Carlton Kirby

m.r.m.

So instead of hurtling into Arenberg at 60 km/h everyone will hit that chicane at 60 km/h.

mrb123

Just in case any of you missed the trailer during yesterday's Amstel Gold, take note that Carlton's one man show is coming soon to a venue near you (or Carlisle).

By the time you read this, there's every chance that all of the tickets will have sold out, but you might just be lucky so you'd better be quick off the mark.

It promises to be a "show for the ages" (copyright Rob Hatch)

daniel_b

Ah damn, I can't find my credit card ANYWHERE to enable me to place an order 🤥

Pross

Today’s team at FW was a real breath of fresh air. Lloyd and Stephens need to be the core of the commentary team for the bigger races. Luke Rowe fitted in well, having a current or recently retired rider really helps. No-one was wetting the bed at the thought of them taking a corner in the rain, rider identification was very good despite rain jackets (and they would say if they weren’t sure who was who rather than guess), it wasn’t declared a race for the ages despite being the best edition I’ve seen (Lloyd even said it isn’t usually the most exciting race.

It was a bit like a cycling version of TMS. Chuck in Kelly and / or Robbie and that’s a pretty decent team.

takethehighroad

It was almost as if Stephens remembered at 4k to go that he had to get excited

blazing_saddles

I have finally caught up with coverage of the AGR.

I wish that I hadn’t.

Kirby set a new personal low for truly useless commentary.

A total fixation with MvDP winning, despite him being out of the picture for 30kms.

Too many other instances to list. Better just to say that he no understanding of race craft.

daniel_b

He definitely has no understanding of racecraft, and in all likelihood never has.

I recall one race a few years back, with a pointy peloton, and Ganna went on the front just easing through to take a turn as the rider on the front slid back (And this had been happening for a number of km), and suddenly he was 'attacking!' and no correction of this supposition after it became painfully evident that it was not what was happening in the slightest 🤣

alan_a

Having professionally sat through literally thousands of hours of comedy events in Oran Mor Glasgow, this evening Audience with Carlton Kirby was by far the most entertaining I have been at.

I love that Carlton knows how to hold court. He knows his strengths. He knows his weaknesses. He sees the writing on the wall. He wasn't afraid to give an opinion.

Brilliant to see so many folk I know sat in a sold out auditorium pyshing themselves at cycling related stories.

More of this kind of thing please.

Pross

Sounds like he could make a career out of it. Someone should encourage him to make a career out of it!

stage_hunter

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21071406#Comment_21071406

He does it all on his own doesn’t he? No other journos or ex pros to bounce off of. Unusual? Admirable? Shows his popularity that no one else in that field will share a stage with him?

pinno

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21071417#Comment_21071417

What do you base those suppositions on?

takethehighroad

He usually does the Dauphine, but it's Hatch and Stephens this year, so I was wondering what he was up to

Will be interesting to see what the commentary line up is for the TDF, there's seems to be an abundancy of riches at the moment within Discovery+

daniel_b

It's normally a 50/50 between hatch and kirby, where they alternate who finishes each stage etc.

I'm hoping there will be loads more Blythe, and plenty of Rowe, as I find both of them very inciteful, and entertaining.

Was delighted to hear hatch and stephens on the Dauphine, certainly increased my enjoyment of it, though in my opinion stephens is not a lead commentator, where as in contrast lloyd is brilliant in that role, a real natural.

gethinceri

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21071507#Comment_21071507

Which Rowe are you hoping for?

daniel_b

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21071510#Comment_21071510

Luke - who was on a bit of the Giro, might well have other commitments though.

Dorset_Boy

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21071507#Comment_21071507

Hope you really mean insightful! 😁

daniel_b

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21071513#Comment_21071513

fantastic, yes I do indeed 🤣

rick_chasey

Can always flick over to ITV4 when you're fed up with Kirby.

Pross

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21071525#Comment_21071525

It will make me less sympathetic to the suffering donkeys if I listen to Kirby for a bit first though.

daniel_b

I get fed up with the adverts on ITV4 though, where as with the Discovery+ sub I have no ads at all.

Ned is ok, I do like Millar though, but it's very rare for me to stray to ITV4 for TDF - plus the image quality is inferior.

Pross

Jeez, he just spent ages going on about a rider wearing a 'tea' coloured number and was suggesting it was probably a quirk of the rider who doesn't like white. Smith then joined the conversation and pointed out the obvious, that it is the comabtivity award. How can someone go to work so badly prepared?

No_Ta_Doctor

https://x.com/DrHeadgear/status/1800579428365275626

Webboo2

I’ll admit I’ve never had a problem with Carlton but I’m now thinking he’s just winding folk up by playing the Buffon. I even get the feeling Brian is feeding him lines.

daniel_b

That really is very partridge. I used to think of his style as more smashy and nicey, but yes perhaps this is a more accurate comparison.

Pross

Words just seem to flow from his mouth, occasionally they're related to one another but seemingly never with anything that can control them. He's also dragging Smith down to his level with the shitty puns. I had to mute in the end today as it was giving me a headache. I can't work out if he's getting worse or it is just that we had the 3 weeks of being shown how it can / should be done on the Giro coverage.

daniel_b

I watched stage 3 yesterday at lunch, and I concur, it was only an hour, but seemed worse than usual, or at least how he had been in recent months.

takethehighroad

The Tour de Suisse commentated by Kirby

Eurosport should be prosecuted for Crimes Against Humanity

kingstongraham

It makes just as much sense if you watch it with commentary in a different language. Even if you don't understand it.

Pross

Today he was dangerously close to giving a Telegraph reader's opinions on solar energy and demonstrated ignorance in yet another subject.

vincesummerskRoxcBTr

I still prefer Calton to Rob Hatch's manic delivery, someone should sedate him before he commentates