It is amusing that explaining this is futile, he remarks. And suddenly some feel like a part of the race. This year alone, we had a Sky rider getting his elbow clipped by a security vehicle when he went for a gap when none existed. Get the latest race news, results, commentary, and tech, delivered to your inbox. With very little data being sent to them, and some pretty bad camerawork they have made a good fist of the event in Spain. Tom Owen vents his fury after cycling blogger highlights verbal abuse on Box Hill, Geraint Thomas returns as domestique in experienced nine-man line-up, Summit finishes dominate opening fortnight with potentially pivotal time trial in final week, The best of the gear that's dropped into RCUK over the last couple of weeks, One carbon bike and two alloy models for 2016 'cross campaign from Chain Reaction Cycles' in-house bike brand. Astonishingly though, a single stage of the Tour de France lasts for about more than six hours. Joe Robinson. I often moan about Kirby myself, but I don't. Like this site? Proper all rounder. The youngsters were congratulated by the force on Twitter, as they helped chase down a thief who had stolen over 300 worth of goods. VN:So, what really is gained by being on-site? My Ultimate Commuter, rebuilding her at the moment, everything external. The road curved, but it was nothing to concern one's self with. But there are always other lines to cross, and he just loves collecting these plaudits and the deserved success coming his way is just brilliant. All the news from the site and beyond as we start a new week, Thomas De Gendt bosses Volta a Catalunya opener and solos into 3-minute overall lead. Its a massive operation. As is seen in most cases, the primary action of any game takes place during the outset and ending parts. Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. Yes Harmon is okay and like I said - at least he does his homework on the teams and riders and hangs on every word uttered by Sean Kellyas though he is keen to learn the professional circuit. They have produced some merchandise like cycling caps and badges, they get together at Carltons events. If its one of those days where its going to end in a sprint and you need to cover 240km, then its gonna be a bit of a drag. "In tennis you never talk through a point because the crowd don't. In certain sports, you have to respect the action, and then you comment on it. Its Kirbys cheat sheetfor every stage in the race, with details of the top finishers, jersey wearers, men in the breakaway and so on. I make notes of the corners, pinch points, danger points, acceleration points, attack points all of those things.. He inspires such devotion that he has his own fan club, yet also is on the receiving end of a petition to get him sacked. March 2, 2022 . Ive been up the Galibier. He further says, "In tennis, you never talk through a point because the crowd doesn't. Once its out there youre done, so youll just have to forgive me if I make the odd gaffe. Especially on unstable surfaces. hatcher - are you Harmon's mum? When youre on-site, even though youre there, youre still watching a monitor, Kirby says. JavaScript is disabled. Well then I propose a CN forum audio livestream for the tour de france. Carlton Kirby discusses the art of commentary, says thank you to those who enjoy listening to him. Kelly will probably kill him by the end. There has to be some kind of distance applied and minimal standards of what is needed. As for the Sky Team Fans member - you wouldnt actually be Mr Kirby would you ???? Having spent over 25 years in the field, he has seen a lot, as many other countless commentators have seen. This is the video I showed Trinity School in Lewisham this morning. Thanks to all who have signed. Eurosport cant get away with this !! I remember being impressed during the Giro at his ability to identify riders. 26/8/22: Stage 6 of the Vuelta, Kirby informs us (clearly based on nothing) that Mark Padun is 'a master' at descending in the wet (at that precise moment, Padun is descending very gingerly, taking pretty poor lines). Kirby has more than two decades as a. Page 6 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community. He has been commentating on the Tour de France since 2009, and his deep knowledge of the race and the riders makes him one of the most respected commentators in the sport. Continuing our discussion of 2020's cancelled/postponed races continues, Eurosport bon viveur Carlton Kirby discusses why riding up Swiss mountains is easier than riding up French mountains; villages accessible only by ladder; the world's highest lighthouse; 70s balladeer Gilbert O'Sullivan; human . That doesnt portend his job has not become a whole lot harder. One example of his commentary, from 11/3/21 Tirreno-Adriatico: Carlton Kirby: 'Yates is the heart and mind of this breakaway group'. He has to engage with the directors in the ear, guarantee that innumerable hours of gaps are filled in suitably, deal with incoming radio announcements, all the while tackling an uproar of a different kind with the action around him. Get rid. Next time you watch, ask yourself how many of his critiques are aimed against non-Anglophone riders. There are many great cycling commentators around at the moment, Im afraid Kirby isnt one of them. But not today in the Vuelta or yesterday, and this is the first time I have heard Kirby commentating. 2008present unless otherwise stated. It is guys sitting on a motorbike who pull up alongside a cyclist and say 'how are you doing?'