Pro-cycling thread

Pfft GCN page wont process my payment

It depends what approach they take I suppose but the UAE authorities were mega cautious last year.

That said, a negative test should make it pretty easy to get healthy riders out fast.

GCN / Sky Europsort has live coverage at 10:45 so still time before then!

Sorted!

Jose Been is superb on commentary on GCN. Pleeeease let this be the year Kirby retires or gets found with some troubling stuff on his hard drive.

So much better than Matt Stephens, who often seemed to just repeat/ paraphrase what she just said. Like a nervous Greg Wallace.

hope they can arrange something for the weekend... 🤞🏼

weird crash for tiberi in the TT in UAE. don't think we needed all the different replay angles

fucking ouch!

Ganna

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Stupid question: why is Pogacar in number 1, given Yates won it last year?

^^^^^^ I think that's unfair on Matt Stephens; Been is good, informed, but she was also very nervous and not always able to identify riders and Stephens helped her out a lot and carried the commentary at times. I'm sure Been will settle in and loosen up, I think she was more relaxed by the second day. I still think ex-riders make the best commentators though. The trouble with Kirby is he appeals to a lot of people who only watch the Tour de France which might make his position more secure than his obvious inadequacy (made all the more obvious by the new commentators) might suggest.

Been also does really good pronunciation of riders' names and non-English words without sounding all Rob Hatch about it.

To be fair Matt Stephens is miles better than Kirby

big ride from the pogchamp*

(*just trying to rustle fizzy bleach's jimmies)

Dave Dekker?

Kirby is the worst human.

I quite like Matt Stephens as a presenter but he’s definitely still finding his feet as a commentator.

I’ve followed a brain-melting amount of sport in the last year and I can’t think of any sport/channel (with the exception of possibly Test Match Special) where some aspect of commentary doesn’t grate.

The coverage of pro cycling is superb (helicopters FFS!) in pretty much every other respect. But y’know - we’ve all got to have something to complain about

Kirby is the worst human.

Genuinely keen to know if anybody has an account (first or second hand) of what the guy is like.

I’ve formed an opinion in my mind that he’s probably like a slightly lecherous brexity uncle based on his commentary persona. It’s completely unfair and I’m willing to change that opinion if someone can offer up some evidence.

Any idea what happened? Just seemed to lose the front end

Froome was 1.36 back today, one second behind Harry Tanfield. Then again, Fred Wright was 4 seconds quicker than Dowsett.

Those pesky VCL kids are fast. Damn fast.

... where some aspect of commentary doesn’t grate.

The coverage of pro cycling is superb (helicopters FFS!) in pretty much every other respect. But y’know - we’ve all got to have something to complain about

It’s certainly grates more after multiple days of 2+ hours watching. I wish they didn’t feel they have to fill every minute with talking, Kirby often while he’s trying to swallow something down, and as a professional why can’t he keep his lip smacking away from the mic.

Obviously, it’s amazing to have the amount of coverage, the helicopter shots, the gorgeous scenery and all that, and personally working (and being able to still work) from home and being able to have it on in the background.

Why is it that commentators in every sport say "25 years of age" and never "25 years old" or just "25"?

Gotta fill the time somehow. It's like writing a 3000 word essay and instead of saying 'I can't' you write 'I am unable to can'.

He went full Partridge whilst describing a female track rider a few years back, so I wouldn’t be surprised.