Eurosport commentary

[Squire]

I'm sometimes a bit surprised by commentators' lack of knowledge/interest. I mean, Carlton Kirby aside, as he's not in it because of love of cycling. But I'm listening to Rob Hatch (non-rider, just a cycling fan) and Matt Stevens talk about stage races with rest days. Stevens proclaims that stage races are either 7-8 days or three weeks ("there's nothing inbetween") and that he's never heard of a race that's not a GT having a rest day. And Hatch keeps quiet.

If you make talking about cycling your job, shouldn't you be enough of a cycling nerd to know about the two-week Volta ao Portugal, Vuelta a Colombia or the Tour of Qinghai Lake? Or the Tours of China I/II, which are known for random rest days due to ridiculously long transfers.

 

[Tim Booth]

2019 races on Eurosport player (well, maybe)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DylE26IXQAE4jMV.jpg

 

[armchairclimber]

Just a random thought, whenever I see the name Enrico Gasparotto written down, I immediately hear Magnus Bäckstedt's voice saying it, in his own inimitable fashion. Anyone else, or is this just me?

 

[argyllflyer]

duplicate

 

[the delgados]

Argyllflyer back in da house!
Always a pleasure to see which races to look forward to hearing my man Carlton Kirby. Although, some of the question marks dotting the early classics are a bit concerning. Hopefully my main man is not in some kind of contract dispute. He should have been penciled in right around the time the wildcard teams were announced for the Giro.
Also, I know road racing is your thing, but the cyclo-cross guy is outstanding. He does each race solo, and he seems to have the perfect intonation while calling a race. He knows his stuff and picks it up precisely when something important is happening. Kudos to that bloke.

 

[argyllflyer]

I have only put up those who have confirmed their races! Kirby it could be suggested turns up at the studios and is handed a start sheet and a mic! They seem to do the same races each year so a look at last year's will give a good indication of who's doing what. CK is heavily involved in the 6 Day series too which has impacted slightly so far.

 

[argyllflyer]

Re:

I have only put up those who have confirmed their races! Kirby it could be suggested turns up at the studios and is handed a start sheet and a mic! They seem to do the same races each year so a look at last year's will give a good indication of who's doing what. CK is heavily involved in the 6 Day series too which has impacted slightly so far.

The cyclocross guy I would assume you're referring to is Ant McCrossan? His brother Marty MacDonald also pops up on ES (or other stations) now and then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGdemIWbpk8

Though this was done by Hatch & Stephens on ES.

 

[the delgados]

Hey, hey! New year, no Kirby bashing. mkay…
Yes, that is the guy I was referring to. Thank you, good sir.

 

[tobydawq]

In my opinion, that is by far the most dull and annoying voice of cycling.

 

[the delgados]

Thanks for your feedback, sunshine!

 

[RedheadDane]

Today during Valencia I kinda belatedly realised why it is I like Brian Holm as a commentator so much; it's all the (relatively) fresh insider stories from Deceuninck-Quickstep.

 

[argyllflyer]

duplicate

 

[argyllflyer]

Bit of variety - Simon Gerrans (now UK based) co-commentating with Ron Hatch on Algarve and UAE Tour this weekend.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Did Carlton just describe Jakob Fuglsang as CCC's Italian sprinter of Polish extraction in the Tour of UAE ???

 

[RedheadDane]

Come on! The fact that they're both called Jakob/Jakub obviously means they're the same person!

 

[the delgados]

Uh, ok. This is starting to go off the rails really quickly.
This is the year 2019. This is the year of my man Carlton Kirkby.
It is not the year of the dog, nor is it the year of the snake.
This is the year of Carlton Kirby.
CK bashing will not be tolerated.
Carry on, fellow cycling fans.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Re:

Uh, ok. This is starting to go off the rails really quickly.
This is the year 2019. This is the year of my man Carlton Kirkby.
It is not the year of the dog, nor is it the year of the snake.
This is the year of Carlton Kirby.
CK bashing will not be tolerated.
Carry on, fellow cycling fans.

Carlton Kirby's years are done.
At the end of this season he will be gone.
This is the most stupid poem of the new cycling year.
Carry on, fellow cycling fans, spring classics are here.

 

[RedheadDane]

It's not bashing to point out that a cycling commentator really ought to be able to tell riders apart. Especially two riders who're on teams whose kits are not in any ways similar.
Then there's the fact that Fuglsang just won Andalucia, and therefore obviously can't be in the UAE.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

The thing that always annoys me is the lack of friendly correction both on this type of mis-speaking error, and of more blatant errors of fact.

