What TV Channel to watch Cycling?

Harry Thorpe
Harry Thorpe Posts: 34
edited April 2012 in Pro race
Hiya after hearing about yesterdays exciting Milan-San Remo and with the cycling season starting up again i was wondering what tv channels you can get professional cycling on. is it all on one channel or spread across many? also how much would it cost to sign up to them and is there any way of watching them for free?

Many Thanks
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Comments

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    It's more or less all on Eurosport.

    For free, dodgy internet feeds in a variety of languages, www.cyclingfans.com and www.steephill.tv have the links.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Stone Glider
    Stone Glider Posts: 1,227
    I watched it on Sporza, I do not understand the commentary but enjoy the 'experience'. A bit like classical music really :?
    The older I get the faster I was
  • durhamwasp
    durhamwasp Posts: 1,247
    Buy a Suitcase Satellite system and it can be easily used to watch free cycling on either Eurosport Germany, or RAI Italy.
    http://www.snookcycling.wordpress.com - Reports on Cingles du Mont Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Tourmalet, Paris-Roubaix Sportive & Tour of Flanders Sportive, Amstel Gold Xperience, Vosges, C2C, WOTR routes....
  • Eurosport cover all the protour races, and show highlights several times. Otherwise you can try Sportlemon.tv which often have several links including uk eurosport coverage and sometimes universal sports but thats got way too many commercials.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,217
    Eurosport - especially if you don't speak French, Italian, or Dutch.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    No Gent-Wevelgem (never mind the Dwars or E3) Crit International or De Panne on Eurosport, this year.
    So, I would recommend learning pigeon Italian and watch Rai Sport 2. This is there Sunday schedule:
    11:00 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 1a tappa
    11:50 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 2a tappa
    12:40 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 3a tappa
    pomeriggio (Cambia fascia oraria)
    13:30 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 4a tappa
    14:20 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 5a tappa
    15:20 Ciclismo: Gent Wevelgem
    18:15 Basket: Campionato Italiano Femminile A1 Parma-Lucca
    20:00 Ciclismo: Trofeo Binda Cittiglio
    20:50 Ciclismo: Criterium International
    sera (Cambia fascia oraria)
    22:25 Ciclismo: Gent Wevelgem
    23:55 Ciclismo: Criterium International
    notte (Cambia fascia oraria)
    01:30 Ciclismo: Trofeo Binda Cittiglio
    (plus they have Dwars and E3 live, too) :D
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,207
    No Gent-Wevelgem (never mind the Dwars or E3) Crit International or De Panne on Eurosport, this year.
    So, I would recommend learning pigeon Italian and watch Rai Sport 2. This is there Sunday schedule:
    11:00 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 1a tappa
    11:50 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 2a tappa
    12:40 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 3a tappa
    pomeriggio (Cambia fascia oraria)
    13:30 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 4a tappa
    14:20 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 5a tappa
    15:20 Ciclismo: Gent Wevelgem
    18:15 Basket: Campionato Italiano Femminile A1 Parma-Lucca
    20:00 Ciclismo: Trofeo Binda Cittiglio
    20:50 Ciclismo: Criterium International
    sera (Cambia fascia oraria)
    22:25 Ciclismo: Gent Wevelgem
    23:55 Ciclismo: Criterium International
    notte (Cambia fascia oraria)
    01:30 Ciclismo: Trofeo Binda Cittiglio
    (plus they have Dwars and E3 live, too) :D

    Is the 18:15 to 20:00 hours slot there to provide us cyclists with our other interest in life - girls playing with balls?
  • brucey72
    brucey72 Posts: 1,086
    Pross wrote:
    No Gent-Wevelgem (never mind the Dwars or E3) Crit International or De Panne on Eurosport, this year.
    So, I would recommend learning pigeon Italian and watch Rai Sport 2. This is there Sunday schedule:
    11:00 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 1a tappa
    11:50 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 2a tappa
    12:40 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 3a tappa
    pomeriggio (Cambia fascia oraria)
    13:30 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 4a tappa
    14:20 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 5a tappa
    15:20 Ciclismo: Gent Wevelgem
    18:15 Basket: Campionato Italiano Femminile A1 Parma-Lucca
    20:00 Ciclismo: Trofeo Binda Cittiglio
    20:50 Ciclismo: Criterium International
    sera (Cambia fascia oraria)
    22:25 Ciclismo: Gent Wevelgem
    23:55 Ciclismo: Criterium International
    notte (Cambia fascia oraria)
    01:30 Ciclismo: Trofeo Binda Cittiglio
    (plus they have Dwars and E3 live, too) :D

    Is the 18:15 to 20:00 hours slot there to provide us cyclists with our other interest in life - girls playing with balls?

