Commentary on TNT and other WB brands

[Armchair Cyclist]

Great recap. Although I think they did say Andresen. I at least didn't notice the mention of Koerdt.

It was on a later review, they were exchanging guesses as to how to pronounce his name (I was surprised that Blythe, a Yorkshireman like Koerdt, wouldn't have come across him and be confident on it).

 

[Squire]

It was indeed. He does seem unduly concerned to never express an opinion. Company instructions?

Regarding this, I was a bit surprised how much he complained about the race being boring and that nothing was happening during one of the stages (don't remember if it was the first or second one). Thought the commentators had orders to make everything sound exciting. He was quite directly saying that what we were seeing (Welsford's teammate pulling the peloton) was probably what we were gonna see for the next hour or so. That was somewhat refreshing actually. Though that did remind me that it was more worth to go and do something else rather than watch the race for a while.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Probably because Blythe butchered his name so hard that it was difficult to understand who he was talking about. But Blythe was definitely convinced it was Koerdt and not Lund Andresen when reviewing the sprint replay for the first time after the finish.

In general I don't mind Cox too much though. He might be a bit incompetent, but he's at least somewhat relaxing to listen to, and he's humble instead of obnoxious and self-centred.

But Cox never shuts up, he's Mr motormouth, not sure how he manages to breath.

 

[argyllflyer]

Well, what a sad day. Eurosport (in the UK) will be done by the end of next month. For me, this may be the end of the road as I am not sure I will be spending the £30.99 TNT are looking for. Appalling.

SuperBike Magazine - TNT Sports Acquire Eurosport

www.superbike.co.uk

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Well, what a sad day. Eurosport (in the UK) will be done by the end of next month. For me, this may be the end of the road as I am not sure I will be spending the £30.99 TNT are looking for. Appalling.

SuperBike Magazine - TNT Sports Acquire Eurosport

www.superbike.co.uk

Being discussed on RIP GCN+ thread, post 225ff Probably best not to discuss it in two places.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

If we are expected to pay £31/month, could we have commentators who try to show the merest element of professionalism and reasearch.

McEwen swears blind that the Kristoff/Majka incident yesterday was after the final hairpin and well within the last 3km (no it wasn't), Cox wonders whether the UAE GenZ riders might include some unknown talents (we have heard of Pericas, so he should have, and it's his job to make him known to those of us not aware of him), and then speculates that Bahrain were riding on that mountain for Bruttomesso.

 

[tobydawq]

If we are expected to pay £31/month, could we have commentators who try to show the merest element of professionalism and reasearch.

McEwen swears blind that the Kristoff/Majka incident yesterday was after the final hairpin and well within the last 3km (no it wasn't), Cox wonders whether the UAE GenZ riders might include some unknown talents (we have heard of Pericas, so he should have, and it's his job to make him known to those of us not aware of him), and then speculates that Bahrain were riding on that mountain for Bruttomesso.

It's so weird reading stuff like this. Almost all the Danish commentators are very professional and know about almost all the riders (even Brian Holm, although he has too much ADHD to concentrate on the racing as much as he probably should), yet so many of the English speaking are so poor (not all of them; Hatch and Lloyd for example are good).

 

[Ilmaestro99]

If we are expected to pay £31/month, could we have commentators who try to show the merest element of professionalism and reasearch.

McEwen swears blind that the Kristoff/Majka incident yesterday was after the final hairpin and well within the last 3km (no it wasn't), Cox wonders whether the UAE GenZ riders might include some unknown talents (we have heard of Pericas, so he should have, and it's his job to make him known to those of us not aware of him), and then speculates that Bahrain were riding on that mountain for Bruttomesso.

The commentary of cox is unbearable. Today he was speculating that some sprinters might hang on up the climb and win the stage in a sprint at the top. It's like he never watched cycling before. And he's determined to make up for his lack of knowledge by never shutting his mouth, he is talking constantly.

 

[kingjr]

It's so weird reading stuff like this. Almost all the Danish commentators are very professional and know about almost all the riders (even Brian Holm, although he has too much ADHD to concentrate on the racing as much as he probably should), yet so many of the English speaking are so poor (not all of them; Hatch and Lloyd for example are good).

The German and Dutch commentators are also very competent for the most part, certainly their main ones.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

The German and Dutch commentators are also very competent for the most part, certainly their main ones.

