Eurosport commentary

[fmk_RoI]

I wasnt comfortable with the way Orla was questioning Fred Wright or Matej Mohoric about whether they were "alright", that seemed a deeply personal question that maybe post race when the cameras are all switched off, she can ask as a concerned friend, but as a broadcaster talking to millions of people watching you dont ask people how they are dealing with grief like that

Did she say "Are you ok?, as if channelling her inner Holly Willoughby? She could have her eye on the gap on that sofa, you know...

But, again, TBF, trying to get cyclists to cry on camera is totes in since MVdP started turning on the tears at the drop of a microphone two years ago. The Tour's emcee trying to get them to cry is applauded for his prowess with the onion spray.

 

[staubsauger]

Erik Breukink was informed about the death of Fabio Casartelli during an live interview.

That's probably an all-time low in sports journalism!

 

[ontheroad]

The TV studio coverage for the grand tours has become increasingly dumbed down over the last few years. It's geared for viewing numbers and at trying to attract a new audience. However I find the whole thing much too forced and playing to the gallery but if you enjoy what passes as childish banter, constant backslapping and bigging everything up then it’s right up your street.

 

[awavey]

Did she say "Are you ok?, as if channelling her inner Holly Willoughby? She could have her eye on the gap on that sofa, you know...

it came across like that for sure, I just thought thats not the way to support those guys over whats been a very difficult and emotional time for them.

 

[Abedfo]

Does anyone remember the mid 2010s when Eurosports TDF coverage had Ashely House and Greg LeMond as your presenters. Those were the days, wonder what happened to Ashely.

 

[Izzyeviel]

He's doing well. Got lots of commentary gigs in all sorts of sports. Last seen doing the isle of man TT. I always thought it did a great job presenting the cycling esp with Fletcher.

 

[jules_bike]

The gcn/Eurosport English commentary for the tour de France femmes is shocking. Sounds like a horse race, just non-stop listing the (full) names of the riders and where they are. Too intense and high energy, save that for the big moments. The French commentary is buttery smooth by comparison.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

Welcome to Marty MacDonald's world. Don't forget the "as well"s!

 

[awavey]

The gcn/Eurosport English commentary for the tour de France femmes is shocking. Sounds like a horse race, just non-stop listing the (full) names of the riders and where they are. Too intense and high energy, save that for the big moments. The French commentary is buttery smooth by comparison.

I think its because they use people to do commentary who arent natural communicators/broadcasters, and so either dont bring or cant communicate any real insight into the race or knowledge of the countryside/area/route the race is taking through to add to the comms,

so it becomes almost commentary by rote simply calling out names of riders when you see them on picture, as the other modern affliction of tv commentators is not letting the pictures speak for themselves sometimes, but if they werent name checking all the time theyd have very little to say.

and i was wrong it seems weve got Blythe in the cube still

 

[jules_bike]

I think its because they use people to do commentary who are natural communicators/broadcasters, and so either dont bring or cant communicate any real insight into the race or knowledge of the countryside/area/route the race is taking through to add to the comms,

so it becomes almost commentary by rote simply calling out names of riders when you see them on picture, as the other modern affliction of tv commentators is not letting the pictures speak for themselves sometimes, but if they werent name checking all the time theyd have very little to say.

and i was wrong it seems weve got Blythe in the cube still

The name checking is just pointless, if you follow the tour closely like my daughter she knows all the riders already. If like me you are just watching because you enjoy cycling then the names are irrelevant. The men's commentary is so much better. It's just frustrating that this is a sport that is just getting going for women and they are not investing in decent presenters.

 

[fmk_RoI]

It's just frustrating that this is a sport that is just getting going for women and they are not investing in decent presenters.

You could argue that men's cycling had to evolve through the likes of David Duffield and Phil Liggett. Except that we still have Phil Liggett and Cartoon Kirkby is Duffield de-evolved.

 

[tao bleeding heart]

Dani Rowe (and I paraphrase)...
"... inspiring these young girls at the side of the road to become the next generation of women's pro-cycling champions is what the T-d-F-F-a-Z is all about.."
it really isn't.
seems to be Dani's 'thing' - never stops repeating it.

 

[awavey]

we can only hope it inspires some of them to become better TV commentators as a result too

 

[RedheadDane]

I was honestly a little confused by Jez Cox (or however you spell it) during Getxo. It sounded to me like he said Skujins had been sick in San Sebastian. It's entirely possible that my ears just aren't working properly...

 

[lemon cheese cake]

So the Team Bus malarky wasn't just a thing for the Tour...

 

[RedheadDane]

So the Team Bus malarky wasn't just a thing for the Tour...

The what?

 

[lemon cheese cake]

The what?

On the Breakaway they have some greenscreen setup of a Team Bus and pretend to be a certain team with the pre race team briefing. It feels cheesy and weird and (even if Orla, Adam and Dan don't) I feel second hand embarrassment for them.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Usual talking over the winners presentation.

Don't do it , its pig ignorant.

 

[Abedfo]

I like Adam Blythe and his genuine enthusiasm for bike racing but god does he say some embarrassing *** trying to be funny.

