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29 comments
Ned started on the Tour in 2003. He was, as he openly admitted in his first book, totally clueless. In recent years his understanding has grown hugely and I now feel his questions are usually less predictable/tired than most. He also demonstrates insight in the podcasts I've heard.
His 'Surviving the Tour' series with Boardman, that follows on from the previous comedy features like the wind tunnel piece from last year, is brilliant e.g.
http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/features/video-surviving-le-tour-life-on...
http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/video-surviving-le-tour-the-weather
Yes, Liggett makes some howlers and yes, they repeat the same clichés and stats but they're an institution. You and I would undoubtedly struggle if we had to talk virtually non-stop for 3 hours, and how many times would you say "um"? But the latest OPQS video with Cavendish in the team car shows how much less Sherwen knows about being inside the race.
I believe that David Harmon has put TV commentating behind him, possibly for good, and is working on other projects.
Hope you have a good day out on the RideLondon, bikeboy
I don't habitually watch ITV cycling, although I recorded ITV's live coverage of the two Yorkshire stages for posterity. The pre- and post-game chit chat and features were good. Phil and Paul going out of their way to commentate for newcomers to the spectacle didn't spoil the enjoyment. So, the wheel is connected to the pedals how...?
As for Eurosport, after today we won't have to listen to Carlton Kirby saying, "it's free energy, Sean..." every bloody time riders are descending. Until his next commentary, that is.
So you're complaining about Sean Kelly but not @ C-a-r-l-t-o-n K-i-r-b-y?! Bring back Dave Harmon!
As a relative newcomer to following professional cycling, I've been quite enjoying the ITV coverage of the Tour so far. I don't have time to watch the live coverage and so the hour-long highlights shows, particularly when broadcast at a sensible time of day, are just what I need.
I'd watched races like the Giro and some of the Classics on Eurosport earlier in the year and found it hard going. No presentation as such, badly-placed adverts and Sean Kelly... I appreciate he is something of a legend of the sport, but I can barely understand half of what he says!
I suppose it's where I've been "conditioned" from watching the likes of Match of the Day or the BBC F1 coverage that a magazine-format show, such as what ITV offers, is my preference. Contrary to the above, I've even quite liked the sections with Boulting and Boardman, but I agree that some more technical features wouldn't go amiss.
Just a shame that ITV doesn't cover other events during the year. You'd have thought with the relative popularity of cycling these days that they'd want to get in on more than just the Tour de France, but presumably it's the same old broadcast rights issues as with pretty much any other sport shown on TV?
Sorry but much of ITV's coverage seems rather tired. Same old music, same old everything. Geriatric and mistake-strewn Phil Liggett now makes the 'world of pain' whimsy of Carlton Kirby seem like a better option on Eurosport even though that means Sean Kelly too and even though Liggett remains the voice of cycling. And Boulting and Boardman's buffoonery takes up too much of the 60 minute highlights. Why is what seems like the first 10 minutes of the highlights them on their bikes? Jesus. Why isn't there more from the mechanics trucks on the bikes, the tech, the riders etc. Showing us stuff we can't see and don't know about. Imlach is still excellent. And 2 minutes of Boardman are better than 30 of Lemond. When he finally scrutinises the action.
Even more off topic, if you want to amuse yourself try shouting Thibaut Pinot in a broad Mancunian accent.
I think I heard someone ordering a glass of it last night in Withington.
Slightly off topic, but is it just me or does Sean Kelly seem to think Thibaut Pinot is actually called Pinot Thibaut?
On the show last night, Ned seemed to be getting up to Pla d'Adet quite well... chatting on the way... liked the bit where one guy saks him "Where's that Boardman bloke?"
A couple of my favourites from ITV4 commentary (so far this tour) are:
- Tinko Saxoff (don't tell Oleg!)
- Thibaut Bardot (Perhaps they'd been discussing favourite movie stars during the ad break)
Wasn't Neds tour the same tour as Mark Cavendish? I remember there being some pretty awkward 'interviews' as Ned would ask a fuming Cavendish some of the most inane questions imaginable.... television gold it was.
I'm hoping that Jens Voight will be on the team in some capacity next year....
Gary Imlach's mouth gets smaller every year. I don't really think about the accuracy of Phil and Pauls commentary; I have been watching the tour for over 20 years on C4 and ITV4 since the days of Indurain and their voices just mean the Tour for me.
