Eurosport commentary

[Potomac]

How does the ITV broadcast of the TdF compare?

 

[Wyndbrook]

How does the ITV broadcast of the TdF compare?

Depends how you get with Boulting and Millar as commentators.
Presentation is okay, and edited highlights are a class above anything from Eurosport. You actually get proper highlights, not just the first five minutes and the last twenty or so.
Adverts are long.

 

[awavey]

How does the ITV broadcast of the TdF compare?

The live stage or the highlights?

The highlights show is probably the best way to watch it,still following the format they did over 30 years ago when it was on Channel 4, but which shows you how good it is because there ain't another sports show that hasn't fundamentally changed in that period.

The live stage stuff. They have too many ad breaks, and whilst Millar/Boulting work well together, they often don't have alot to say about the race or the stage itself, and often do the start, head off for lunch and only come back for the end, the rest of the time you get Pippa York & Matt Rendall sharing comms, and again they don't really have alot to say that's that interesting.

So Eurosport, even with it's annoyances can be better viewing

 

[Monte Serra]

The live stage stuff. They have too many ad breaks, and whilst Millar/Boulting work well together, they often don't have alot to say about the race or the stage itself, and often do the start, head off for lunch and only come back for the end, the rest of the time you get Pippa York & Matt Rendall sharing comms, and again they don't really have alot to say that's that interesting.

So Eurosport, even with it's annoyances can be better viewing

Don't think York will feature this summer:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1796997530049237121

View: https://twitter.com/pippa_york/status/1796997530049237121

 

[Netserk]

In Germany, Jan Ullrich will be at Eurosport for two stages of the Tour, while in Austria Servus TV got the broadcasting rights, and will line up Bernhard Kohl as expert commentator.

Great! I feared that Ullrich was persona non grata for life in Germany.

I hope Kohl will get to compare Gall peaking for the third week with himself in 2008!

 

[awavey]

heres the ITV crew for TdF

https://twitter.com/x/status/1806302814043349029

View: https://x.com/itvcycling/status/1806302814043349029

 

[awavey]

and a great start by Eurosport, not showing the actual start of the biggest bike race in the calendar, yes Orla theyve already started whilst you were chatting away

 

[harrybo]

I decided to go back to Itv 4 for the tour, I was getting a bit fed up with orla, adam etcs antics, think they getting too big for their boots. Although Dan can be a borefest at times , he knows his stuff and sad to see him go. Not missing Hatch or Carlton either. 2 stages in and things have been good so far, i,ll not switch back . Never though i,d turn my back on Orla as she does Norn Iron proud, but thats the way it goes

 

[harrybo]

oh no, I see Cuddles is on the roster

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I've been impressed with Jacopo on ITV; current pros add so much and can spot riders, or things without thinking. Nathan has been the same on Eurosport.

 

[awavey]

I decided to go back to Itv 4 for the tour, I was getting a bit fed up with orla, adam etcs antics, think they getting too big for their boots. Although Dan can be a borefest at times , he knows his stuff and sad to see him go. Not missing Hatch or Carlton either. 2 stages in and things have been good so far, i,ll not switch back . Never though i,d turn my back on Orla as she does Norn Iron proud, but thats the way it goes

the problem I think Eurosport/Discovery have created is this whole "breakaway" show thing is becoming what they feel is the sole purpose of what and why theyre there for, instead of them being secondary to the actual race itself.

I dont tune in for 50mins of pre stage bantz and increasingly weird and wacky cgi presentations of things, I want to watch the race live, lets learn the parcours as we go. I actually want to watch the start of the race, even if its a "boring" neutral zone because its the start of the race, and its important and has some significance, where as presenter bantz doesnt.

ITV does better because Gary Imlach is never going to let Peter Kennaugh or any of his co hosts try their best random impression at miming whipping & riding a race horse.

and Eurosport cant use the excuse like is normally trotted out as to why we get such extended pre live show,as the host broadcaster doenst give then the full feed, this is the TdF, theyre broadcasting the starts live on Twitter/X, the feeds are absolutely there if they wanted them, instead theyd rather use the best part of an hour almost be as bad as Sky, to make themselves feel more important

 

[ashhutch1997]

the problem I think Eurosport/Discovery have created is this whole "breakaway" show thing is becoming what they feel is the sole purpose of what and why theyre there for, instead of them being secondary to the actual race itself.

I dont tune in for 50mins of pre stage bantz and increasingly weird and wacky cgi presentations of things, I want to watch the race live, lets learn the parcours as we go. I actually want to watch the start of the race, even if its a "boring" neutral zone because its the start of the race, and its important and has some significance, where as presenter bantz doesnt.