. Thats when it down to you and not the riders.. Im a bit annoyed at myself because I lost my temper at the time. Id love to see this Eurosport commentator substantiate even 1% of the outrageous claims he makes. Anyone but dreary Declan Quigley please! His voice tends to wake me up from my nap when something happens. I changed to German commentary on eurosport international today I was so mad. Join Outside+ to get complete access to exclusive content on VeloNews, training plans for road and gravel, and more. Wow, all this over a commentator, so Kirby sees a Quickstep rider and mistakes it for Voeckler - that's funny, it's engaging! Ive fallen off the Galibier. Thats because the Tours largest broadcasters are staying at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than broadcasting the race on-site in France. Even my partner, who doesn't watch cycling, could tell who had won. Doesn't look that pretty, cable tied, very practical. Me too. I could paint the Galibier and Ventoux and even some of the rarer mountains by memory. I never say when Im on-site vs. at the race. The headline does anyway, while the sources in the article cover a few different potential causes. There are no points for each turn. His knowledge of most non-english speaking riders can be written on the back of a postage stamp, with the exception of 'famous' foreigners like the Schlecks, Dertie Cont, Cancellera and after this spring Gilbert. Marcel Kittel gesticulates as Mark Cavendish wins stage 14 of the Tour de France ahead of Peter Sagan, Stage six finish: Cavendish edges Kittel again in thrilling finale, WATCH: Moment Cavendish finds out he has won. James and Joe catch up with the chosen son of cycling commentary, Carlton Kirby. Mark thought it was congratulations, but it was Kittel hitting him on the back in frustration. After moving to 30 Tour de France stage wins with four rousing victories that has shattered Marcel Kittel on this year's Tour, Eurosport's voice of cycling Carlton Kirby tells Desmond Kane why he . I tweeted quite a few comments which clearly annoyed him. But saves my life" German governments helmet advert sparks sexism row, Bristol taxi driver who cut up cyclist and braked in front of him has licence revoked (+ video), Porn Pedallers to carry on riding despite being stripped of British Cycling affiliation, in: Car crashes into building - please post your Local news stories, in: Has cycling become F1? because there wuld be an uprising in the country. I'm not sure if it was security, medical or a photographer who hit him, but essentially there was braking with four riders on the ground and the bike flipped before landing on the riders. I think as well that audiences will be sympathetic, so even if they know were not there, we will be upfront and honest about it. Talk about what you know. Creativelyreplacing it witha Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bikearound local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive hispreferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story. i like the stuff the two GCN guys do, is it dan Loyd and Matt Stephens? It means sometimes were not actually commentating from the finish line because the Tour de France is so huge theres about 8,000 people attached to the Tour. And anybody who has watched one unfold on TV will recognise the frantic speed of the commentary as the race reaches its climax. There is absolutely no deficit of distractions for a commentator. It is irretrievable. To cycling fans, Carlton Kirby's voice has become synonymous with the sport, having become an integral part of British Eurosport's race coverage. you can't have it on while doing other things and then return to the screen when it gets interesting because by the time Kirby has noticed many minutes will have passed. But, being in the studio means there is a considerable loss of interaction. You are as ill informed as Kirby. Carlton's voice is familiar to fans of Motorsports and Cycling both on British Television and throughout the world. And I said: Because I asked him! I asked him at breakfast, because when youre on-site, you can talk to the riders. Info-wise, being on-site is amazing.. Quite often you are talking while being handed a note, being spoken to by the director, and listening to race radio at the same time as well, says Kirby. Kittel threw his arms up in the air, and lost not only first place, but second, third and fourth..winding up in fifth because of his complaints. Brentford today angry guy in grey car can't see why he should wait till it's safe to overtake hoots horn, shouts abuse and 100 yards later I'm in front again anyway. This latest incident proves exactly that. A close study of the final 20 kilometres follows, picking out key hazardslike pinch points, street furniture and likely attack points, before the repeating the study in the car alongside King Kelly as the pair make their way to the commentary point at the stage finish. I would rather have the sound off than listen to his pathetic attempts to link words and phrases together rather than comment on the racing (as opposed to being able to identify riders) about which he knows precious little. So, our information can be slightly second-hand. Ineos Grenadiers has to try and win the Tour de France, says Steve Cummings, Tour de France: Yates, Groenewegen, Matthews a possible three-pronged approach for BikeExchange, Jumbo-Visma keeps everyone guessing with Tour de France and Giro dItalia leadership question, Former Zwift academy winner Tanja Erath calls time on road career with mental struggles, Garmin Gravel Worlds introduces pro categories and a donation-based prize pool, UCI gravel worlds, a threat or an opportunity? If you're after one, guess that does makethe two grand plus 40 quid a month price tag seem a little fairer A mother from London has launched a petition calling for a second coroner's inquest into the death of her daughter, who passed away at nine years of age in what was originally believed to be an asthma-related case. Before Kirby hits the airwaves, he touchesbase with Eurosport HQ in Paris,and then its time to take to the