    Are you referring to internet pornography by any chance? ;-)
  • No Gent-Wevelgem (never mind the Dwars or E3) Crit International or De Panne on Eurosport, this year.
    :D

    I thought Eurosport were showing G-W on Sunday?
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    edited March 2012
    essexeagle wrote:
    No Gent-Wevelgem (never mind the Dwars or E3) Crit International or De Panne on Eurosport, this year.
    :D

    I thought Eurosport were showing G-W on Sunday?

    Details are starting to emerge regarding some changes of schedule.
    ES 2 now has a "live" cycling slot (12-30-14-00) but it seems to be day 2 of the
    Crit International, not G-W.
    This, from Sky epg, since their tv page gives zero details.
    However, things at "The Home of Cycling" :roll: are clearly in a state of flux.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • durhamwasp
    durhamwasp Posts: 1,247
    essexeagle wrote:
    No Gent-Wevelgem (never mind the Dwars or E3) Crit International or De Panne on Eurosport, this year.
    :D

    I thought Eurosport were showing G-W on Sunday?
    No, unfortunately not.

    Eurosport 1 is showing Volta
    Eurosport 2 is showing Crit Int.
    http://www.snookcycling.wordpress.com - Reports on Cingles du Mont Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Tourmalet, Paris-Roubaix Sportive & Tour of Flanders Sportive, Amstel Gold Xperience, Vosges, C2C, WOTR routes....
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,817
    Recently ES coverage of the slightly smaller races, eg GW etc, has been pretty poor and RAI is now the channel of choice for me anyway, someone that does not subscribe to any of the pay TV (SKY, ES digital). Belgian RTBF was great a few years ago but it disappeared or went subscription / internet so RAI it is. For MSR they had a preview program the day before with Salvoldelli recce'ing the course on motorbike and a number of guests chatting about it - they love to talk about their races - pity my Italian is still pretty poor.
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    No Gent-Wevelgem (never mind the Dwars or E3) Crit International or De Panne on Eurosport, this year.
    So, I would recommend learning pigeon Italian and watch Rai Sport 2. This is there Sunday schedule:
    11:00 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 1a tappa
    11:50 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 2a tappa
    12:40 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 3a tappa
    pomeriggio (Cambia fascia oraria)
    13:30 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 4a tappa
    14:20 Ciclismo: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 5a tappa
    15:20 Ciclismo: Gent Wevelgem
    18:15 Basket: Campionato Italiano Femminile A1 Parma-Lucca
    20:00 Ciclismo: Trofeo Binda Cittiglio
    20:50 Ciclismo: Criterium International
    sera (Cambia fascia oraria)
    22:25 Ciclismo: Gent Wevelgem
    23:55 Ciclismo: Criterium International
    notte (Cambia fascia oraria)
    01:30 Ciclismo: Trofeo Binda Cittiglio
    (plus they have Dwars and E3 live, too) :D


    Cheers, for that...
  • islwyn
    islwyn Posts: 650
    Eurosports show more cycling than all the other sporting channels put together.

    Sign up to www.eurosportsplayer.co.uk for £3.99 a month, you can then watch any of their channels online and watch previously shown shows.

    Win.
  • blim
    blim Posts: 333
    Sporza's Match Center (sic) shows a live stream - not dodgy or illegal, and despite the disclaimer, it is available outside Belgium too. I've watched Het Nieuwsblad, KBK, Nokere Koerse and half of Paris-Nice this way this year. Better reception/resolution than a cyclingfans.com feed. Even if you don't speak Dutch, the atmosphere is second to none: main commentator Michel Wuyts is for me the voice of cycling (in March and April at least)

    http://live.sporza.be/cm/lmc - Match Center homepage: "Wielrennen" is Dutch for cycling

    http://live.sporza.be/cm/lmc/wielrennen ... Vlaanderen - for today's action
    kop van de wedstrijd
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,224
    What about the picture quality...?

