race coverage, is it just me?

ugo.santalucia

I have tried to spend an hour or two watching the TdF of ITV4... I just get distracted and only seem to be able to follow the last couple of minutes of a stage...
If the racing can't change to be more addictive, is it not time the all race coverage changes to become more 21st century?

Right now there are more cameras than ever, but ultimately it is the same thing as back in the 80s, some images from the road, some from a helicopter and a couple of blokes in a studio saying some interesting and less interesting things about the race.
Riders have access to a lot of technology, why don't we? It would be addictive to see that Pinot's power output has suddenly crashed, even if that is not covered by TV... in other words something different from the usual images of lads with a colourful helmet pedalling on a bike and looking all exactly the same

paulwood

I'm loving the coverage on Eurosport. My wife can't understand how i can watch hour after hour.

A bit like test cricket, ages where little happens and then suddenly there is something to talk about other than chateau or busses.

FocusZing

I think it's fine. If it's messed about with too much it ends up like F1 where nobody knows what the hell is going on. If you want power stats and extra info it can be found online.

This years been good so far to me, not too many uneventful flat stages.

wongataa

I suspect that the teams would not want too much rider data broadcast. Everyone can see what is broadcast and it would give rival teams too much information on the riders.

josame

Jeez, you want to see Pinots wattage crash... that probably gonna be apparent on the screen

ugo.santalucia

Just me then... haven't been able to follow the tour in years, I always mean to, but when it comes to it, even excel spreadsheets look more exciting...

Pross

It's very rarely going to be a sport that keeps you rivetted from start to finish other than on very rare occasions like Froome's Giro stage last year. Ultimately very little happens for 4 or 5 hours, it's mainly a small group rolling along being followed by a large group an agreed distance behind until it's time to catch them. I tend to have it on whilst reading or browsing the internet and keep an ear out for obvious changes in the routine and regular glances to enjoy the scenery. As a sport road cycling isn't viewer friendly, all-out excitement and that will never change we just have more exposure to it now so notice it more I reckon (full stage coverage was demanded and given but all that has really added is a brief flurry early on while an acceptable break forms).

RichN95.

I think they should fill out the quiet stages with pre-filmed segments similar to the sort of things we have in the stage threads. Show highlights of the historic races from the area. Short films about the tourist attractions. How about a local chef with their recipe of the day. Basically a daytime magazine show arranged around a bike race.

m.r.m.

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Just me then... haven't been able to follow the tour in years, I always mean to, but when it comes to it, even excel spreadsheets look more exciting...

No I'm with you. Still enjoy watching every race, but I would certainly love also seeing rider power, speed etc.
People not interested can ignore the numbers. Think the main issue will be teams not wanting to divulge the info.

Darius_Jedburgh

Yup, it's boring. No real excitment, everything is planned to the last detail by all the teams.
Dare I say it...the riders are now more or less on a level playing field since the major drug clean up. There is no longer the possibility of some chemical fuelled excitement. Not saying that's a bad thing, but margins now are finer so planning is more meticulous. Nothing is left to chance because they all know what each other's tactics will be.

FocusZing

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Just me then... haven't been able to follow the tour in years, I always mean to, but when it comes to it, even excel spreadsheets look more exciting...

I tend to have it on in the background and dip in when it hots up, but that's same as any televised sport. Not many are full on cracking a hundred percent of the time. If you haven't been able to follow it for a while your expectations were probably too high.

larkim

There's definitely scope for some better info which isn't prejudicial to the team's sensitivites about power outputs or tactics etc (though publishing that in a format that isn't just information overload is a challenge!) but it's a 4-5 hour bike race, repeated daily over 3 weeks. It's hardly going to be a minute by minute thriller, more of a slow burn & build to key points.

What frustrates me is that the online systems for tracking riders etc, even by the same provider, are inconsistent. Two days ago the live tracker was showing Quintana behind the peloton for the last 20km of the race because he'd taken a bike swap, yet the other "live" coverage on the official website showed him in the peloton.

Clearly the advertisers at ITV4 and Eurosport are convinced there are people watching all day, so there must be enough people sufficiently satisfied at the moment.

ugo.santalucia

I can watch a tennis match for 3 hours and I don't even like tennis... I can even binge on a full snooker championship final and I only marginally like snooker... I can watch the last couple of hours of the Tour of Flanders, but the Tour... 5 minutes at most and cycling is my thing... that says something

FocusZing

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I can watch a tennis match for 3 hours and I don't even like tennis... I can even binge on a full snooker championship final and I only marginally like snooker... I can watch the last couple of hours of the Tour of Flanders, but the Tour... 5 minutes at most and cycling is my thing... that says something

Just watch the highlights then, which cuts to the chase.

keef66

Last night I watched the highlights on ITV4 and then again on Eurosport because I wasn't paying attention the first time...

wongataa

I prefer the highlights precisely because they will only show the more exciting bits. Even then you have to accept that the highlights can be dull because not much happened during the stage.

supermurph09

The sport has changed and I think there is now an argument to say the format of the racing needs to be tinkered with, especially for the TDF where teams are so scared of losing time they forget to try and make time. Or maybe they just can't, I really don't know.

blazing_saddles

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I can watch a tennis match for 3 hours and I don't even like tennis... I can even binge on a full snooker championship final and I only marginally like snooker... I can watch the last couple of hours of the Tour of Flanders, but the Tour... 5 minutes at most and cycling is my thing... that says something

If you haven't been able to watch this edition, then I'd say the problem might be a preconception thing.

