Do you watch cycling coverage in its entirety?

[afpm90]

The reason I ask this is becausa recently I'm feeling somewhat bored watching cycling. Sometimes I watch 60 or 80 km of a race and the the only part with some excitement is in the last 10 Km, if I'm lucky. Is there really a need to watch so much time? Aren't I wasting my time? Sometimes I watch 2 or 3 hours of a mountain stage and only in last kilometer is there real excitement? What would I miss if I only watched the last kilometers?

For example, yesterday I was watching from the beginning the replay of Milano-Torino. But I was becoming really bored and sleepy, so I decided to watch only the last 10 km. Did I miss something important? Does this make me a lesser fan of cycling?

 

[Ricco']

I used to watch the whole coverage, not anymore now. Last 10k's are enough on sprint stages, last 40k's on 1week stage races, 80k's or so on GT difficult stages. The only ones I try to watch full are Ronde and Roubaix.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I used to watch everything. Now only:
-Sprint, last 3/4km
-Hilly finishes, last 10/15km
-hard hilly stages/ classics, last 50km
-single mtf stages - last 30km
-multi mtf stages - last 100km
-tt's - last / relevant starters (same with ttt's)
-cobbled classics - as much as I can see.

Cobbled classics are THE races.

 

[Echoes]

Watching 2 or 3 hours of a mountain stage is definitely wasting one's time.

Only a few road races, I'm watching for over three hours: Paris-Roubaix obviously, Schaal Sels, perhaps Across the Hageland. Otherwise, even the last Het Nieuwsblad Circuit, I've only watched the last 28km. I even get bored of Flemish races. However I'm watching every cyclocross from start to finish and as much as is covered of women's cyclocross.

Of all 3 GT's, I've watched zero hours, zero minutes and zero seconds, live of any stage, this year. This being said I'm no longer a cycling fan, actually.

 

[movingtarget]

Depends on the race and the stage. Time trials usually the last 20 riders and not the whole distance. Don't watch TTTs usually. Mountains stages or good hilly stages and classics tend to watch at least a few hours. Sprint stages last 10 or 20 kms maybe.

 

[markene2]

Only races i watch in full are the cobbled classics and the multi mountain stages that are short, always action

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

I really only decide per race when to watch, based on my anticipation of when the finale will start and following text updates so I know when to turn in if anything interesting happens. Typically barring an echelon stage here or a big name making a daring move from far out there - these are the things for which you need the text updates, because they're rather unpredictable -, I only watch some cobbled classics (especially Paris-Roubaix) and some well designed mountain stages (i.e. the typical Mortirolo/Aprica or Finestre/Sestriere stages, with behemoth penultimate climbs which ensure action from further out or the short mountain stages with barely any flat, which have become fashionable as of late and seem to have some success as an incentive for long range attacks) for extended periods of time.

 

[janraaskalt]

Maybe you know of football/soccer talkshows? I see cycling's TV coverage also as a cycling talkshow in the boring parts of a race.

 

[SKSemtex]

It is so easy to be a fan of cycling if you are from Slovakia .

I have to divide races to:


One day races with Sagan ( + LBL and GDL ) 80-120 km to the end
One day races without sagan 40 km to the end

Stage races
sprint stages with Sagan 20 km to the end
sprint stages without Sagan last 10 km

hilly stages with Sagan 40-80 km to the end
hilly stages without Sagan 20-40 km to the end

mountain GC stages 40 km
ITT last 10 riders
TTT 100 % I do not why but I love to watch them although I think they
should be canceled. There is nothing more depressing in cycling
(bar doping) then GC decided by TTT.

WCRR - 100% time - from the first minute to the last one

I still do not understand how people can write that this WCRR was boring. Probably they are not just happy with the outcome. The same French (Italian) fans who wrote here that race was boring would have been singing chorals if Alaphilippe (Moscon) made it to the end.
WCRR is so special race. You keep looking for your answers during the whole race. Who is the leader, who is domestic (do they mutually respect it ) what is the tactic of each team, when Belgium is going to launch the attack (why they did not ), is Sagan really sick, where the hell is he, why Czechs are leading the peloton instead of Belgium etc, will Italy try to attack or will they ride for Trentin, which team would kill itself to bring back the Wellens group if somebody strong from France would be in the group .......... etc.

BTW Bergen parkour was very balanced. Add some wind and rain and anybody could win this race and that is what WCRR should be about. Not the race for 10 people.

Last but not least: Reading this forum during the race is sometimes more interesting than the watching the race, so it is much better to do both in the same time.

 

[portugal11]

Re:

I used to watch the whole coverage, not anymore now. Last 10k's are enough on sprint stages, last 40k's on 1week stage races, 80k's or so on GT difficult stages. The only ones I try to watch full are Ronde and Roubaix.

this...

 

[RedheadDane]

As much as I can. Though more often than not I'll just have it running in the background - watches on my computer - while I do other things.

 

[jsem94]

I used to watch everything. Now only:
-Sprint, last 3/4km
-Hilly finishes, last 10/15km
-hard hilly stages/ classics, last 50km
-single mtf stages - last 30km
-multi mtf stages - last 100km
-tt's - last / relevant starters (same with ttt's)
-cobbled classics - as much as I can see.

Cobbled classics are THE races.

