Eurosport 2014 / Cycling

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  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,708
    argyllflyer wrote:
    Booner69 wrote:
    I genuinely hope David Harmon will come back to Eurosport in time for the Giro.
    I think that the commentators have done an admirable job, but to me, they really seem like they are 'filling-in'.
    Carlton Kirby is great and to cover a 3 week grand-tour, I reckon a commentator needs a knack of 'going off on one'!
    I suppose the king of that was David Duffield....I remember shouting regularly at the telly throughout the spring classics of the 90s, at his incessant ramblings about such things as Frites and Mayonnaise :lol:
    Saying that, I think both Brian Smith and Dan Lloyd are doing a great job.

    Sadly he's not coming back any time soon. They are no longer using him after his walk out last year.

    Carlton Kirby is already booked for the Tour and Vuelta for Eurosport this season while Rob Hatch is likely to do the Giro as Carlton will be doing it (and all RCS's other races) for the host broadcaster.

    Before the walkout the pecking order of Harmon-Kirby was pretty clear and it seems that it's now Kirby-Hatch.

    Then, it's France 2 and 3 for me, same as last year. Will watch Eurosport for the Giro.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • LutherB
    LutherB Posts: 544
    Crankbrother wrote:
    Paul 8v wrote:
    GrenW wrote:
    Says that for me on tablet using Chrome but is fine on laptop using Chrome. Mobile issue?
    Quite possibly, have just tried it on the proper computer and it's all good, wish the tablets just displayed things like a PC does!

    Agreed, the 'mobile jump' on an iPad on this forum being a good example ... Multiple hits anyone?

    Doesn't happen on iPhone or laptop (Mac or PC) ...

    I use this link if it's any help to you:

    http://tv.eurosport.co.uk/search.shtml?query=Cycling
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    It's a big loss.

    Illegal feeds and Eurosport muted on the tv for me .
    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    argyllflyer wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Strava Bianchi.

    Where everyone rides the route on bianchi bikes with strava on.

    He with the most KOMs wins.

    I expect @ukcyclingexpert to come up with something like 'Straddle Bianca' tomorrow.

    He pretty much nicked Rick's line - either great minds thinking alike or he trawls the cycling sites for inspiration!
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Pross wrote:
    argyllflyer wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Strava Bianchi.

    Where everyone rides the route on bianchi bikes with strava on.

    He with the most KOMs wins.

    I expect @ukcyclingexpert to come up with something like 'Straddle Bianca' tomorrow.

    He pretty much nicked Rick's line - either great minds thinking alike or he trawls the cycling sites for inspiration!


    Or the other way around :wink:
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,661
    Booner69 wrote:
    [
    I am sad about Harmon; I had read that he wanted to spend more time away from racing, but I really didn't see it coming.

    I don't think he did either bless him...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    argyllflyer wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Strava Bianchi.

    Where everyone rides the route on bianchi bikes with strava on.

    He with the most KOMs wins.

    I expect @ukcyclingexpert to come up with something like 'Straddle Bianca' tomorrow.

    He pretty much nicked Rick's line - either great minds thinking alike or he trawls the cycling sites for inspiration!


    Or the other way around :wink:

    Or maybe it's actually Rick ;-)
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    No comment.

    But the tweet was the day after my comment.
    _
  • Allez Mark
    Allez Mark Posts: 364
    I haven't heard Big Maggy on Eurosport this year. Wonder if they've got any plans to use him.
  • Booner69
    Booner69 Posts: 31
    Allez Mark wrote:
    I haven't heard Big Maggy on Eurosport this year. Wonder if they've got any plans to use him.

    I hope so too, I don't have any issues with the sidekicks/pundits they use though.
    I can listen to Kelly, Smith and Stephens for example, but the standard of commentary is just driving me mad. The Paris Nice race today was terrific, but the commentary was pants. If it wasn't for Kelly I don't know how they'd cope. Maybe I'm getting old, or maybe I've been spoilt with years of Ligget, Duffield and Harmon.
  • argyllflyer
    argyllflyer Posts: 893
    Matt Stephens has been used with far more regularity than he was last year, if I'm remembering it right. Stephens did the Arctic Tour with Kirby but I'm struggling to remember him in many others as Backstedt tended to do the ones Kelly, Smith and the sadly scarcely used Lloyd didn't. This year he's done three races.

    The Eurosport rundown so far is:

    Dubai: Quigley & Smith
    Oman: Kirby (solo)
    Andalucia: Hatch & Stephens
    K-B-K: Hatch & Stephens
    Le Samyn: Kirby & Smith
    Langkawi: Hatch (first week) / Quigley (last few stages) (both solo)
    Strade Bianche: Hatch & Smith
    Roma Maxima: Quigley & Smith
    Paris-Nice: Hatch & Kelly
    Tirreno-Adriatico: Quigley & Stephens

    Of the races to come, Kirby's doing the big Classics with Kelly, as well as the Tour and the Vuelta. I'm hoping Hatch has been given the nod over Quigley to do the Giro this year.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,810
    My big issue with commentators is rider recognition, which Rob Hatch is magnificent at.

