Cycling on Television (TV)

Tour of Poland, Monday
http://tv.eurosport.co.uk/tvschedule.shtml

Rolla racing featured in "new tricks" just now on bbc1

Even used the rollapaluzza name and logo.

Yep. Pretty cool

It wasn't cool at all. Cyclists represented as loonies? Yeah, that's cool.
Let's blow up (rather than just riding into) some Lamborghinis.

I have little time for the whole critical mass stuff (check CM thread), but the tenure of the program was, IMHO, not that cycle friendly.

tenure

'tenor'

:)

ITV4 to show the Vuelta live!!!

http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/2011/news/the-2011-vuelta-a-espana-to-be-shown-live-on-itv4/

And it sounds like Smashey and Nicey aren't doing the commentary.

the coverage for the vuelta yesterday was deplorable. The picture was bad, the commentary was appalling and the random and constant analysis from the studio was irritating and made all the worse by the ineloquent Swifty. Swifty's performance was the nail in the coffin to what was a terrible follow up to wonderful coverage of the tdf. I hope they get rid of Swift and get Phil and Paul back to do the commentary again, to relieve the australian guy that took their place. Having one commentator doesn't work, its a two man job especially in the slower, more self explanatory sports. Very disappointing.

^ this

Highlights show was barely watchable. Is it the work experience kids doing it over the summer?

It's ITV4 kind of being cheap.. They've bought into the cheapest feed possible (weird Australian fella). The actually coverage/footage is from Spanish TV and has always been bad. I'm going to continue to watch it on ITV4 despite it all though. I'm hoping if the viewing figures stay high then they will exercise their broadcast rights to air more cycling on freeview..

THis year I LOVED watching the TDF, and was impressed by the effort ITV4 put into making a decent live & highlights show.
Was looking forward to the Vuelta Spain..... then I watched the live coverage today, erm....
WTF?
Worst cycling programme I have ever seen, ACTUALLY unwatchable*
ITV4 can >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> on this one.

*this is mostly down to the amateur bike camera work, on the TDF coverage you don't even realise the camera is being shot from a motorbike, so smooth, makes watchable sense and camera angle is corrected against lean of the m'bike in the corners, nice. Vuelta spain appears to be camera'd by pizza delivery kids.

I was kind of glad the Vuelta highlights show is only 35 mins because I don't think I could put up with an hour that poor.

Glad I'm not the only one I thinks the coverage is a bit shit.

I don't think I appreciated how important the comentary is. It's like listening to Cadel Evans on valium.

That's the major let down for ITV4.. They thought they'd cash in on how popular TdF was thinking "fans" would be happy just to watch men on bikes not realising that commentary really does make a difference.

It also goes to show that despite how much people whinged about Paul Sherwin and Phil Liget they in fact do a very good job..

And another thing (not ITV's fault) those Tetley adverts are just fucking retarded..

I'm hoping if the viewing figures stay high then they will exercise their broadcast rights to air more cycling on freeview..

The highlights show last night got 99,000 viewers compared to about 500,000 on average for the TDF. Bit disappointing for ITV really

99,000 is not bad for ITV4 though.. I'm hoping we'll get the classics next year. Well, at least Flanders and PR..

^thing is I recall some of the classics packages they showed were hindered with similar commentary.

anyone know of any other (apart from LMNH) cafes to watch the vuelta today?

http://www.youtube.com/2011cyg

Commonwealth Youth Games.

First cycling event, TT's later today.

Ullrich riding the Ötztaler Radmarathon sportive:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NytzgzrOH8

(Video in German.)

He was 'helping' his mate Frank Wörndl, a former champion skier, so he was with him until it became clear that Wörndl couldn't reach his goal of eight hours. He also spent quite a lot of time at stops giving autographs and the like. He then let rip in the last part and probably made up a few places.

Cav being interviewed one BBC One

Now

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cycling/15123507.stm

Those presenters are painful

Ned Boulting will be fronting TV highlights on ITV4 of the Revolution track series Monday nights for 4 weeks from end of October.