ITV does better because Gary Imlach is never going to let Peter Kennaugh or any of his co hosts try their best random impression at miming whipping & riding a race horse.

and Eurosport cant use the excuse like is normally trotted out as to why we get such extended pre live show,as the host broadcaster doenst give then the full feed, this is the TdF, theyre broadcasting the starts live on Twitter/X, the feeds are absolutely there if they wanted them, instead theyd rather use the best part of an hour almost be as bad as Sky, to make themselves feel more important

I just watch the 'multi audio version' as I got fed with the breakaway. As for ITV's coverage, the adverts totally kill it for me.

 

[tao bleeding heart]

I've been impressed with Jacopo on ITV; current pros add so much and can spot riders, or things without thinking. Nathan has been the same on Eurosport.

Jacopo is enough to give me a man-crush.. and im not gay.
that deep, clear, husky Ganna-esque voice - a perfect antidote to the useless Pippa York.

 

[Miss Violet Smith]

No Swedish commentary available on Eurosport in Belgium, so ambient sound it is.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Got to agree re Jacopo...very good indeed , witty and intelligent unlike some of the crew on ES/Discovery plus

ITV highlights show is the best coverage out there with Imlach very funny and Daniel Friebe great at behind the scenes stuff and interviews

ES interviews are abysmal ....long convoluted questions that ensures we hear more of the interviewer than the riders

And Rob Hatch doing a David Dimbleby on all stages, impressing upon us again and again how hallowed, historical and hyper entertaining it all is .

While Adam Blythe's insults the listener by his lack of preparedness and attention, prefering to act the mick than bring anything to the commentary. He is NOT funny yet he and other members of the team thinks he is hilarious..give me Pippa York or Brain Smith any day , at least they have something of worth to say

And as for Carlton Kirby ...I sometimes wonder does he know where he is ?
I do like Sean Kelly, Robbie Mcewen and Matt Stephens and I did like Dan Llyod.

I don't watch the Breakaway

 

[awavey]

I read some reports of todays stage they were lamenting the absence of Jonathan Harris-Bass to help tell them about all the stuff theyve clearly not bothered to research themselves this year.

at least he still posts his daily recipes to instagram.

 

[Brullnux]

I personally never found Lloyd boring, I liked the balance he provided of really strong knowledge whilst also being quite light hearted, especially on comms for the graveyard stint he had during the Giro.

 

[The fridge in the blue trees]

Can somebody shut up Kelly sometimes. He talks and talks and talks and talks, Roglic in trouble, but well, he's on one of his monologues, can't be bothered to look at the race, his monologue needs to be finished.

Carlton Kirby happy to say nothing of interest either, at least tell us who's in the Bernal group at some point. At the very latest when they are at the finish, but no, the 2 keep talking about whatever they were talking at the time.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Can somebody shut up Kelly sometimes. He talks and talks and talks and talks, Roglic in trouble, but well, he's on one of his monologues, can't be bothered to look at the race, his monologue needs to be finished.

Carlton Kirby happy to say nothing of interest either, at least tell us who's in the Bernal group at some point. At the very latest when they are at the finish, but no, the 2 keep talking about whatever they were talking at the time.

I don't know how long Sean Kelly has been a tv analyst for (20+ years ?) but, if you're not fishing, this surely has to be the first time anyone has been critical of him for being overly talkative!

 

[Abedfo]

I don't know how long Sean Kelly has been a tv analyst for (20+ years ?) but, if you're not fishing, this surely has to be the first time anyone has been critical of him for being overly talkative!

That's probably the last thing on my list of potential sean kelly criticisms. Of course he is sean kelly, the original goat, so my list doesn't matter.

 

[Wyndbrook]

There's a story of Sean nodding his head in answer to a question, in a radio interview,

 

[yaco]

Dani Rowe is much better on the men's coverage. If only we could get Hannah Walker to focus more on women's cycling.

 

[Le Grand Doop]

Kirby saying Barguil and Bardet were dropping away from the peloton so as to do something special in the ITT tomorrow.

why do they so often feel like they have to fill every space with words even if these words are completely ridiculous.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Colby saying Barguil and Bardet were dropping away from the peloton so as to do something special in the ITT tomorrow.

why do they so often feel like they have to fill every space with words even if these words are completely ridiculous.

Maybe he meant they would do 25km of wheelies or do bunnyhops or do the TT on a tricycle. Don't be so dismissive.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Sean Kelly renders Jordan Jegat as "Jihad".

Never change, Sean.