 

[awavey]

theyre not helping themselves by not having comms on site in the velodrome for the awkward to read off the pictures alone races, especially as the director from the road race seems to have taken over with their same choice of barmy picture selection, and inevitably misses a chunk of the important bits, especially when they show slow mo replays during the actually races !?! even Jo Rowsell was getting annoyed with that.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

theyre not helping themselves by not having comms on site in the velodrome for the awkward to read off the pictures alone races, especially as the director from the road race seems to have taken over with their same choice of barmy picture selection, and inevitably misses a chunk of the important bits, especially when they show slow mo replays during the actually races !?! even Jo Rowsell was getting annoyed with that.

I really don't understand this policy anymore; I could during Covid, but it's nonsensical. Rob Hatch is in Mallorca, whilst the others are in London - completely missing all the atmosphere, etc
It was the same for the Downhill, Ric & Neil in a London studio for a home Worlds, when Fort Bill has one of the best atmospheres in MTB......I'm guessing the same will happen for the XC races.
Meanwhile, the BBC/world feed had people actually at the venues......

 

[ashhutch1997]

I really don't understand this policy anymore; I could during Covid, but it's nonsensical. Rob Hatch is in Mallorca, whilst the others are in London - completely missing all the atmosphere, etc
It was the same for the Downhill, Ric & Neil in a London studio for a home Worlds, when Fort Bill has one of the best atmospheres in MTB......I'm guessing the same will happen for the XC races.
Meanwhile, the BBC/world feed had people actually at the venues......

The last 3 years have shown that they can do good coverage without traveling to the races, and it also probably saves them a lot of money and hassle, just doing it from the studio.
Also, these broadcasters like to go on about climate change ect, I think not having entire broadcasting teams travel with all their equipment around France would probably be a good idea..

 

[awavey]

The last 3 years have shown that they can do good coverage without traveling to the races, and it also probably saves them a lot of money and hassle, just doing it from the studio.
Also, these broadcasters like to go on about climate change ect, I think not having entire broadcasting teams travel with all their equipment around France would probably be a good idea..

There's a blend to be had for sure of onsite vs remote due to costs, and likely space considerations at venues with the worlds media in attendance.

But you will fundamentally struggle to commentate on things like a points race or madison in the velodrome remotely, because you can't see all the action unfolding or who the commissaires are signalling at,even more so when the TV director suddenly decides they need to get artistic or can't decide which bit of the race or crowd to focus on.

They were calling riders gaining laps when the bunch had just split in two, they missed actual riders going for laps, so they became "sneak" attacks, the picture changed to replays or showing a retiree from one race and we missed 2 or 3 laps so had no idea what was happening when the pictures returned to the race.

Consequently they called the race for bronze in the womens point race completely wrong, and so claimed Uchino had snuck into 3rd place, when in fact she was leading the sprint for the line. You'd have seen that move happen in the velodrome and knew Evans and Raaijmakers weren't in the right position to counter and were going to lose their medal chances half a lap before it happened.

 

[ashhutch1997]

There's a blend to be had for sure of onsite vs remote due to costs, and likely space considerations at venues with the worlds media in attendance.

But you will fundamentally struggle to commentate on things like a points race or madison in the velodrome remotely, because you can't see all the action unfolding or who the commissaires are signalling at,even more so when the TV director suddenly decides they need to get artistic or can't decide which bit of the race or crowd to focus on.

They were calling riders gaining laps when the bunch had just split in two, they missed actual riders going for laps, so they became "sneak" attacks, the picture changed to replays or showing a retiree from one race and we missed 2 or 3 laps so had no idea what was happening when the pictures returned to the race.

Consequently they called the race for bronze in the womens point race completely wrong, and so claimed Uchino had snuck into 3rd place, when in fact she was leading the sprint for the line. You'd have seen that move happen in the velodrome and knew Evans and Raaijmakers weren't in the right position to counter and were going to lose their medal chances half a lap before it happened.

Your probably right, I was thinking more about the road racing coverage. The madison for example is hard enough to understand in general let alone on a TV in a studio!

 

[wansteadimp]

There's a blend to be had for sure of onsite vs remote due to costs, and likely space considerations at venues with the worlds media in attendance.

But you will fundamentally struggle to commentate on things like a points race or madison in the velodrome remotely, because you can't see all the action unfolding or who the commissaires are signalling at,even more so when the TV director suddenly decides they need to get artistic or can't decide which bit of the race or crowd to focus on.

They were calling riders gaining laps when the bunch had just split in two, they missed actual riders going for laps, so they became "sneak" attacks, the picture changed to replays or showing a retiree from one race and we missed 2 or 3 laps so had no idea what was happening when the pictures returned to the race.

Consequently they called the race for bronze in the womens point race completely wrong, and so claimed Uchino had snuck into 3rd place, when in fact she was leading the sprint for the line. You'd have seen that move happen in the velodrome and knew Evans and Raaijmakers weren't in the right position to counter and were going to lose their medal chances half a lap before it happened.

Was it CK doing the commentary?