Commentary on TNT and other WB brands

[arvc40]

Lemond is useless on Eurosport. You would think he'd bring some great insight but offers nothing at all.

 

[personal]

Lemond is not good, but that Italian guy is horrible. I can't stand him.

 

[argyllflyer]

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but what happened to David Harmon? And when?

He left in April 2013. According to someone better informed than me, Eurosport have no plans to ever use him again, though he said (in January or thereabouts I think) he is available if they call. Conflicting stories as to why he left.

 

[argyllflyer]

Lemond is useless on Eurosport. You would think he'd bring some great insight but offers nothing at all.

I've taken to watching ITV pre and post stage (Imlach / Boardman) then switching from Phil & Paul to Carlton & Sean once the racing itself starts. The LeMond On Tour show is abysmal. Seriously, did they not learn from Paris-Roubaix when this disastrous, awkward pairing of LeMond and Stefano Bernabino was unveiled?

 

[Eyeballs Out]

I get the impression Greg has not been watching bike racing for the past 20 years. Someone at ES should have figured that out before they made him their star signing

 

[argyllflyer]

I get the impression Greg has not been watching bike racing for the past 20 years. Someone at ES should have figured that out before they made him their star signing

Totally agree - he's like me and football. I could recognise the faces of teams from the 90s/00s and talk about those years far more than I could with teams of 2014. I know more about Italia 1990 than Brazil 2014!

LeMond's considerable knowledge is likewise pretty dated. I would say though it's great he's getting his enthusiasm back but I almost expect him to say "Wow! This Coquard kid, he's pretty good!" at some point this Tour.

 

[whittashau]

Greg is embarrassingly bad.

 

[glassmoon]

i stopped watching eurosport coverage this year - just because of Lemond

 

[argyllflyer]

French Farming instalment 2: Carlton reveals his French farm was at Raye-sur-Authie.

 

[argyllflyer]

I'm beginning to enjoy LeMond On Tour, a bit reminiscent of some local TV station doing outside broadcasts in the 1980s.

 

[gunara]

Totally agree - he's like me and football. I could recognise the faces of teams from the 90s/00s and talk about those years far more than I could with teams of 2014. I know more about Italia 1990 than Brazil 2014!

LeMond's considerable knowledge is likewise pretty dated. I would say though it's great he's getting his enthusiasm back but I almost expect him to say "Wow! This Coquard kid, he's pretty good!" at some point this Tour.

Same here. And I wouldn't have the guts to talk about football to the cool kids of now. And I thought Greg is not 100%ly confident either, nervousness here and there. When I saw him in PR and talked about it here, I really thought he would've improved in three months. Maybe in a year...

 

[Albert Fishwick]

It always used to naff me off that British Eurosport cut away pretty soon after the end of the stage to watch the bald guy and pundit of the day (Smith, Backstedt, Hammond etc) blather on in a studio while International had reaction and interviews from the finish. So I was quite pleased at the idea of Lemond on Tour. Sadly, however, he isn't that enlightening and I get really fed up when they either ignore the podium ceremonies completely or just show them in a split screen. Good idea but average execution so far, though it is good to have riders brought in. Happily you can record both ES and ITV and take your pick later.

Kirby doesn't get any less irritating when he starts screeching, but I find I am quite enjoying Jonathan Harris-Bass, though I can't imagine him having much appeal outside England.

 

[argyllflyer]

Kirby doesn't get any less irritating when he starts screeching, but I find I am quite enjoying Jonathan Harris-Bass, though I can't imagine him having much appeal outside England.

I remember he did a live German race on cycling.tv a year or two back that was maybe 3hrs long and was inevitably going to end in a sprint. On his own, no summariser, talking to himself about what amounted to the square root of ****** all... tough shift!

 

[argyllflyer]

Greg LeMond's dire predictions so far: Kittel a possibility for today's stage, he said yesterday (because of his strength). And then today he says Sky are now stage-hunting as he doesn't think Porte is in contention...?? Yet he says Talansky is still in it? The guy is clueless.

 

[luckyboy]

I do kinda miss James Richardson.

Lemond on Tour is growing on me, even if he does seem to go on for a long time and repeat himself when he talks.
I met him after the London stage, good guy.
And Laura Meseguer too

 

[Futuroscope]

Greg has had a pretty tough start but it's the other guy who is completely awful and doesn't help Greg at all. I think Greg can do well if you give him some time and they replace the other guy. They should also replace the guy who does the interviews.

 

[thehog]

Today was terrible. More so once Froome dropped out they didn't appear to want to commentate anymore!

Then they missed the fact that Porte was gaining time on Contador. And was so hard to congratulate Nibali on a epic ride rather than concentrate on Froome pulling out?

 

[cocteau_ireland]

You know I like lemond on tour. Hearing rider insights is a good thing. Yes, Greg knows nothing about cyclists over last 20 years but that's probably a good thing.

 

[argyllflyer]

Gotta say he's improving with this very intensive schedule of before / after every stage. His delivery far less garbled and nonsensical after yesterday's stage.

 

[jens_attacks]

the guy is very natural and he speaks what he thinks. great job
i do admit that flecha should do more interviews, he's just made for this job

 

[rainman]

Today was terrible. More so once Froome dropped out they didn't appear to want to commentate anymore!

Then they missed the fact that Porte was gaining time on Contador. And was so hard to congratulate Nibali on a epic ride rather than concentrate on Froome pulling out?

Your right but the trouble is Kelly has to wait for Kirby's lead out as it were. This is like a junior leading out Kittel as far as cycling knowledge is concerned.
Kirby makes some very obvious point about how tough the cobbles will be and for politeness sake Kelly has to go along with it 'yes its a very tough stage' or the like. It leads to the most insipid, fractured and generic commentary. Even Phil and Paul are better.

 

[argyllflyer]

Your right but the trouble is Kelly has to wait for Kirby's lead out as it were. This is like a junior leading out Kittel as far as cycling knowledge is concerned.
Kirby makes some very obvious point about how tough the cobbles will be and for politeness sake Kelly has to go along with it 'yes its a very tough stage' or the like. It leads to the most insipid, fractured and generic commentary. Even Phil and Paul are better.

I've noticed Sean's first response is to agree with Carlton's irrelevant statement out of politeness. He then, in a quite roundabout way, puts an alternative position but it's in such a roundabout way that a few km will have passed and Carlton will have jumped aboard another train of thought in order to cue the delivery of his latest pun.

 

[rainman]

I've noticed Sean's first response is to agree with Carlton's irrelevant statement out of politeness. He then, in a quite roundabout way, puts an alternative position but it's in such a roundabout way that a few km will have passed and Carlton will have jumped aboard another train of thought in order to cue the delivery of his latest pun.

Yes Kelly needs to jump in with more assertion at times, even at the risk of derailing Carltons next line. As an ex rider he can spot things of interest. Leave Carlton up his dreaming spires. Anyway today may be tough for all commentators, apparently little to offer after yesterdays epic.

 

[The Hitch]

Greg is embarrassingly bad.

He clearly knows the names of only 6 or 7 riders in the peloton.

 

[argyllflyer]

Stating he would put all his "eggs in one basket and really go for it" - Daryl Impey's perhaps inappropriate VT being used by Eurosport on 'what I'd have done if I hadn't been a pro' segment.