Commentary on TNT and other WB brands

[manafana]

Rob Hatch is a STAR !!

His knowledge is 'second to none'. How nice to have a cycling commentator who, at last, does his homework and has a genuine interest in professional cycling racing.

Now Eurosport just need to drop Kirby off the nearest suspension bridge !

Yeah Hatch is top notch, great on twitter takes feedback always strives to improve, would like them to ease in another legend for Kelly who seems be doing less and less.

Kelly was at giro last year for irish part of giro so maybe they did italy too, didnt he do it with rob hatch

 

[TourOfTexas]

Is it Rob Hatch who overpronounces all the Spanish and Italian names? It sounds terrible. I think SNL did a skit on this once.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGjty394oyw

 

[HelloDolly]

I agree re Rob Hatch and his change of accent for SOME riders ..Spanish, Italian & some French (though not all) It is terrible ...WHY can he not just say Alberto Contador in an English accent/dialect...its not the pronunciation but the exaggerated accent ...Its even more ludicrous sitting next to Kelly ...IF I say Alberto Contador I do not adopt a Spanish dialect or if I say Thomas Vockleur I don't adopt a French accent but I pronounce their names correctly using an English dialect

It is so annoying because it is so difficult to listen to....it breaks the flow of the commentary

however he doesn't do it for Dutch or German riders on the whole not for say Geraint Thomas because that is what he is essentially doing saying Italian /Spanish riders names as if he was saying Geraint Thomas in a Welsh accent

And he thinks it is a wonderful thing !!!

 

[Swiss Tony]

Rob Hatch isn't bad...but often I haven't a clue who he's talking about due to his pronunciation

 

[infeXio]

It's horrid on Danish Eurosport aswell

 

[Poursuivant]

I like the Australian commentator.

PS why does the screen keep jumping up and down when I go on this forum on my phone?!

 

[argyllflyer]

Re:

Kelly was at giro last year for irish part of giro so maybe they did italy too, didnt he do it with rob hatch

Yeah Hatch and Kelly were in Ireland but they didn't go to Italy.

I admit to having moaned about Declan Quigley in the past though it was mainly for a lack of knowledge rather than his style - I'd enjoyed him doing the Tour Series on ITV4. But credit where it's due - I feel he has made a good start to Tirreno and his rider IDing is vastly improved on when he was catapulted into the 2013 Giro after Harmon's sudden exit.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

It's horrid on Danish Eurosport aswell

My biggest issue with Danish Eurosport (or maybe it's Scandinavian Eurosport as a whole) is their tendency to just randomly cancel races/stages, such as both the stages in P-N and T-A today.
And last week when they cancelled Strade Bianche.

 

[infeXio]

Re: Re:

It's horrid on Danish Eurosport aswell

My biggest issue with Danish Eurosport (or maybe it's Scandinavian Eurosport as a whole) is their tendency to just randomly cancel races/stages, such as both the stages in P-N and T-A today.
And last week when they cancelled Strade Bianche.

Strade Bianche was actually broadcasted live though (final kilometers atleast) - atleast I watched it on the Danish Eurosport. Live cycling just regularly seems to disappear from the TV schedule during weekends, as skiing (be it biathlon, XC or alpine) and Bundesliga football is prioritised, which isn't exactly pleasing for those of us from Denmark who enjoy watching cycling...

 

[fowlyetti]

http://rouleur.cc/journal/racing/eurosport-behind-scenes-commentary

Quite an interesting behind the scenes look at how and where the guys commentate from for British Eurosport.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

http://rouleur.cc/journal/racing/eurosport-behind-scenes-commentary

Quite an interesting behind the scenes look at how and where the guys commentate from for British Eurosport.

I read that earlier this week, and I didnt relise how hard it is. I just thought they go on air and talk for however long, looking at social media every so often. Plus I know who Quigley is now.

 

[argyllflyer]

Was watching 2010 Paris-Roubaix earlier and was fairly taken aback by a conversation between Harmon and Kelly where first they discussed whether Cancellara or Contador was the best all-rounder in the sport (apples and oranges surely?), whether Cancellara could win a GT and finally whether he could conquer the Ardennes.

For all their faults, I wouldn't expect such havering p!sh from Kirby and Quigley!

Btw I'd dispute the figure in the article that 25% of BE's coverage is from London and the rest is on-site - by my reckoning they did 240 race days in 2014, and of that 21 came from the Tour on-site, 3 days of the Giro in Ireland and a week in Turkey. No other stage race was done on-site that I remember (was Paris-Nice last year? I know it was this year) and very few of the one day races. P-R certainly has been in the past though. I reckon the did no more than 20% of comms on site in 2014, 80% from London.