M.R.M. wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Just me then... haven't been able to follow the tour in years, I always mean to, but when it comes to it, even excel spreadsheets look more exciting...

No I'm with you. Still enjoy watching every race, but I would certainly love also seeing rider power, speed etc.
People not interested can ignore the numbers. Think the main issue will be teams not wanting to divulge the info.

I totally disagree.
I like my screen clear, but for the distance/time graphic. I don't want something that looks like Sky Sports News. I hate the split screen, mostly pointless interviews that blights Eurosport's coverage.
Have remote a button to access technical info by all means, then it becomes a matter of individual choice.

kingstongraham

RichN95 wrote:

I think they should fill out the quiet stages with pre-filmed segments similar to the sort of things we have in the stage threads. Show highlights of the historic races from the area. Short films about the tourist attractions. How about a local chef with their recipe of the day. Basically a daytime magazine show arranged around a bike race.

I'm not sure about all of that, but I like the Paul Sherwen type: "This is the Chateau Fontenac. During the war, this was used by the German army as the centre for military operations in the Nouvion area."

When there's nothing much happening in the bike race, they don't have to talk much about the bike race.

DeVlaeminck

I can watch some stages - others not and I fast forward to the last 20k - I don't necessarily think they expect people to watch 4 hours straight but enough people probably have it on in the background or watch bits and bobs. I wouldn't really want all the stats or bike mounted footage - it doesn't do it for me but whatever floats your boat it's all personal preference.

The thing that would make it better - but which I accept will never happen and maybe for good reasons - is if we could get rid of the helmets and huge shades. Instead of anonymous cyclists in colourful clothing we'd get to see the individuals, facial expressions etc - I think that would make it a bit better. There probably is a case for tinkering with the race format too but that would really open a can of worms.

FocusZing

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I can watch some stages - others not and I fast forward to the last 20k - I don't necessarily think they expect people to watch 4 hours straight but enough people probably have it on in the background or watch bits and bobs. I wouldn't really want all the stats or bike mounted footage - it doesn't do it for me but whatever floats your boat it's all personal preference.

The thing that would make it better - but which I accept will never happen and maybe for good reasons - is if we could get rid of the helmets and huge shades. Instead of anonymous cyclists in colourful clothing we'd get to see the individuals, facial expressions etc - I think that would make it a bit better. There probably is a case for tinkering with the race format too but that would really open a can of worms.

Yep agree with that, but like you said I don't see that changing now.

ugo.santalucia

Blazing Saddles wrote:

I totally disagree.
I like my screen clear, but for the distance/time graphic. I don't want something that looks like Sky Sports News. I hate the split screen, mostly pointless interviews that blights Eurosport's coverage.
Have remote a button to access technical info by all means, then it becomes a matter of individual choice.

They trialled the power thing in Germany, I think it was 2005 when I saw it... it was quite cool to see Armstrong Vs Basso's power output (real or simulated I don't know) with dials on the screen.

Either way, it could simply be a function that you can add or remove with a button on your remote control.

Something needs to change in the way these things are covered and it can't just be a better anchorman with new jokes... how about splitting the screen to see more than just one race situation? Sometimes you get the breakaway finish, but you miss the action in the peloton, maybe you could follow 3-4 groups at the same time, just by pressing a button... or you can personalise your view and have some pre-recorded settings, like power of GC men + breakaway + GC battle on the screen

homers_double

Highlights only for me, I simply don't have time to sit and watch TV for four hours plus it'd be about as exciting as snail racing.

hypster

I used to watch snail racing until they removed the shells. That just made it even more sluggish...

hypster

I think they should split stages up and have maybe two shorter ones on the same day. Also, instead of just adding dodgy gravelly bits on like the Plank this year, couldn't they find a dedicated gravel course for the Tour to race on with gravel bikes? It would be like the Tours of old.

gsk82

homers double wrote:

Highlights only for me, I simply don't have time to sit and watch TV for four hours

get over yourself man

ugo.santalucia

hypster wrote:

I think they should split stages up and have maybe two shorter ones on the same day. Also, instead of just adding dodgy gravelly bits on like the Plank this year, couldn't they find a dedicated gravel course for the Tour to race on with gravel bikes? It would be like the Tours of old.

More to the point, it would justify the current craze for gravel bikes when there is no gravel to speak of

Wayne Plunger

A rear facing camera on Steve Cummings's bike perhaps?

Lanterne_Rogue

Wayne Plunger wrote:

A rear facing camera on Steve Cummings's bike perhaps?

This is a great idea. No more guessing about who's going back to team cars.

epc06

I have to work from home mostly. I have it on in the background permanently and find the noise that accompanies the bike race weirdly relaxing

tommasi

The less stats and tech in sports coverage the better.

Maybe the racing would be more exciting if they weren't linked up to power meters and radio to tell them what to do