    He has the same knack as Harmon of knowing who a rider is by their riding style, which is highly commendable.

    I've heard some people saying they don't like him, but no real reason why. I'd be interested to know why, as I've always rated him.
  • argyllflyer
    argyllflyer Posts: 893
    Quigley classic yesterday as a Trek rider with a Croat checked sleeve broke out of what was left of the leading group: "Is that Kiserlovski?" he asked aloud somewhat hesitantly. How many Croats ride WT and how many have been National champions since June? Also no mention of Dani Moreno at all on that last climb despite coming in 3rd.
  • argyllflyer
    argyllflyer Posts: 893
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    My big issue with commentators is rider recognition, which Rob Hatch is magnificent at.

    He has the same knack as Harmon of knowing who a rider is by their riding style, which is highly commendable.

    I've heard some people saying they don't like him, but no real reason why. I'd be interested to know why, as I've always rated him.

    I've heard some say they don't like the way he pronounces rider names and teams, though generally he uses authentic ones. The worst for pronunciations are Kirby and Quigley. The latter has renamed Quintana 'Kn-tn-ah' - he actually corrected himself from saying 'Keen-taana' to 'Kn-tn-ah' yesterday... :roll: And on the other side, Phil has a few interesting ways of name-saying (Boyson Hagen, Voykler etc).

    That said, I saw BeIN's coverage of Paris-Nice on youtube from Friday and there was an Aussie commentating - he really knew his riders and got a few Rob Hatch was unsure of. For example, there was a mix-up of the AG2R riders captions and RH was mislead, thinking it was Bardet. The Aussie was ignoring the graphic and knew all about Vuillermoz's mountain biking background.
  • LutherB
    LutherB Posts: 544
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    My big issue with commentators is rider recognition, which Rob Hatch is magnificent at.

    He has the same knack as Harmon of knowing who a rider is by their riding style, which is highly commendable.

    I've heard some people saying they don't like him, but no real reason why. I'd be interested to know why, as I've always rated him.

    I like Rob Hatch, i remember him from his Tuesday night commentating on CH4's Football Italia, think he's much better than 'Laughing Boy' Kirby.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    My big issue with commentators is rider recognition, which Rob Hatch is magnificent at.

    He has the same knack as Harmon of knowing who a rider is by their riding style, which is highly commendable.

    I've heard some people saying they don't like him, but no real reason why. I'd be interested to know why, as I've always rated him.

    I always think cycling commentators need to tell us things that we won't know because we haven't had the time to be as nerdy as they have.

    So they need to know who is in form and who isn't, who has placed well in these kinds of races, the course etc.

    Then they need to be able to tell me what the longer term strategies are. I don't need a commentator to hype up the action 'oooo, will they make it or won't they"?? from 25km out.

    I need to know what is happening off camera while we look at the break. I want to know which teams have an interest in chasing and why, etc etc etc.

    That's what they need to be better at. Kirby is the worst at that.

    Some guy goes off 'OH AND LOOK, TREK ARE ATTACKING, OH MY GOD THIS IS SO UNBELIEVABLY EXCITED - LOOK HE'S JUST GONE AROUND A CORNER REALLY QUICKLY'.

    In that instance the commentator needs to instantly have an idea of why the rider is doing that, or, conversely, have confidence that there isn't anything behind it and say so.

    Cycling commentators are tactical commentators. Visually cycling is pretty basic. it's guys pedalling. It's also obvious when they attack.
    _
  • argyllflyer
    argyllflyer Posts: 893
    Rick Chasey wrote:

    I always think cycling commentators need to tell us things that we won't know because we haven't had the time to be as nerdy as they have.

    So they need to know who is in form and who isn't, who has placed well in these kinds of races, the course etc.

    Then they need to be able to tell me what the longer term strategies are. I don't need a commentator to hype up the action 'oooo, will they make it or won't they"?? from 25km out.

    I need to know what is happening off camera while we look at the break. I want to know which teams have an interest in chasing and why, etc etc etc.


    That is it in a nutshell. With a few of them, I feel they barely know more than the type of fans likely to be watching a non-Tour event and in some cases less. To avoid giving a man a complex I'll not name him, but there is one who always seem to have a quick visit to procyclingstats as soon as a rider pops up. It's dry stats with no insight or prior knowledge.
  • Booner69
    Booner69 Posts: 31
    argyllflyer wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:

    I always think cycling commentators need to tell us things that we won't know because we haven't had the time to be as nerdy as they have.

    So they need to know who is in form and who isn't, who has placed well in these kinds of races, the course etc.