And as I said earlier this month, something Quigley refers to as well, is that DQ really does seem much more informed about the top level peloton than he was a few years ago.

 

[luckyboy]

Re:

Was watching 2010 Paris-Roubaix earlier and was fairly taken aback by a conversation between Harmon and Kelly where first they discussed whether Cancellara or Contador was the best all-rounder in the sport (apples and oranges surely?), whether Cancellara could win a GT and finally whether he could conquer the Ardennes.

For all their faults, I wouldn't expect such havering p!sh from Kirby and Quigley!

That was the year after Wiggins magically turned into a GT contender so probably anything seemed possible.

Aldo Sassi said that same year that Cancellara could go for GC on the Grand Tours in the style of Indurain if he lost 6kg

 

[argyllflyer]

Re: Re:

That was the year after Wiggins magically turned into a GT contender so probably anything seemed possible.

Aldo Sassi said that same year that Cancellara could go for GC on the Grand Tours in the style of Indurain if he lost 6kg

'in the style of Indurain' means something else these days though.

Anyway, whatever Cancellara may or may not have gone on to do,it was the comparison with Contador I found odd seeing as they are completely different types of rider - like comparing Quintana with say Sagan.

For the big guys, legitimate weight loss is going to lead to loss of brute power so as the sport cleans up, Classics hulks aren't going to be racing up HC climbs among the GC contenders IMO.

 

[argyllflyer]

deleted

 

[Swiss Tony]

I'm no expert when it comes to Professional Cycling...but it so blatantly obvious that Carlton Kirby knows absolutely nothing at all, He talks absolute drivel.. He obviously checks through the list of riders tries to memorise numbers to riders..Then talks like he's a wealth of knowledge going back years concerning individuals ...coming out with the most ridiculous annoying garbage.... What a prat, ruins my enjoyment and the reason I stopped my subscription for Eurosport

 

[argyllflyer]

The 'confusion' over the 'kms to go' today was a load of guff.

 

[argyllflyer]

Re:

Just noticed that Eurosport will be showing Gent-Wevelgem this year, good news! Not been live for a while in UK.

Sunday will be busy - Catalunya, 2nd stage of Criterium International and G-W.

 

[HelloDolly]

I cannot stand Carlton Kirby ...He does not follow the race, cannot identify riders and talks pure and utter drivel on grape vines, terracota earth, boar hunting and other rubbish that has nothing to do with the race...meanwhile the race is unfolding & he ignores the action...Except to tell us every 5 seconds what i plain to see before our eyes... Km to go

When does realise that he should be commenting he comes out with such guff about riders intentions and rubbish phrases like 'he is having his fun' as the rider suffers on in a breakaway ...How did such an eejit get the job ??

 

[peloton]

Re:

I cannot stand Carlton Kirby ...He does not follow the race, cannot identify riders and talks pure and utter drivel on grape vines, terracota earth, boar hunting and other rubbish that has nothing to do with the race...meanwhile the race is unfolding & he ignores the action...Except to tell us every 5 seconds what i plain to see before our eyes... Km to go

When does realise that he should be commenting he comes out with such guff about riders intentions and rubbish phrases like 'he is having his fun' as the rider suffers on in a breakaway ...How did such an eejit get the job ??

Hear ya.
Eurosport has many good cycling commentators, but Kirby ain't one of them.

 

[TMP402]

Just to add that Brian Smith failed to realise until the last 10km or so in Harelbeke that it was a WT race and riders were allowed radios, having complained a few times about the riders having bad tactics.

 

[luckyboy]

Yeah that was ridiculous

 

[Akuryo]

Yes, but the tactics were also pretty questionable. With or without radio.

 

[argyllflyer]

Re:

Just to add that Brian Smith failed to realise until the last 10km or so in Harelbeke that it was a WT race and riders were allowed radios, having complained a few times about the riders having bad tactics.

Loved him berating the DSs for their tactics - any MTN guys in that group?

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Re: Re:

Just to add that Brian Smith failed to realise until the last 10km or so in Harelbeke that it was a WT race and riders were allowed radios, having complained a few times about the riders having bad tactics.

Loved him berating the DSs for their tactics - any MTN guys in that group?

Probably. If he has a slight bias opinion, then hr shouldn't commentate. I know Sean Kelly owns one, but his only pops up in non world tour races which he doesnt really do. Plus he hasnt got his name to it any more (unless he changed it to Chain Reaction ).