Great bits of cycling commentary

RichN95.

Eric Bristow, the darts player has just died, which immediately brought to mind Sid Wadell's brilliant commentary: "When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears because there were no more worlds to conquer. Bristow's only 27." A personal favourite.

It got me thinking as to what the really good bits of cycling commentary have been.

For old sods like me the obvious choice is Liggett and Roche on La Plagne in 1987: https://youtu.be/sQojh-wqL04?t=120

My second favourite is from Belgium, opting to use English briefly. Cancellara's attack in the 2010 Paris-Roubaix. "Balen we have a problem".: https://youtu.be/TEFqL0mbazw?t=48

What other nominations? (It would help if they were in English, but it's not deal breaker. Colombian and Norwegian commentary is know for it's exuberance)

blazing_saddles

Utterly ironic I know, but for once I can forgive him: "Joy for cycling fans globally."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVg0-G3IA28

thistle_

Wrong bit of the forum so I'll just link to the classic line from this: https://youtu.be/EqYgAX6D43Q?t=181

rick_chasey

https://youtu.be/JH9BybSAXbE?t=3m

Wuyts on Boonen in Madrid, 2005.

"Tommeke Tommeke wat doe je nu?"

Tommeke is a diminutive version of Tom; like what you'd use for a child. No real translation to English but suggests a paternal familiarity. Wat doe je nu translates literally to "what are you doing now?" but it's not quite that; it's more inferring "oh my god are you going to become world champion", but it's also the kind of thing you say to a kid who's about to do something they think is special/crazy.

Right at the end he shots "Moeder, wij zijn nog niet thuis!" "Mum, we're not home yet...!" (i.e. they're out partying).

So popular it spawned its own genre of sh!t remixes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sY6aaE-Xig

and spoofs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynAzRTx-OHg

ShutupJens

This immediately came to mind from tour of Qatar, think this is Harmon and Brian Smith

Poor old Baden Cooke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_5Q8sQumrc

bobmcstuff

thistle (MBNW) wrote:

Wrong bit of the forum so I'll just link to the classic line from this: https://youtu.be/EqYgAX6D43Q?t=181

I knew what that was going to be without clicking on it

pottssteve

For my money you can't beat the late, great David "Duffers" Duffield. Some corking sayings here:
http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/lates ... ary-212977

The clip of 1992 Milan-San Remo is a classic; 8 minutes where he manages to squeeze in dogs and fleas, Sean Kelly's kids and most of the rest of his family, the results of the previous day's Grand Prix, greenhouses and his time in Triestse during the war. Genius!

inseine

I know it's a bit overuse but I remember vividly the classic ''that looks like Roche, that looks like Stephen Roche. it's Stephen Roche!''
http://www.wheelsuckers.co.uk/video/it- ... -la-plagne

johnboy183

pottssteve wrote:

For my money you can't beat the late, great David "Duffers" Duffield. Some corking sayings here:
http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/lates ... ary-212977

The clip of 1992 Milan-San Remo is a classic; 8 minutes where he manages to squeeze in dogs and fleas, Sean Kelly's kids and most of the rest of his family, the results of the previous day's Grand Prix, greenhouses and his time in Triestse during the war. Genius!

When did he pass away? I had no idea

RichN95.

johnboy183 wrote:

pottssteve wrote:

For my money you can't beat the late, great David "Duffers" Duffield. Some corking sayings here:
http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/lates ... ary-212977

The clip of 1992 Milan-San Remo is a classic; 8 minutes where he manages to squeeze in dogs and fleas, Sean Kelly's kids and most of the rest of his family, the results of the previous day's Grand Prix, greenhouses and his time in Triestse during the war. Genius!

When did he pass away? I had no idea

February 2016

http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/lates ... -84-212860

johnboy183

Thanks. I'd just assumed he was in retirement.

TonyJams

"THE MAN WITH THE HAMMER HAS GOT HIM"

or

"ITS CURTAINS FOR KARPETS"

You really can't beat DD, he was the king of one liners, even if they went on to 5 lines or included a story about how he put diesel in a petrol car and had to do a commentary from a hotel room.

The whole lot is here:

http://bikesy.co.uk/features/david-duff ... fieldisms/

dave milne

Carlton Kirby for Iljo Keisse's win in the tour of turkey was pretty good. Wouldn't often say that about him but he nailed it there

roypsb

dave milne wrote:

Carlton Kirby for Iljo Keisse's win in the tour of turkey was pretty good. Wouldn't often say that about him but he nailed it there

That was an incredible end to the stage and enhanced considerably by Carlton’s commentary, which was fantastic.

disquieting_museeuws

Sean Kelly's casual and very occasional dropping of the F word into commentary. All the more special when it happens.

https://youtu.be/S6_KAwV8DL8

Pross

dave milne wrote:

Carlton Kirby for Iljo Keisse's win in the tour of turkey was pretty good. Wouldn't often say that about him but he nailed it there

One of the few race finishes that justified his over-excited child style in the last few ks.

Pross

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Utterly ironic I know, but for once I can forgive him: "Joy for cycling fans globally."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVg0-G3IA28

Classic Carlton though - there's a 'here come the Chargers', another mention of the Chargers, misidentifying the rider on the corner as the peloton come through as Keisse (forgivable in this instance) and finally not fully understanding the distance remaining when proclaiming Keisse is going to get caught when he was 50m out. His style did fit the moment though.