Eurosport 2014 / Cycling

argyllflyer

Updating the list of Eurosport comms pairings this year:

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
Milan-Sanremo: Quigley & Kelly
Catalunia: Kirby & Backstedt
E3 Harelbeke: Quigley & Stephens
Criterium International: Quigley & Stephens

RideOnTime

argyllflyer wrote:

Updating the list of Eurosport comms pairings this year:

Dubai: Quigley & Smith
Oman: Kirby (solo) :shock: :shock:
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
Milan-Sanremo: Quigley & Kelly
Catalunia: tbc
E3 Harelbeke: Quigley & AN Other
Criterium International: Quigley & Stephens

Allez Mark

Booner69 wrote:

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.

Magnus on now with Kirby 8)

argyllflyer

'Brutalised' at least 3 times... shut it Kirby!

CyclingMediaPro

RideOnTime wrote:

argyllflyer wrote:

Updating the list of Eurosport comms pairings this year:

Dubai: Quigley & Smith
Oman: Kirby (solo) :shock: :shock:
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
Milan-Sanremo: Quigley & Kelly
Catalunia: tbc
E3 Harelbeke: Quigley & AN Other
Criterium International: Quigley & Stephens

TOC will be Stephens as main comms with Smith as Colour... that will be interesting... not sure MS has the rider recognition skills.

jane90

Quigley is absolutely terrible. The core skill for any commentator is to be able to engage his or her audience but unfortunately he seems unable to convey any sense of excitement or enthusiasm for what's unfolding on the screen. He might be the biggest cycling fan for all I know, but it counts for nothing if he can't communicate it.

One minor foible that I think illustrates his lack of professionalism is his habit of saying "we'll get one more commercial break out of the way". These are the commercial breaks that pay his wages and he should at least pay lip-service to them and treat them with a modicum of respect rather than annoyances to be disposed of. If I was an advertiser, I would not be happy and a more professional broadcaster wouldn't allow him to get away with it.

Richmond Racer

jane90 wrote:

Quigley is absolutely terrible. The core skill for any commentator is to be able to engage his or her audience but unfortunately he seems unable to convey any sense of excitement or enthusiasm for what's unfolding on the screen. He might be the biggest cycling fan for all I know, but it counts for nothing if he can't communicate it.

One minor foible that I think illustrates his lack of professionalism is his habit of saying "we'll get one more commercial break out of the way". These are the commercial breaks that pay his wages and he should at least pay lip-service to them and treat them with a modicum of respect rather than annoyances to be disposed of. If I was an advertiser, I would not be happy and a more professional broadcaster wouldn't allow him to get away with it.

Difficult one. Know what you mean about the ad breaks - but I kind of take it as an assurance to viewers that after that break ES will have uninterrupted coverage.

jane90

Yes, you're right, it's a difficult balancing act to respect the advertisers on the one hand and to acknowledge the fact that the breaks are, in fact, an intrusion for the viewer. IMO, the phrase "get it out of the way" is very disrespectful and falls down on the unprofessional side of the fence. As I said, it's a minor thing, but indicative of his general lack of understanding of his craft.

argyllflyer

CyclingMediaPro wrote:

TOC will be Stephens as main comms with Smith as Colour... that will be interesting... not sure MS has the rider recognition skills.

Interesting! That hopefully means Rob Hatch has got the Giro as last year it was Quigley on it while he did California as he had already committed to it before Harmon's sudden departure.

Is that an inside line you have on that - it's a bit out of left field.

argyllflyer

jane90 wrote:

Quigley is absolutely terrible. The core skill for any commentator is to be able to engage his or her audience but unfortunately he seems unable to convey any sense of excitement or enthusiasm for what's unfolding on the screen. He might be the biggest cycling fan for all I know, but it counts for nothing if he can't communicate it.

And that's where Carlton is unrivalled - he is great entertainment!

argyllflyer

Mods, any chance of merging the various commentary threads together?

blazing_saddles

Quigley and ad breaks versus Sporza and no ad breaks, tomorrow.
No brainer.

argyllflyer

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Quigley and ad breaks versus Sporza and no ad breaks, tomorrow.
No brainer.

IMO Matt Stephens will make it more listenable though.

durhamwasp

Just realised Eurosport is showing Catalunya and Criterium on Sunday, and not the big race of the day G-W. Great...

argyllflyer

durhamwasp wrote:

Just realised Eurosport is showing Catalunya and Criterium on Sunday, and not the big race of the day G-W. Great...

Not sure when they last had the rights for G-W, definitely not in the past few years. Sky (who do hold UK rights for all the Flanders Classics) have highlights though.

blazing_saddles

argyllflyer wrote:

durhamwasp wrote:

Just realised Eurosport is showing Catalunya and Criterium on Sunday, and not the big race of the day G-W. Great...

Not sure when they last had the rights for G-W, definitely not in the past few years. Sky (who do hold UK rights for all the Flanders Classics) have highlights though.

About 4 years ago.
I think the had Eisel's win.
Sporza wins again.
Have you noticed that the Eurosport ad breaks have gotten longer this season?

argyllflyer

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Have you noticed that the Eurosport ad breaks have gotten longer this season?

Nah that's just you dozing off from DQ's chat!

I think I'll have G-W on the laptop and the others on TV. One will need to be muted, not sure which yet!

argyllflyer

It's BSE's first season 'at this level' Declan Quigley tells us at Criterium International...

Jeezo I'd expect a commentator to at least know the team's histories!

argyllflyer

Updating the list of Eurosport comms pairings this year:

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
Milan-Sanremo: Quigley & Kelly
Catalunia: Kirby & Backstedt
E3 Harelbeke: Quigley & Stephens
Criterium International: Quigley & Stephens
Three Days of De Panne: Kirby & Smith
Tour of Flanders: Kirby & Kelly

narbs

Just watched today's highlights of de Panne.

Kirby is worse than ever, if that's possible.

Anyone know who's doing Flanders and Roubaix?

argyllflyer

narbs wrote:

Just watched today's highlights of de Panne.

Kirby is worse than ever, if that's possible.

Anyone know who's doing Flanders and Roubaix?

Kirby and Kelly!

If you have Sky Sports though, Rob Hatch is doing Flanders live for them.

Elfed

Carlton Kirby to commentate on all races, he's the Ron Burgundy of cycling commentary and I find him so entertaining !!

And to be fair he did predict a win for Modolo the other day where Brian Smith wouldn't commit.

gattocattivo

I really want Dave Harmon back. If he isn't going to be on Eurosport any more, perhaps he could be persuaded to call me on Skype every time I watch a race and just babble away for a few hours?

gattocattivo

(obviously, in this scenario, I'm assuming he's watching the race too and commentating on it, not just babbling completely randomly about anything)

gattocattivo

(although, actually, that wouldn't be too bad)

blazing_saddles

No coverage of either the Tro Bro Leon, or.....................the Giro del Trentino, either, it seems.

Turfle

They definitely said they'd be showing Trentino. But then that was weeks ago, and this is Eurosport.

Daz555

My main gripe with Eurosport is the schedule.

No end of times I fire up the Tivo to watch recorded highlights of race x only to discover womens tennis doubles from Dubai or some random touring car race! :evil:

Pross

I can cope when it is a live event that has over-run. For me the problem is when something is late despite some recorded show like Watts being on first.

I have to say, I haven't been one to moan about Kirby like many but yesterday he almost made the race unwatchable with his 'OOOOOHHHHHHHWWWWWW' every few seconds and shouting like a mad man if anything remotely interesting happened.

Ron Stuart

Have Eurosport lost Hatch and Quigley? is it Kirby from now on.... heaven forbid!