Three possibilities come to mind:
the second chair (the ex-pro co-commentator) is told to never correct the commentator for fear of making him look bad;
the second chair is equally ignorant;
the second chair isn't listening to him witter on...

(I suspect that 1 happens, but 3 is the main reason)

 

[Koronin]

I'll give commentators a pass for mixing up the Yates twins. That is going to happen when they are in the same race. But really you should at least be able to keep straight which riders are on which teams, especially when the kits look nothing alike.

armchair cyclist: I'm with you on the opinion that it's #3 most of the time. However, I can say #2 has happened, but that's usually been the two announcers asking each other who someone is and neither one being sure. Although in that case one usually asks the rest of the behind the scenes guys/gals to get a jersey number.

 

[yaco]

I listen to a variety of commentators and they all make mistakes in identifying riders - It's no 'bed of roses' trying to identify SOME riders from long shots or aerial shots - Yet Hatch/Gerrans called MAS instead of Stybar, for at least 5kms at a crucial part of the last stage of Algarve - We never heard a peep in this forum - Enough said.

 

[wansteadimp]

Re:

I listen to a variety of commentators and they all make mistakes in identifying riders - It's no 'bed of roses' trying to identify SOME riders from long shots or aerial shots - Yet Hatch/Gerrans called MAS instead of Stybar, for at least 5kms at a crucial part of the last stage of Algarve - We never heard a peep in this forum - Enough said.

Its not even Kirby doing the UAE race - getting the blame for other peoples errors now.

Having said that I think Carlton's getting worse - the number of ums and ers he's throwing into his commentary seems to have increased hugely.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Re:

I'll give commentators a pass for mixing up the Yates twins. That is going to happen when they are in the same race. But really you should at least be able to keep straight which riders are on which teams, especially when the kits look nothing alike.

armchair cyclist: I'm with you on the opinion that it's #3 most of the time. However, I can say #2 has happened, but that's usually been the two announcers asking each other who someone is and neither one being sure. Although in that case one usually asks the rest of the behind the scenes guys/gals to get a jersey number.

Oh yes, 2 certainly happens: Hatch and Smith having a long conversation about the impact of time bonuses in the tactics of Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana was a recent example. To Smith's credit, they at least apologised for their error after being corrected on Twitter, something they very rarely do.

TBH, misidentification of riders is the error that bugs me least, so long as they are willing to acknowledge the possibility that they are wrong until they know for sure ("If that is indeed Mas, it shakes up the GC").

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

I listen to a variety of commentators and they all make mistakes in identifying riders - It's no 'bed of roses' trying to identify SOME riders from long shots or aerial shots - Yet Hatch/Gerrans called MAS instead of Stybar, for at least 5kms at a crucial part of the last stage of Algarve - We never heard a peep in this forum - Enough said.

Its not even Kirby doing the UAE race - getting the blame for other peoples errors now.

Having said that I think Carlton's getting worse - the number of ums and ers he's throwing into his commentary seems to have increased hugely.

Well, that answers Armchair cyclist's initial question; it wasn't Kirby, it was some other idiot.
But, anyway, the main difference between Mas/Stybar, and Fuglsang/Mareczko is that Mas and Stybar are on the same team, and were in the same race.
The only explanation I can come up with is that the commentator had just been watching Andalucia, and therefore got a little confused, just like when Brian Holm called Tim Declercq "Tim Wellens", after he'd just watched - and commentated - the latter win stage 1 in Andalucia. Which is just extra stupid, given the fact that Declercq is one of Holm's "own" riders...

I'll give commentators a pass for mixing up the Yates twins. That is going to happen when they are in the same race. But really you should at least be able to keep straight which riders are on which teams, especially when the kits look nothing alike.

What about the Oliveira twins?

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Re: Re:

I listen to a variety of commentators and they all make mistakes in identifying riders - It's no 'bed of roses' trying to identify SOME riders from long shots or aerial shots - Yet Hatch/Gerrans called MAS instead of Stybar, for at least 5kms at a crucial part of the last stage of Algarve - We never heard a peep in this forum - Enough said.

Its not even Kirby doing the UAE race - getting the blame for other peoples errors now.

So I am happy to apologise to Kirby for assuming it was him speaking: but the criticism of Eurosport commentary as error ridden, and unwilling/able to have reasonable correction by co-commentators, stands.