Eurosport commentary

[staubsauger]

Actually apart from Yates & Kruijswijk there weren't any major withdrawals due to Covid-19 in 2020.

So the statement is nonsense even in the meaning that the race impact is actually worse now.

 

[ashhutch1997]

My (small) workplace must be full of pro-cyclists as nearly all have had Covid in the past couple of months. But yeah it is a different strain though if I were a pro-athlete I'd take caution due to potential long term affects.

Of course, or with any illness/ injury. I think the freezing cold weather has a huge part to play as well. I don't know if you remember the 2003 TDF, there was a sickness bug that took out lots of the peleton, I think Fassa Bortolo only had 2 riders left, bugs spreading through the peloton isn't new.

 

[ashhutch1997]

Actually apart from Yates & Kruijswijk there weren't any major withdrawals due to Covid-19 in 2020.

So the statement is nonsense even in the meaning that the race impact is actually worse now.

No need to be disrespectful,
I was referring to more to the severity of the illness, not necessarily the amount of withdrawals. And the 2020 Giro had several teams withdrawing if I remember correctly.

 

[staubsauger]

No need to be disrespectful,
I was referring to more to the severity of the illness, not necessarily the amount of withdrawals. And the 2020 Giro had several teams withdrawing if I remember correctly.

My intention wasn't to be disrespectful towards you, but towards Eurosport rather. Sorry if that appeared to be opposite.

 

[ashhutch1997]

My intention wasn't to be disrespectful towards you, but towards Eurosport rather. Sorry if that appeared to be opposite.

Its cool no worries!

 

[ashhutch1997]

Fairplay Adam Blythe is doing my nut in today

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

The BBC continue to not understand cycling. Part 1492. and also continue their disappointing decline into clickbate (also along with their weird obsession with the trans cycling debate) with the headline:

Giro d'Italia: Geraint Thomas loses pink jersey on stage 14 and hits back at safety criticisms​

People with a vague interest in cycling and just see the headline. I've already had one person ask me why Thomas is doing badly now. If you go into the article is say why, but it's not hard to change the headline to 'gives away' or something not implying it was his fault.

 

[ashhutch1997]

One of the few positive things from this years Giro is Jens Voigt on the bike, only to find out thar he's being replaced next week by Adam f*cking Blythe FFS.

 

[fmk_RoI]

I've already had one person ask me why Thomas is doing badly now. If you go into the article is say why, but it's not hard to change the headline to 'gives away' or something not implying it was his fault.

'Gives away' lacks editorial independence, it's the Ineos press release. Loses is correct.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

'Gives away' lacks editorial independence, it's the Ineos press release. Loses is correct.

it's factually correct but lacks nuance, and understanding of the sport of cycling.

 

[fmk_RoI]

it's factually correct but lacks nuance, and understanding of the sport of cycling.

It's a headline. Nuance doesn't work in headlines.

 

[fmk_RoI]

I can't decide which I dislike more: Adam Hansen spelling peloton as peleton or Sean Kelly pronouncing peloton as pelotone.

 

[awavey]

'Gives away' lacks editorial independence, it's the Ineos press release. Loses is correct.

Ineos reported it as "Thomas second ahead of GC test,Geraint Thomas moved down to second overall after the breakaway prevailed on stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia. "

and then succintly explains in a paragraph why they did it, that the Beeb interns want to spin the story in a different way, and bring up doping again, sums up their style of reporting on cycling, lets face it they spent most of Cavs sprinting years at the TdF wondering out loud why he'd never won it.

 

[awavey]

One of the few positive things from this years Giro is Jens Voigt on the bike, only to find out thar he's being replaced next week by Adam f*cking Blythe FFS.

on the plus side it means much less of Blythe, since Jens probably only pops up for less than a couple of minutes during a whole stage, and Blythes dad style puns on riders names which you can tell he's really proud of

 

[fmk_RoI]

bring up doping again

It was G who brought up doping.

 

[fmk_RoI]

lets face it they spent most of Cavs sprinting years at the TdF wondering out loud why he'd never won it.

You might remember it that way but I was sober in those years.

 

[gunara]

The BBC continue to not understand cycling. Part 1492. and also continue their disappointing decline into clickbate (also along with their weird obsession with the trans cycling debate) with the headline:

Giro d'Italia: Geraint Thomas loses pink jersey on stage 14 and hits back at safety criticisms​

People with a vague interest in cycling and just see the headline. I've already had one person ask me why Thomas is doing badly now. If you go into the article is say why, but it's not hard to change the headline to 'gives away' or something not implying it was his fault.