    Watching the on-line feeds with an iffy connection and an unintelligible commentary (Flemish? Basque? Welsh?... arg, no - it's Anthony McCrossan!!) is all very well and has it's charms - I like to pretend I'm in a modern day version of the Resistance; tuning into some crackly broadcast from the frontline (maybe I should see if the Wi-Fi reaches the shed, and watch there - for added authenticity) - but what beats watching fantastic racing in beautiful countries (and Belgium!) brilliantly covered in stunning HD? After all - didn't most races start (or evolve) as a means of promoting a region/town?
    Despite it's flaws*, Eurosport HD all the way...







    *like not actually seeming to be HD at all, sometimes
  • DF33
    DF33 Posts: 732
    Eurosport, yes but afaik I need to take out a package to get it on tv. As I don't want to pay for football that I don't want, I haven't.

    I watch on Es player instead. Anyway of streaming it from a macbook to the tv?
    Peter
  • squired
    squired Posts: 1,153
    Gone are the days when people in their droves would recommend Cycling.tv. I wonder how many subscriptions they have these days?

    For me the best option is the combination of Eurosport and web feeds. When you consider how many days/hours of live cycling Eurosport actually provide it is pretty impressive really. I may be wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if a Eurosport viewer is able to watch more hours of cycling per year than a football fan can see of the Premier League (via Sky Sports and ESPN combined).
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,207
    DF33 wrote:
    Eurosport, yes but afaik I need to take out a package to get it on tv. As I don't want to pay for football that I don't want, I haven't.

    I watch on Es player instead. Anyway of streaming it from a macbook to the tv?

    For some reason Eurosport is on the Sky family pack rather than the sport package.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,217
    Pross wrote:
    DF33 wrote:
    Eurosport, yes but afaik I need to take out a package to get it on tv. As I don't want to pay for football that I don't want, I haven't.

    I watch on Es player instead. Anyway of streaming it from a macbook to the tv?

    For some reason Eurosport is on the Sky family pack rather than the sport package.


    You betcha. Only costs £1 more a month if you're already using sky TV.
  • DF33
    DF33 Posts: 732
    But for me, that's the point. I don't have sky TV and don't particularly want it as I don't watch masses of TV plus most of it seems to be full of crap. Therefore I don't want to take out a subscription to Sky for £10's a month just for Eurosport and, for me, nothing else - hence the Macbook ES player to TV question.
    Peter
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,224
    Yep - it sure is full of crap, DF.
    I did the classic thing: set up the Direct Debit with Sky and forgot about it. Just checked my monthly bill for my "bundle" - how much? £80! That's 960 bleedin' quid a year!! About half of that is for the telly - the rest for broadband and home phone (hardy ever used).

    I argued for Sky purely on account of Eurosport. That argument looks ever poorer.

    You can get an adapter to output from your Mac to the input on your TV (probably HDMI if the TV's newish) - ask in your nearest Mac store. Then go into 'Displays' in System Preferences, then Detect Displays; then turn Mirroring on. Whatever's on your Mac should pop up on your telly (assuming TV's on correct channel for input)
  • DF33
    DF33 Posts: 732
    Thanks for that OCD.

    Just ordered a mini dvi to hdmi lead from the bay. Your instructions above are exactly what I was looking for on how to set it up so thanks again.

    I had Sky in a flat I stayed in sometimes and despaired at the massive amount of crap on it too. Hence I'm not going down the route of having it just for ES.
    Peter
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Eurosport not covering the Tour of the Basque Country (Pais Vasco) again this year.
    Only available live through the Basque channel Etb 1 and................
    Rai Sport 2. :wink:
    (don't know about Sporza)
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,217
    Eurosport not covering the Tour of the Basque Country (Pais Vasco) again this year.
    Only available live through the Basque channel Etb 1 and................
    Rai Sport 2. :wink:
    (don't know about Sporza)

    Sporza are showing it.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    The other thing to mention about Eurosport is that their Ronde coverage is split by an hour of motor car racing.
    This comes during the "guts" of the race, when the riders are hitting the climb in quick succession.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,217
    The other thing to mention about Eurosport is that their Ronde coverage is split by an hour of motor car racing.
    This comes during the "guts" of the race, when the riders are hitting the climb in quick succession.



    WHAT?!
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,217
    Right.

    We need to sort this out.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    UK time: 1-15pm to 2-15 pm. Both Eurosport 1 and HD go to the cars.
    Coverage itself starts early this year.
    Should have live pics from around 11-30 or even earlier.

    But, Eurosport drop the black out bomb, right on the bulls eye. :oops:

    Again, R Sport 2 saves my day and the race.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,217
    Pointless.

    Totally pointless.

    Why bother showing it?