Can we talk about Qatar?

[on3m@n@rmy]

I gather it is only available in your home country, so to speak. I had a subscription, but could only get the German Eurosport.

I let my subscription go, it wasn't worth it. I could see everything free either on tv or on a livestream.

Susan

We have Versus but they don't cover many of the races, especially the ones like Quatar. They started covering some classics last year. Feel like I'm on a starvation diet

 

[The Hitch]

I have to say that although, in the past I have been a critic of British Eurosport and their tendency to, "do their own thing", in regards to cycling coverage, they played a blinder, last year.
Lost races returned to their screens, but the rest of Europe were left in the dark.

A major bummer is their tennis lust and the fact that the deadly dull clay court version is in full swing, during the Giro's final week.

Brit ES 2 schedules show a scant, 60 minutes live, (it will probably feel like a lot longer) for each Qatar stage. Oman is also scheduled for ES 2, although the timings are not yet available, to see if it's live or not.
As David Harmon said he would be commentating, I suspect it will be live for the first time.

Maybe, to save time with the Qatar stage profiles, we could cut and past those from the TDU?

Yes. And in a recent survey i recieved by email, cycling was the sport most associated to eurosport, with

82% of you rating Cycling coverage as ‘Very Good’

But there are a lot of races i would willingly skip just so that they would show Monte Zoncolan, which was the stage i reffered to in the previous post and i am worried they might not show it this year again.

I understand they want to show French Open tennis on that day, but its the first day of tennis there, so there arent that many great matches. The problem is they show it on both channels. Is it that big an ask to have them take an hour out of esp2 tennis coverage to show the Zonc.


But dont you get to see all this on rai anyway?

 

[ingsve]

I gather it is only available in your home country, so to speak. I had a subscription, but could only get the German Eurosport.

I let my subscription go, it wasn't worth it. I could see everything free either on tv or on a livestream.

Susan

Yes, unless your from the nordic countries in which case you can switch between swedish, norwegian, danish and finnish freely. Eurosport 2 is only in english however.

I find that Eurosport player is very good to have so that I can watch races on my laptop when I'm not at home or in hte last year when my TV broke.

 

[roundabout]

But dont you get to see all this on rai anyway?

Yes. There's also a stream.

 

[Pharazon]

don't rule Cavendish out of the prologue.. he's won short prolouges before

 

[Anonymous]

We need some maps and profiles..

Prologue

S-------F

Stage 1-6

S----------------^-----------------F

 

[sublimit]

Perhaps its in an unmapped area, The unknown quarter and just is a flat desert area with a road going through it and a few goats standing around.

As for the prologue, I reckon Boom, possibly Goss will have a chance. Maybe Boasson Hagen depending on his form and whether he has a go.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Stage 1-6

S----------------^-----------------F

Are you sure? They actually found a bump in the road to build into the race????

Susan

 

[sublimit]

Are you sure? They actually found a bump in the road to build into the race????

Susan

Thats a natural gas pipeline that they have to bunnyhop apparently.

 

[Anonymous]

Are you sure? They actually found a bump in the road to build into the race????

Susan

Nah, the lump is the crash in the feedzone.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Or perhaps a camel lying in the middle of the road.

Every year we joke about doing live reports on this race, and question who would fall asleep of boredom first ... the readers or us.

The race report is easy: Hot, wind, boring landscape, escape group, caught, mass sprint.

Susan

 

[Kazistuta]

We need some maps and profiles..

Prologue

S-------F

Stage 1-6

S----------------^-----------------F

S----------------~-----------------F is probably more like it

- no need to exaggerate the heights

 

[sublimit]

Or perhaps a camel lying in the middle of the road.

Every year we joke about doing live reports on this race, and question who would fall asleep of boredom first ... the readers or us.

The race report is easy: Hot, wind, boring landscape, escape group, caught, mass sprint.

Susan

Sounds like the Tour Down Under but with sand and a few goats instead of parched grass a few drunk spectators.

 

[Anonymous]

Or perhaps a camel lying in the middle of the road.

Every year we joke about doing live reports on this race, and question who would fall asleep of boredom first ... the readers or us.

The race report is easy: Hot, wind, boring landscape, escape group, caught, mass sprint.

Susan

is this better

 

[jens_attacks]

The race report is easy: Hot, wind, boring landscape, escape group, caught, mass sprint.

Susan

well i'll watch it no matter what.

regarding the prologue,i'm tipping a sprinter for the win,boonen most likely.

 

[ingsve]

Or perhaps a camel lying in the middle of the road.

Every year we joke about doing live reports on this race, and question who would fall asleep of boredom first ... the readers or us.

The race report is easy: Hot, wind, boring landscape, escape group, caught, mass sprint.

Susan

You should do a live report with nothing but numbers:

54,121,37 3.23 45

 

[sublimit]

I wonder what the weather will be like? I make a guess - Hot, Sunny and windy for the first 5 days and then on the last day hot, sunny and slightly less windy..

 

[Anonymous]

I wonder what the weather will be like? I make a guess - Hot, Sunny and windy for the first 5 days and then on the last day hot, sunny and slightly less windy..

I heard windy, sunny and hot.

 

[Matthijs]

Sounds like the Tour Down Under but with sand and a few goats instead of parched grass a few drunk spectators.

Actually Qatar and/or Oman are more interesting. Goats, camels, arabians in beautifull local dresses.
And last year spectaculair racing with echelons and wind in both countries.
Ok, but that was all the exciting there was last year. I hope for a lot of wind and chasings again...

 

[maltiv]

I'm surprised that people are so negative towards this race. The 2009 version was amazing, with so much wind and cervelo looking to prove a point. I remember the second stage, there were only about 10 guys left in the "peloton" at the end...

You don't always need mountains and hills to get exciting racing.

 

[ak-zaaf]

I'm surprised that people are so negative towards this race. The 2009 version was amazing, with so much wind and cervelo looking to prove a point. I remember the second stage, there were only about 10 guys left in the "peloton" at the end...

You don't always need mountains and hills to get exciting racing.

Exactly, at this stage of the season: wind > hills.

 

[sublimit]

I'm actually looking forward to it, has some decent sprinters and the prologue could be open because its so short and if its windy maybe it could make a good race overall.

Some of the Aussie riders look like they are going quite well so we will see if they can carry their form onto this one. Maybe a sprinter can do something in the prologue somebody like Goss or Matthews. Guardini is riding I think also.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Yes. And in a recent survey i recieved by email, cycling was the sport most associated to eurosport, with
But there are a lot of races i would willingly skip just so that they would show Monte Zoncolan, which was the stage i reffered to in the previous post and i am worried they might not show it this year again.
I understand they want to show French Open tennis on that day, but its the first day of tennis there, so there arent that many great matches. The problem is they show it on both channels. Is it that big an ask to have them take an hour out of esp2 tennis coverage to show the Zonc.


But dont you get to see all this on rai anyway?

Too right! That's why I splashed out the cash, way back.
For the Giro. Everything else was a bonus and there are a lot of 'em.

 

[cyclingrookie]

My tip is Bobridge, Phinney and maybe Boom for third. Don't think Wiggins have enough speed in him for that distance. Will be interesting to see him in the world cup again though.

 

[maltiv]

Maybe Boasson Hagen depending on his form and whether he has a go.

Last year his form was a bit too good too early after riding both Qatar and Oman so he won't be doing the Tour of Qatar this year.

I've noticed Cancellara has barely been mentioned in regards to the prologue. Sure, he might not be in top shape, but he should still be up there.