    Then they need to be able to tell me what the longer term strategies are. I don't need a commentator to hype up the action 'oooo, will they make it or won't they"?? from 25km out.

    I need to know what is happening off camera while we look at the break. I want to know which teams have an interest in chasing and why, etc etc etc.


    That is it in a nutshell. With a few of them, I feel they barely know more than the type of fans likely to be watching a non-Tour event and in some cases less. To avoid giving a man a complex I'll not name him, but there is one who always seem to have a quick visit to procyclingstats as soon as a rider pops up. It's dry stats with no insight or prior knowledge.


    Excellently put. Watching a three week grand tour is always a commitment, one I've been making for many years and as a fan I know I'm very demanding, but I want that insight that I can't get, and that succinct incisive summary a great commentator can give in a split second. The very best can do that with very few words.
    One of my very favourite cricket commentators, Christopher Martin Jenkins could do that and could make even the most humdrum five day Test Match come to life....from a long-wave radio.
    I think the grand tours deserve that level of expertise.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Why make it exclusive to grand tours?

    It's a full time job and needs research.

    Heard a commentator the other day admit he hadn't seen the race last week which had the main rider of the day in it so had no idea how he was going.

    Can you imagine Martin Brundle saying he had no idea how Ferrari are going because he missed free practice????
    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    The thing is, with Eurosport the commentators are generally freelance and often have to cover other sports as well as cycling. They would probably struggle to make ends meet just doing cycling commentary. That said, there should still be a decent amount of research carried out. I know there are a few hundred riders at Pro Tour / Pro Conti level but you would expect a reasonable knowledge of at the very least the Pro Tour guys and those from the bigger Pro Conti teams.

    Hatch for me is by far the best Eurosport have got although they have some decent pundits / co-commentators as back up. I've taken the mick out of his overly precise pronunciation in the past but ultimately he is just doing it properly and i suspect we have just got used to lazy pronunciation from commentators in all sports. He is streets ahead of the other options.
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    Speaking of Eurosport is there a commentator drinking game like there is for F1?

    For example this is a few years old but:

    Have a drink when Martin Brundle says:

    "A day late and a dollar short"
    "A so-so middle sector"
    "An armful of opposite lock"
    "Can he slow it down when he gets there?"
    "Candy from a baby"
    "Dummy grid"
    "Floating off the road"
    "Game on"
    "Giving it plenty"
    "Good stuff"
    "Guesstimation"
    "He got mugged"
    "He's been in the wars"
    "He's had a dismal race/weekend/season"
    "He is the meat in a [Team Name] sandwich"
    "Hello to our viewers around the world"
    "Hero and zero stuff"
    "His race has been compromised"
    "Hug the apex like it's your favourite granny"
    "In rainy conditions you're listening to the car in front"

    etc
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  • argyllflyer
    argyllflyer Posts: 893
    Pross wrote:
    The thing is, with Eurosport the commentators are generally freelance and often have to cover other sports as well as cycling. They would probably struggle to make ends meet just doing cycling commentary. That said, there should still be a decent amount of research carried out. I know there are a few hundred riders at Pro Tour / Pro Conti level but you would expect a reasonable knowledge of at the very least the Pro Tour guys and those from the bigger Pro Conti teams.

    Hatch for me is by far the best Eurosport have got although they have some decent pundits / co-commentators as back up. I've taken the mick out of his overly precise pronunciation in the past but ultimately he is just doing it properly and i suspect we have just got used to lazy pronunciation from commentators in all sports. He is streets ahead of the other options.

    Agree to a point - Hatch is very busy with other things such as handball at certain times of the year but between Feb and Oct there's usually enough cycling to keep the best going. Kirby does a bit of motorsport in the off-season. It'd be interesting to know for sure what they do get up to on the days they're not commentating.
  • Birillo
    Birillo Posts: 417
    The answer to finding a commentator who can entertain and inform is, of course, to bring back David Harmon.
  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    [Biting my tongue, post deleted]
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
  • Booner69
    Booner69 Posts: 31
    Greg Lemond just announced on his Facebook page that he's joining Eurosport....:-)
    https://www.facebook.com/greglemond
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    Cool!
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  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Booner69 wrote:
    Greg Lemond just announced on his Facebook page that he's joining Eurosport....:-)
    https://www.facebook.com/greglemond

    That is great news!
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    That's an amazing coup for Eurosport. They have some bright talent coming on board, let's hope they make the most of it!
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    Booner69 wrote:
    Greg Lemond just announced on his Facebook page that he's joining Eurosport....:-)
    https://www.facebook.com/greglemond

    Hang on a minute...it wasn't on a promise from Hinault was it?
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    Yellow Peril wrote:
    Booner69 wrote:
    Greg Lemond just announced on his Facebook page that he's joining Eurosport....:-)
    https://www.facebook.com/greglemond

    Hang on a minute...it wasn't on a promise from Hinault was it?

    Haha! Very sharp!
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --

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