Pro-cycling thread

My bad, thanks for clarifying 🙂

Kind of glad though as Pogacar will deserve his moment on the podium in Paris the way he's raced.

I had to go out with 12km to go.

I watched it back on Eurosport and vowed to not listen to anything commentated by Carlton Kirby again.

In a very short time, there was nonsense riffs on the ring road, on battlements, on the flamme rouge and on Fred Wright's name. None was clever or funny, just irritating and distracting.

Also - I managed to see a spoiler on Twitter with 5km to go, but still really enjoyed the action.

I think you're right. They're both annoying.

Personally, I think it's impressive how much random stuff he can throw in while still pointing out riders. I'm watching the race anyway, the commentary is background noise.

We have this "I don't like commentator x" thing every year. So now we have the "we have this commentator thing every year" every year.

It did actually briefly cross my mind that he is quite good at ad-libbing nonsense and I wondered if he had planned some of it - but then I was distracted.

I shouldn't complain though, so let me frame my thoughts in a more positive way - the ITV4 coverage has been, and is consistently superb, and I'm very grateful for it. Ned Boulting is great, I have to admit that Millar is really good too, and Pete Kennaugh has got loads better as well.

I criss cross between sources. Depends how busy I am and when I get to watch it.
I like the GCN intro stuff with Orla but some times I'll just watch the ITV4 stuff on the tv coz I'm on the sofa already or whatever.

Kennaugh is quite insightful if a bit bland. (Writes the blandest man in England.)

Carlton Kirby is like a dog barking at passing cars out of a window; he has no idea why any of the things happening in front of him are happening but he will make loud noises while they do.

We have this "I don't like commentator x" thing every race.

Everyone should have a space to vent about Kirby

It's his fixation on particular riders and that "they might just make a go of it today" despite having shown no form all season that really gets me. Happy to have listened to 0 seconds of him this tour.

Kirby always wins the combativity prize

Hah love this!

I'm back in the Carlton appreciation gang. I like Ned and David too but a bit of Carlton over-excitement is the soundtrack to the tour/cycling.
Mind you - anyone who can blather on for hours during a flat stage gets my admiration (see also test cricket) - it's quite a skill. Like TMS the actual words just burble in the background for the most part.
All the h8ers will miss him when he's gone.

I just watch to hear Carlton shout 'Ha' at completely random moments.

All the h8ers will miss him when he's gone.

I really, really won't. My dog has more knowledge of pro-cycling that Kirby.

Im concerned that Lance’s advice correlated with the forum hive mind which was “Cav don’t fucking sign for EF”

Boo, Andy.

You need to think of Carlton like whale music when you're in a float tank (possibly a slightly niche reference point) - just there in the background to relax you and let your mind focus elsewhere.

Have been watching S4C (on freesat which is broadcast in HD, unlike itv4) with the sound off (sadly have zero knowledge of Welsh) and then listening to the itv commentary. Has worked well. Except for the couple of stages where s4c decided to broadcast some kind of rural show instead of the tour.

Laporte saw the opportunity and jumped across to the leading trio, using them to shelter him from the wind before he was able to jump again, having received a better leadout than he ever got at Cofidis.

Ed Pickering bringing the sick burns. From here.

He was the leed out for bouhani at cofidis so that was never going to happen.

Jesus that’s some self indulgent writing. You’ve picked out the only point made succinctly.

He’s a shit writer imo. His book on the Ronde is a tedious mess

S4C does have the advantage of being commentated by Perry Ap Gwynedd aka guitarist in Pendulum and general awesome session player. A few years back he was working the tour stages for S4C but also bikepacking between them, and playing with Faithless some evenings. Though not being able to understand what he’s saying does make the whole thing less enlightening I’ll admit