Meh
Kroon, Been and Jip VDB are terrible

 

[argyllflyer]

TNT/Discovery+ commentary pairings season 2025 (men's elite):

(WT=World Tour; PS=Pro Series, ET=Europe Tour, AT=Asia Tour)

WT: Tour Down Under (live from 21/1): Cox & Blythe
AT: AlUla Tour (live from 29/1): Cox & McEwen
ET: Challenge Mallorca: Trofeo Calvia (live on 29/1): Hatch & Blythe
ET: Challenge Mallorca: Trofeo Ses Salines (live on 30/1): Hatch & Blythe
ET: Challenge Mallorca: Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana (live on 31/1): Hatch & Blythe
WT: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (live on 2/2): Quigley & Smith
ET: Challenge Mallorca: Trofeo Palma (live on 2/2): Hatch & Blythe
ET: Grand Prix Cycliste La Marseillaise (live on 2/2): Been & Smith
ET: Etoile de Besseges (live from 5/2): Been & Backstedt
PS: Volta a La Comunitat Valenciana (live from 5/2): Hatch & Blythe (stage 1, 3-5), Steve Cummings (stage 2)
Tour de la Provence (live from 14/2): Been & Stephens
Vuelta a Murcia (live on 15/2): Hatch & Blythe
Clasica de Almeria (live on 16/2): Hatch & Blythe
Figuera Champions Classic (live on 16/2): Cox & Smith
UAE Tour (live from 17/2): Kirby & Stephens
Clasica Jaen Paraiso Interior (live on 17/2): Hatch & Blythe
Vuelta a Andalucia (live from 19/2): Cox & Backstedt
Volta ao Algarve (live from 19/2): Hatch & McEwen
Classic Var (live on 21/2): Been & Jon Mould
Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var ( live from 22/2): Been & Mould
O Gran Camino (live from 26/2): Hatch (stages 1-2), Quigley (stages 3-) & McEwen (stages 1-3), Field (stages 4-)
Faun Ardeche Classic (live on 1/3): Quigley & Walker (a rare thing - lead comms departs with 40km to go!)
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (live on 1/3): Hatch, Blythe & McEwen
Faun Drome Classic (live on 2/3): tbc
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (live on 2/3): tbc

 

[tao bleeding heart]

always look on the bright side.
anyone know this one?...

"yes i'm being followed by a moonshadow.
moonshadow, moonshadow.
and if i ever lose my sport
all my races long and short
oh if i ever lose my sport
oh i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-if
i wont hear McDonald/Walker/Blythe/Cox/Kirby/McCrea(nordic combined)/Woods(cross country) no more"

 

[zlev11]

can someone tell Blythe to stop mouthbreathing into his mic? he's done it every day so far this week the entire time he isn't talking. though luckily i found the "No Dialogue" audio track because of it.

 

[memyselfandI]

I was wondering this too..Is he a family man doing commentators job from home? In the middle of the night because time zone diff and wife and kids sleeping, tryin to keep his voice tiny down there under the blanket.

 

[argyllflyer]

Certainly doing TDU I wondered if he was keeping it down because the family were sleeping 😄 it was almost snooker-like commentary when they have to whisper as they're in the same room as the game.

 

[argyllflyer]

Good to hear big Maggy back in the booth after a good while away.

 

[Squire]

Good to hear big Maggy back in the booth after a good while away.

He didn't seem to share your enthusiasm! Often giving one-word answers when Been was trying to set him up to talk about something.

 

[awavey]

Being discussed on RIP GCN+ thread, post 225ff Probably best not to discuss it in two places.

Albeit weirdly more suited here imo, than there since GCN closed a while back. Though they're making cracking videos on YouTube thesedays.

I guess we'll have to rename this thread TNT commentary ?

 

[awavey]

He didn't seem to share your enthusiasm! Often giving one-word answers when Been was trying to set him up to talk about something.

I think most of us would feel like that when talking to Been.

 

[awavey]

Took me ages to work out it was Alice Barnes with Jo Rowsell in the comms box for UAE women's tour today.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Albeit weirdly more suited here imo, than there since GCN closed a while back. Though they're making cracking videos on YouTube thesedays.

I guess we'll have to rename this thread TNT commentary ?

Not to do with commentary, nor (for those with Discovery subscriptions) anything to do with Eurosport. That seemed the appropriate location, short of starting a new thread, as it was about a (level of) service finishing, and about what was for many the refuge after GCN+

 

[RedheadDane]

Took me ages to work out it was Alice Barnes with Jo Rowsell in the comms box for UAE women's tour today.

I dunno, Rowsell kept repeating the "Alice Wood, formerly Alice Barnes" line.

 

[awavey]

I dunno, Rowsell kept repeating the "Alice Wood, formerly Alice Barnes" line.

ack Id already muted it by then, got fed up with Jo talking nonsense, so all I got was one handover to Alice, and Im like Alice, Alice who the f is Alice

 

[awavey]

Not to do with commentary, nor (for those with Discovery subscriptions) anything to do with Eurosport. That seemed the appropriate location, short of starting a new thread, as it was about a (level of) service finishing, and about what was for many the refuge after GCN+

yeah and obviously I went with the flow on it too, its just I thought at the time if no-one had posted it before I got the news, Id have dropped it here first. as this thread to me is the Eurosport thread, and its news about Eurosport. The GCN thread is about GCN and this isnt GCN news really so...but whatever, as long as people know where to go to discuss it

but still come the end of Feb, then this thread needs to be renamed.

 

[Wyndbrook]

ack Id already muted it by then, got fed up with Jo talking nonsense, so all I got was one handover to Alice, and Im like Alice, Alice who the f is Alice

Well I don't think it was Alice with the big white rabbit,