I'm not sure it's more the case of them not understanding cycling than a shameless effort to create a more dramatic headline.

Just like Eurosport taking Vine's interview way out of context the other day just so they could put "hit at team" and "I don't care" in the headline. The article itself was pretty tame.

It's almost like an independent set of moral standard, having nothing to do with societal norms, when it comes to what journalism should and should not do. And I, despite spending years working with newsmakers, despise that special right to deceive and how they are proud of it.

 

[awavey]

It was G who brought up doping.

which had nothing to do with the stage, nothing to do with the result, and was a 5 sec throwaway comment to an interviewers dumb question, there was no need to link it at all, it wasnt controversial at all, it was barely newsworthy other than maybe it was the most interesting thing Ineos did all day.

but its professional road cycling, and out of all sports the Beeb covers, they will always drop in a reference to doping or Lance Armstrong given half a chance.

 

[awavey]

You might remember it that way but I was sober in those years.

recollections vary then, as they say

 

[fmk_RoI]

it wasnt controversial at all, it was barely newsworthy

And yet the fanbois loved it and it kept cropping up on my social feed yesterday.

Chill, mate.

 

[argyllflyer]

An update with the next few weeks' racing included:
British Eurosport /GCN commentary pairings season 2023 (men's elite):
(WT=World Tour; PS=Pro Series, ET=Europe Tour, AT=Asia Tour)
WT: Tour Down Under (live from 17/1): Cox & Blythe
PS: Vuelta a San Juan (live from 22/1): Kirby & Smith
ET: Challenge Mallorca: Trofeo Calvia (live on 25/1): Hatch & Blythe
ET: Challenge Mallorca: Trofeo Port D'Alcudia (live on 26/1): Hatch & Blythe
ET: Challenge Mallorca: Trofeo Port D'Andratz (live on 27/1): Hatch & Blythe
ET: Challenge Mallorca: Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana (live on 28/1): Hatch & Smith
WT: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (live on 29/1): Keenan, McEwen & Liggett (Host Broadcaster package)
ET: Challenge Mallorca: Trofeo Palma (live on 29/1): Hatch & Smith
ET: Grand Prix Cycliste La Marseillaise (live on 29/1): Been & Stephens
AT: Saudi Tour (live from 30/1): Cox & McEwen
PS: Volta a La Comunitat Valenciana (live from 1/2): Hatch & Smith
ET: Vuelta Ciclista Murcia (live on 11/2): Been & Smith
ET: Figuera Champions Classic (live on 12/2): Cox & Ian Field
PS: Clasica de Almeria (live on 12/2): Been & Smith
ET: Clasica Jaen Paraiso Interior (live on 13/2): Been & Smith
PS: Volta ao Algarve (live from 15/2): Hatch & Stephens (stages 1-3), Blyth (stages 4-5)
PS: Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol (live from 15/2): Cox & Smith
ET: Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var (live from 17/2): Been & Backstedt
WT: UAE Tour (live from 20/2): Kirby & Smith
ET: Gran Camino (live from 23/2): Cox & Stephens (stages 1-2, 4), Field (stage 3)
ET: Faun-Ardeche Classic (live on 25/2): Been & Walker
WT: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (live on 25/2): Stephens, Lloyd & Blythe
PS: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (live on 26/2): Hatch & Blythe
ET: Faun Drome Classic (live on 26/2): Been & Walker
ET: Le Samyn (live on 28/2): Been & Walker
WT: Strade Bianche (live on 4/3): Hatch, Lloyd & Blythe
ET: Grote Prijs Jean-Pierre Monsere (live on 5/3): Cox & Backstedt
WT: Paris-Nice (live from 5/3): Hatch & Kelly
WT: Tirreno-Adriatico (live from 6/3) : Kirby & McEwen
ET: Albert Achterhes Profronde van Drenthe (live from 12/3): Been (solo)
PS: Danilith Nokere Koerse (live on 15/3): Been & Christmas
PS: Milano-Torino (live on 15/3): Hatch & Smith
PS: Grand Prix de Denain - Porte du Hainaut (live on 16/3): Been & Smith
ET: Bredene Koksidje Classic (live on 18/3): Been & Smith
WT: Milano-Sanremo (live on 18/3): Hatch, Kirby, McEwen, Lloyd & Blythe
ET: Cholet Pays De La Loire (live on 19/3): tbc
WT: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (live from 20/3): Kirby & Smith
WT: Classic Brugge-De Panne (live on 22/3): Cox & McEwen
WT: E3 Saxo Classic (live on 24/3): Hatch & Blythe
WT: Gent-Wevelgem (live on 26/3): Cox & Blythe
ET: La Roue Tourangelle (live on 26/3): Been & Stephens
WT: Dwars Door Vlaanderen (live on 29/3): Stephens & Lloyd
ET: Volta Limburg Classic (live on 1/4): Been & Stephens
PS: Gran Premio Miguel Indurain (live on 1/4): Walker & Field
WT: Ronde Van Vlaanderen (live on 2/4): Kirby, Lloyd, Kelly & Blythe
WT: Itzulia Basque Country (live from 3/4): Kirby & Smith
PS: Scheldeprijs (live on 5/4): Cox & McEwen
WT: Paris-Roubaix (live on 9/4): Hatch, Lloyd, McEwen & Blyth
ET: Giro di Sicilia (live from 11/4): Been & Smith
PS: De Brabantse Pijl (live on 12/4): Kirby & Lloyd
ET: Classic Grand Besancon Doubs (live on 14/4): Cox & Blythe
ET: Tour du Jura Cycliste (live on 15/4): Cox & Blythe
WT: Amstel Gold Race (live on 16/4): Kirby & Smith
PS: Tour of the Alps (live from 17/4): Hatch & Blythe
WT: La Fleche Wallone (live on 19/4): Cox & Stephens
WT: Liege-Bastogne-Liege (live on 23/4): Hatch & Blythe
WT: Tour de Romandie (live from 25/4): Stephens & Roche
WT: Echborn-Frankfurt (live on 1/5): Cox & Smith
WT: Giro d'Italia (live from 6/5): Hatch, Lloyd, Kelly, Blythe & McEwen
PS: GP du Morbihan (live on 6/5): Cox & Field
PS: Tro Bro Leon (live on 7/5): Cox & Field
PS: Tour de Hongrie (live from 10/5): Kirby & Smith
PS: 4 Jours de Dunkerque (live from 16/5): Cox & Smith
Circuit de Charleroi Wallonie (live on 18/5): Been & Field
Veenendaal Classic (live on 20/5): tbc
Antwerp Port Epic (live on 21/5): tbc
Tour de Norway (live from 26/5): tbc
Boucle de la Mayenne (live from 26/5): tbc
Grote Prijs Marcel Kint (live on 27/5): tbc
Mercan Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes (live on 30/5): tbc

