There's loads of it.

Compare it to my sport - hockey.

On any given weekend in Britain the number of people playing competitive hockey vastly outnumbers people doing competitive cycling. It's also easier and cheaper to film. But how often do you see it on TV - very rarely. There's a bit of the Eurohockey league and the World Cup/Europeans (BBC red button). There's nothing else though. Cycling gets the UK domestic races on Eurosport.

Seriously, cycling in the UK is a minority sport. You really don't know how lucky you are.,

durhamwasp

I would compare it more to ice hockey and the lack of coverage it gets, and im happy with the job ITV4 and Eurosport do with cycling. The last years cycling coverage has to be the best ever and with a bit of lucky we'll see some Classics on Freeview next year!

No offence, but not suprised hockey gets little coverage, but i understand your point.

RichN95.

durhamwasp wrote:

I would compare it more to ice hockey and the lack of coverage it gets, and im happy with the job ITV4 and Eurosport do with cycling. The last years cycling coverage has to be the best ever and with a bit of lucky we'll see some Classics on Freeview next year!

No offence, but not suprised hockey gets little coverage, but i understand your point.

I'm not complaining (about hockey). I'm just pointing out that cycling fans don't know how lucky they are - yet they moan and moan.

durhamwasp

Yep, i know exactly what you mean, and this year has been pretty blooming class for cycling coverage on TV.

Turfle

I seriously cannot believe the amount of cycling we get to watch live every year. Barely a big race goes by without coverage.

tim_wand

It always seems that the BBC are all over anything with an Olympic Success. Cycling has benefited from this even though (Nicole Cooke aside) it was track success the transition of Wiggo and others has helped the profile.

I do however remember Post 88 seoul, Sean Curley and the hockey boys got a boat load of coverage on BBC. the difference then was that Lottey Funding wasnt about I think cycling hit lucky in that its successes coincided with Lottery funding and therefore it became sustained.

I know the BBC is meant to be A political but thats just bollo*ks and therefore they will show promote whatever the powers at be want to be seen as succesful. so therefore stuff that the lottery has been pumped into will always have a greater profile and they will go absolubtley ballistic over 2012, so lets hope Cav pulls it off.

phil s

The BBC does cover cycling, but its approach is maddeningly inconsistent. The Tour de France is covered by an hour and a half of live commentary on Sports Extra/BBC Sport website each year but the top brass in the Sport division can't understand the merit of other races like the Giro, Vuelta and the Classics.
However, to complain about a lack of coverage on a programme as fluffy as Breakfast is ridiculous. It is not a serious programme.

oscarbudgie

BBC official policy is just to cover sh!t sports (+formula 1) they cover tennis religiously even though we all know for a fact that no one at all in this country has any interest in tennis apart from the two weeks of wimbledon. Same as running and jumping when its not the olympics. And don't get me started on the parableedingolympics. fekkin hour after hour about it and no one really gives a flying turd which is why they end up having to give tickets away

Tusher

oscarbudgie, may I introduce you to our fellow forumite and World Champion, pokerface........