Something like this, but a little more. Or depending on where the action could be. If it's a sprint stage but potentially windy I'll watch more than the last 10km.

 

[Escarabajo]

I used to watch everything. Now only:
-Sprint, last 3/4km
-Hilly finishes, last 10/15km
-hard hilly stages/ classics, last 50km
-single mtf stages - last 30km
-multi mtf stages - last 100km
-tt's - last / relevant starters (same with ttt's)
-cobbled classics - as much as I can see.

Cobbled classics are THE races.

Pretty much this!

As much as I can. Though more often than not I'll just have it running in the background - watches on my computer - while I do other things.

And this.


Combine the two

 

[afpm90]

I used to watch everything. Now only:
-Sprint, last 3/4km
-Hilly finishes, last 10/15km
-hard hilly stages/ classics, last 50km
-single mtf stages - last 30km
-multi mtf stages - last 100km
-tt's - last / relevant starters (same with ttt's)
-cobbled classics - as much as I can see.

Cobbled classics are THE races.

Ok, I think I'll start doing something like this

When I was younger I was able to watch so much cycling, nowaday if there isn't something interesting happening I fall asleep . Also my free time is limited, maybe I shouldn't waste it.

Also, what I see from this thread is that most people don't watch everything and have their "rules" for when to turn on the tv. So, what is the sense in increasing tv coverage? Why 5 or 6 hours of broadcast like in the Tour?

 

[Durden93]

Depends on if I watch it live or not and the race.
This year:
MSR Poggio to finish
RVV 60km
PR (Watched recording) 10km the day of and then most of Arenberg on later.
Liege probably 10-15km
Worlds 45km
Most races which are sprints or flat then uphill sprint I watch 10kmish

 

[yaco]

I try to watch the race from start to finish, depending on coverage and whether I'm home - Time difference in HK is good, so much coverage occurs in the early evening - The more you watch gives you a better idea of a riders form.

 

[RedheadDane]

Sometimes I "watch" two races at once if two races are on at the same time and I can find coverage for both, I'll simply just have sound on for one race.
If I then spend some time looking at the coverage of one race, while listening to the commentating of another it... sometimes gets a bit confusing.

Also, I did kinda regret watching the Cadel Evans race in full this winter, coverage started at around 10 am and ended at around 5 PM local time. I'm in Denmark, which is 12 hours behind...

 

[SKSemtex]

I used to watch everything. Now only:
-Sprint, last 3/4km
-Hilly finishes, last 10/15km
-hard hilly stages/ classics, last 50km
-single mtf stages - last 30km
-multi mtf stages - last 100km
-tt's - last / relevant starters (same with ttt's)
-cobbled classics - as much as I can see.

Cobbled classics are THE races.

Ok, I think I'll start doing something like this

When I was younger I was able to watch so much cycling, nowaday if there isn't something interesting happening I fall asleep . Also my free time is limited, maybe I shouldn't waste it.

Also, what I see from this thread is that most people don't watch everything and have their "rules" for when to turn on the tv. So, what is the sense in increasing tv coverage? Why 5 or 6 hours of broadcast like in the Tour?

Because sometimes the forming of the break is more fun than the whole race.
Plus it can have some impact on the quality of racing. We are talking about hours of additional TV time for teams and sponsors. So more action during the first parts of the race can result in less controlled racing in the end.
(Just my theory )

 

[RedheadDane]

Because sometimes the forming of the break is more fun than the whole race.

This! Nothing more frustrating than turning on at the beginning of coverage to have the commentator go:

"Everyone was going really fast in the beginning, with repeated attempts for the break to get away. Finally, after over an hour of fast-paced racing, the bunch decided to let the break go, and they've been taking it easy since then."

 

[Sandisfan]

In the USA and not at present having the funds to pay for online coverage I watch as much as I can on nbcsn/Olympic channel with Phil Ligget and Paul Sherwen, with them splitting up where Bob or Christian are analysts on some broadcasts and some without Phil and Paul. I watch on uoYtoober :razz: but try to find the most complete replay (hopefully when doing the search for a particular race that someone doesn't use a thumbnail that shows the winner and spoils the finish ). I would watch the whole race if I could and treat the early parts as cycling talk so I can hear the latest news about the UCI cycling world.

Ducks for cover, I even enjoy the wry one who is often reviled on the Eusosport Commentary thread, who goes on and on sometimes with asides, but that's just me.

 

[Netserk]

Watch and watch... I like to have it on in the background while I'm reading or listening to something else until the action starts.

 

[HelloDolly]

I dont watch the whole race excpet RVV , Paris Roubaix , and the odd mountain stage in GT .

..and sometimes another race if something is happening like cross winds or attacking racing (like Strade Bianchi or Eneco, etc) ..but most do not have full coverage so watching in full is watching what is covered by TV

But i do have it on in the background while I do other things

 

[Pantani_lives]

I watch the situation on CyclingNews Live Report. Then I estimate when it will be worth turning on the TV.

The evening before Paris-Roubaix I hide a camera in the hotel room of the main favorites, just to avoid missing anything.

 

[kingjr]

I watch the interesting bits.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

The evening before Paris-Roubaix I hide a camera in the hotel room of the main favorites, just to avoid missing anything.

And you haven't been busted yet?