 

[Axel Hangleck]

but its professional road cycling, and out of all sports the Beeb covers, they will always drop in a reference to doping or Lance Armstrong given half a chance.

The Beeb have certainly changed their stance to the sport in recent years; there was a time when they had a regular podcast, and show on a Thursday night called Bespoke - I recall after Froome won the Giro and they had a whole programme dedicated to that stage. And for years they had the final 30 mins of radio commentary from each stage of the TdF........

 

[awavey]

well I note only in passing their website report on yesterdays stage included this "Britain's Mark Cavendish, who celebrated his 38th birthday on Sunday, finished further down the field for his Astana Qazaqstan team" like where Cav finishes in the Giro matters a jot.

and repeated the doping thing again
"Thomas was referring to the systematic doping of riders that took place regularly in the sport up until about 15 years ago."

but its worth stressing there are different bits of the Beeb, there isnt a corporate one line stance they take to cycling, the podcast and radio commentary would have been from 5Live, who generally were more favourably cycling sports orientated back in Froomes era at least, whilst the tv side concentrate on track cycling, and the website is via digital platform/content I think.

so theres scope for one part of the beeb to seem really on it in terms of their cycling coverage, whilst other parts are down in the tabloid standard.

 

[Izzyeviel]

One of the few positive things from this years Giro is Jens Voigt on the bike, only to find out thar he's being replaced next week by Adam f*cking Blythe FFS.

Brilliant!

 

[fmk_RoI]

One of the few positive things from this years Giro is Jens Voigt on the bike, only to find out thar he's being replaced next week by Adam f*cking Blythe FFS.

The upside is that Voigt will be taking Blight's place in the studio.