Same here, couldn't really imagine watching without them but I have to say the last couple of years they've started to grate and it's getting harder to ignore the shortcomings.
Ned Boulting always strikes me as a top bloke, be good to see him getting a slightly bigger role than he has at the moment.
Met NB with CB at Simpson memorial on Ventoux last year - they had just climbed up from Bedoin before the stage so he does know how to suffer! Seemed a nice bloke. CB was a tad grumpy!
ITV 4 is better than ES. Commentators ES really very annoying! Kelly (hero tho he is) induces sleep in 5 minutes. Liggett and Sherwen are OK.
ITV for the punditry are much better than ES.
ES has better commentary though.
I can't stand Phil and Paul, Phil just doesn't seem to have a clue whats going on, getting riders wrong, palmares etc.
And Paul purely for telling me around 400 times this tour that Tony Gallopin is from a large cycling family.
Millar still seems to be stuck in the whiny bitch phase about getting dropped from the tour team, but I could see him been better over time and offering more recent insight that the rest of the ITV team.
This. I just can't listen to any of it. Although SK isn't much better on Eurosport with his rambling boredom and umming and erring over the top of moves and developments.
Time for a clear out on both channels IMO.
Don't forget the calculation too! Peloton full of mathematicians
I think you mean the 'kol-cal-lation'. It's a cycling term and it means to cycle slower than another rider while still trying to figure out how to win a stage....
I despise Leggit. He seems a twisted bitter old man. I hate his predetermined phrases which he has just been itching to unleash like ' the man in blue is in front of the the man in white and if he stays there the man in blue could end the day being the man in white'. Dear Lord, save me.
I think I would break it down like this: ITV4 live coverage blows because of Bigot and Sherwen. I like ES, Sean Kelly is dour, uninspiring and has vocabulary of a 10 year old, but by contrast he makes his co-commentator sound like he's giving the Gettysburg address. ITV4 highlights, curtesy of Imlach delivers the most pithy and interesting breakdown of the tour.
This is perverse. What are you listening to? 'Bitter'. The only person who is bitter is you Colin; yes, Liggett was not a vocal critic of You-Know-Who but you're projecting a lot here, stow your hyperbole.
I think the ITV4 coverage is going from strength to strength. Gary Imlach is absolutely top drawer, effortless delivery not to mention his wry sarcasm. I love the interaction between Ned and Chris Boardman, and hopefully adding David Millar into the mix from next year will make the whole thing even better.
I know he's the king, but I can't stand the Eurosport coverage with Sean Kelly. He'll always be a massive hero of mine but I'll be sticking with Liggett and Sherwen, thanks.
My favourite Gary Imlach line from this year's Tour was in programme on the 2nd rest day following an interview with Vino about Astana's stance on doping: "It's hard not to wonder whether a pledge from Alexander Vinokourov is worth the French it's mumbled in"
The team on ITV4 are ace.
I loved the bits this year with David Millar and I hope he becomes a regular. His gently delivered gems of information really added a cracking dimension to what was going on in the peloton
He did the Ride London 100 miler in 5hr21 - which is reasonable without being super quick on a fairly flat & fast rolling course. Put him just in the top 30% of male riders.
Ooh! That's music to my ears 5h21 is attainable, I am after you Ned.
Me and my son saw him do the Bec hillclimb year before last. As my son put it "it looked like he was going to cry" but he set quite a reasonable time - two minutes thirty something IIRC. And he was nice enough to have a little chat after and pose for a photo with the boy.
I don't care. So long as he and Boardman keep doing their pieces to camera. The bunny in the suitcase was spot on.
Somewhere in Ned's "On the Road" book it mentions an e-mail he received from Boardman after a particularly taxing and hilly ride. "You are stronger on a bike than you know", says the master. O that I should have earned such a compliment.
In his book 'On the Road Bike' he writes about some pretty big climbs he does with Chris Boardman and a lot of other british cycling icons (I forget who) and competes in a tradition club hill climb and does pretty well. So yeah I think he's probably pretty strong.
Militag make the Friend of Herne Hill Jersey:
http://road.cc/content/news/73178-herne-hill-save-velodrome%E2%80%9D-rel...
Ned's always kept himself fit. Used to go on runs during TdF, according to his Yellow Jumper book. Less experienced cyclist, but I'm sure he's reasonable.
Jersey is Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome.