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I think a new cycling broadcast format is needed. Probably won't happen, though. Show the start, then show something else, then show the finish. The eagerness to show every stage of a GT in full just doesn't make any sense. Of course it makes the viewers want action during that time.
I don't understand how someone who's willing (and has the time) to watch 21 GT stages in full can reasonably expect to have action during the whole time.

When I'm at home, either working or on my days off, I'm very happy to have a GT stage in the background even if nothing's happening. Because IF something happens I know I won't miss it.
 
I don't understand how someone who's willing (and has the time) to watch 21 GT stages in full can reasonably expect to have action during the whole time.

When I'm at home, either working or on my days off, I'm very happy to have a GT stage in the background even if nothing's happening. Because IF something happens I know I won't miss it.

I also usually have it in the background - switching windows while working on the laptop or preparing dinner or tidying up... but I see a psychological consequence from a full broadcast in myself nonetheless - it's on, there is a hill or something - why don't they do something? Of course I don't expect action all the time but is it a wonder that if you have a broadcast on for hours, even if just silently in the background, you expect something to happen now and then?
I think the excitement would rise a lot if you had much shorter broadcasts on many stages.
 
I also usually have it in the background - switching windows while working on the laptop or preparing dinner or tidying up... but I see a psychological consequence from a full broadcast in myself nonetheless - it's on, there is a hill or something - why don't they do something? Of course I don't expect action all the time but is it a wonder that if you have a broadcast on for hours, even if just silently in the background, you expect something to happen now and then?
I think the excitement would rise a lot if you had much shorter broadcasts on many stages.
Watching cycling is a master class in the vita contemplativa and the vita attiva. It's the yin- yang of existance. Nothing happens of interest for a long time, as in Life, and then it's like opening a bottle of champagne 🍾. Boom! A festa, a holiday, something to shake up the monotony. But it was a monotony accompanied by the landscape, by the territory, its towns and villiages, the tifosi, in which a contemplative mind takes great interest. And then the climax, the explosion, the orgasm!

Those who don't watch cycling with this philosophy can't enjoy the broadcast.
 
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Watching cycling is a class in the vita contemplativa and the vita attiva. It's the yin- yang of existance. Nothing happens of interest for a long time, as in Life, and then it's like opening a bottle of champagne 🍾. Boom! A festa, a holiday, something to shake up the monotony. But it was a monotony accompanied by the landscape, by the territory, its towns and villiages, the tifosi, in which a contemplative mind takes great interest. And then the climax, the explosion, the orgasm!

Those who don't watch cycling with this philosophy can't enjoy the broadcast.

I think I wrote a post pretty similar to yours some time ago. And in general I agree. But for that it needs an explosion once in a while. If it's just 3 minutes after 3 weeks with many hours of racing each day it's... ehm, and it becomes worse if this becomes not the exception but the rule, so that you know very, very likely nothing will happen, unless a wonder.
Yes, cycling is waiting, it's a huge build up to some often surprising and heavy action, but SOME action is needed after all.
 
I also usually have it in the background - switching windows while working on the laptop or preparing dinner or tidying up... but I see a psychological consequence from a full broadcast in myself nonetheless - it's on, there is a hill or something - why don't they do something? Of course I don't expect action all the time but is it a wonder that if you have a broadcast on for hours, even if just silently in the background, you expect something to happen now and then?
I think the excitement would rise a lot if you had much shorter broadcasts on many stages.
I understand your point of view but I would never trade the chance of watching every single meaningful moment for a shorter, more action packed broadcast. I guess it's personal taste.
 
I also usually have it in the background - switching windows while working on the laptop or preparing dinner or tidying up... but I see a psychological consequence from a full broadcast in myself nonetheless - it's on, there is a hill or something - why don't they do something? Of course I don't expect action all the time but is it a wonder that if you have a broadcast on for hours, even if just silently in the background, you expect something to happen now and then?
I think the excitement would rise a lot if you had much shorter broadcasts on many stages.

Sounds like you have a short attention span and need to being doing something at all times not to be "bored".

It is a pretty normal condition.

I enjoy a long broadcast. It is quite relaxing. You dont have to pay attention all the time. You can just have it on... like you said.
 
I think I wrote a post pretty similar to yours some time ago. And in general I agree. But for that it needs an explosion once in a while. If it's just 3 minutes after 3 weeks with many hours of racing each day it's... ehm, and it becomes worse if this becomes not the exception but the rule, so that you know very, very likely nothing will happen, unless a wonder.
Yes, cycling is waiting, it's a huge build up to some often surprising and heavy action, but SOME action is needed after all.
Of course action is required, but that depends on the cast of characters. Panache is needed, but I fear modern science, instant watt calculations, prgrammation and strategy is killing the spectacle and the sport (and for whom?). When the human quality is eclipsed, the show loses. This isn't to say that the sport should shun innovation, progress, but that it should be done for the benefit of cycling, not the stakeholders. I fear the opposite is occuring.
 
Sounds like you have a short attention span and need to being doing something at all times not to be "bored".

It is a pretty normal condition.

I enjoy a long broadcast. It is quite relaxing. You dont have to pay attention all the time. You can just have it on... like you said.

thanks for your analysis of my personality
I'll be so kind as to not give my interpretation of yours here
 
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I think the underlying issue is that this season has been pretty disappointing so far. The Giro was a contender for worst GT ever, Liège was a rerun of 2022 after Pogacar crashed out, Roubaix was decided by a mechanical, Paris-Nice, Tirreno and especially Itzulia were all clearly worse than usual, and the likes of GW and Amstel were extremely one-sided. The amount of major races that delivered, on the other hand, can be counted on one hand - Ronde, E3, Catalunya and maybe also Strade. The last of those is two months ago now.

Yes, watching cycling always involves a lot of waiting through forgettable-to-decent races and stages until the next great one happens, but two months is an abnormally long time to wait and so it's hard to blame people for starting to complain.

This season being poor so far is also a clear rebuke of the 'OMG this Big 6 era is SO GOOD' narrative that keeps being peddled, but that's a separate discussion.
 
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I think the underlying issue is that this season has been pretty disappointing so far. The Giro was a contender for worst GT ever, Liège was a rerun of 2022 after Pogacar crashed out, Roubaix was decided by a mechanical, Paris-Nice, Tirreno and especially Itzulia were all clearly worse than usual, and the likes of GW and Amstel were extremely one-sided. The amount of major races that delivered, on the other hand, can be counted on one hand - Ronde, E3, Catalunya and maybe also Strade. The last of those is two months ago now.

Yes, watching cycling always involves a lot of waiting through forgettable-to-decent races and stages until the next great one happens, but two months is an abnormally long time to wait and so it's hard to blame people for starting to complain.

This season being poor so far is also a clear rebuke of the 'OMG this Big 6 era is SO GOOD' narrative that keeps being peddled, but that's a separate discussion.
How was Catalunya a failure? No TT?
 
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I feel that we will see a return of 2 decent length time trials next year (30km+).

It's hard to imagine that as recently as 2006/2007 the Tour had two 55km ITTs.

The shift away from such distances in the time trial has been quite stark.

However, I do feel that route planners try to entice certain riders to their race with a change of parcours. I'm almost certain that the 2012 Tour was designed with Wiggins in mind. The 2017 Giro was definitely aimed at Dumoulin with the number of TT kms plus the relatively soft mountain stages.

A Tour with 2 decent time trials and mountain stages finishing at the likes of Sestrieres, Le Deux Alpes, Pra Loup, Ax-3, Cauterets etc would be the dream for Remco.
 
The complaints start early, lol. BTW, I disagree with the statement that the Giro was the worst one ever. Stage 20 was pure gold. The race was won by a 4 time Grand Tour champion. Was it pretty boring GC wise for most of the race? Of course but that final time trial was pure excitement.
 
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Watching cycling is a master class in the vita contemplativa and the vita attiva. It's the yin- yang of existance. Nothing happens of interest for a long time, as in Life, and then it's like opening a bottle of champagne 🍾. Boom! A festa, a holiday, something to shake up the monotony. But it was a monotony accompanied by the landscape, by the territory, its towns and villiages, the tifosi, in which a contemplative mind takes great interest. And then the climax, the explosion, the orgasm!

Those who don't watch cycling with this philosophy can't enjoy the broadcast.

This is great!
 
I understand the eyerolling about the "Remco friendly" route but I for one would absolutely welcome that. I don't think it changes the dynamic between Pog and Vingegaard that much but if Remco gets an advantage due to TT's they would have to ride the mountains all guns blazing and what's not to love about that.
I mean I don't even know where the talk comes from, so it's kinda hard to guestimate what it's supposed to mean. Like if it's 70km over to ITTs and the mountains are good, then okay. But I don't wanna get *** mountain stages designs just because the guy who won the Vuelta 2 years ago on a 31 km ITT must come to the race.
 
I mean I don't even know where the talk comes from, so it's kinda hard to guestimate what it's supposed to mean. Like if it's 70km over to ITTs and the mountains are good, then okay. But I don't wanna get *** mountain stages designs just because the guy who won the Vuelta 2 years ago on a 31 km ITT must come to the race.
I mean, do they even care? Belgium is a small country and already filled with cycling fans. It's not about exploring a new market like the USA or the UK back in the day or having a route that suits the French heros.

Also, it's ASO, we really can't blame Remco if they design bad mountain stages.
 
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