microphone. Theres an awful lot of distractions to keep on top of, so if you happen to be looking at your notes when somebody has a moment and you dont see it, its not your fault., Kirby laughs. A mile from home, looked behind me, moved to the centre of the lane, stuck my arm out to turn right, got Editorial, general: info [at] road.cc Conversely, a Carlton Kirby Fan Club exists for those who love the cycling commentator. Utterly self-absorbed: he had already decided who'd won. You get a sense of the weather a bright morning, going up this morning in a hail storm, and the hailstones are this big. Most races have one unit but the Tour de France has four double-decker units. I think you need to be a specialist to be a cycling commentator, yet he covers several sports on Eurosport. What a load of rubbish - Team Sky Fan !! Nonetheless, one other thing that Kirby believes, sets the very best apart is commitment. We have Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Magnus Backstedt, Dean Downing, Rob Hayles and David Harmon (who although is not the best at least it seems he is really doing some research and background checks on the riders and teams - he is clearly learning from Kelly as they sit in the box)but Kirby doesnt even do any background research. You get the atmosphere and emotion of a place. You must invest in an alarm upgrade to BT Redcare. Cue points, Kirby adds, are a bigger problem at Eurosport than with other networks, with producers calling for radio silence across the Eurosports various nationalbroadcasts to assist with the editing process. Cycling is a sport where there are no time limits and there are no constant action-packed sequences to speak about. This person has obviously just seen red, Ive got right of way, Im going to go, and you might have right of way technically whether you do or dont is often debatable but it doesnt give you the right to smash someone and potentially kill someone, which is what is going to happen if you run someone off their bike. I heard him doing weightlifting once. Its the art of illusion. "Beware everybody, he is well and truly back!" yelled Carlton Kirby on Eurosport commentary. Cavendish swept to his second win at the Tour of Turkey with another . Kittel is still the fastest guy out there, but when he turns on the taps there is going to be a point when his maximum capacity starts to diminish. London live show preview! 2.4K views, 20 likes, 3 loves, 5 comments, 3 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Eurosport: "The pictures were all over the news. He believes. And then, of course, there are the flat stages and the sprint finishes. but the bike was nowhere to be found!" There used to be a 35 metre rule which seems to be flouted these days. So, you have to ask yourself: What is different, and why is it worth it to actually go on-site? I like Carlton too, not as much as Harmon, granted, but I've given up on him coming back. Well ride that sympathy and see how far it takes us up the beach. Coverage includes enhanced production with access to helicopter, on-board and superslomo cameras. I have been speaking to (former cyclist and Eurosport expert) Sean Kelly about it at various races, and we have both had hold your breath moments. Carlton Kirby Kirby is the most marmite commentator there is. It just stays online forever. COME ON WRITE TO EUROSPORT AND LETS GET HIM OFF ! Kirbys Knowledge and Enthusiasm on the Mic is Unparalleled, When Kirby explains the difficult process of commentating on cycling, Michael Matthews powers to Bretagne Classic victory, Bora-hansgrohe riders false positive raises new doubts over accuracy of COVID-19 testing, Giro dItalia, Milan-San Remo under threat of cancellation due to coronavirus, Ewan storms to victory on stage 2 of UAE Tour. All crescendo sports deserve to be treated as such. Don't miss a moment from Paris-Roubaix and Unbound Gravel, to the Giro dItalia, Tour de France, Vuelta a Espaa, and everything in between when you Twaddle. Carlton Kirby is a sports commentator who is most known for his work commentating on the Tour de France. Especially on the downhill runs which is a crazy situation. At least he can string a sentence together and he seems to bring good comments out of Backstedt. Tony Martin scared everybody with his breakaway, says Etixx chief. There is no discussion or debate, just chatter, articles, and just that. and clearly was totally clueless. That is exactly what has happened now. The schedule and time duration work differently for every sport. Eurosport is a group of pay television networks in Europe and parts of Asia. To know that, you simply have to do a Google Search and you will know why. Discovery company. Went for a bike ride earlier today. Helen Blackman (@HelenBlackman) March 24, 2019. I think this is what is powering Marks mind at the moment. We need to get to tomorrows finish line, and sometimes that is a four-hour drive. We caught up with Kirby to learn what is gained for the telecast and what is lost from these two very different broadcasting scenarios. Over 3,200 worth of amazing prizes from Pacenti Cycle Design and Saint Piran, including some stunning carbon wheels! I can walk or drive the technical approach to the finish, which is gold. We cant do that when hes at his house and Im at mine. You can't work commentating on it for as long as he has next to informative ex-pros without some of it getting in through osmosis at the least. One thing Ive always been able to do is, I believe, see a very wide picture and a lot of different movement, and call those fast and accurately. A piece of the petition has gained over 542 signatures demanding the removal of Carlton Kirby from Eurosports, citing Unnecessary Screaming, Terrible Jokes as one of the biggest downsides. Well, Kirby says, when its all out action on the road its very easy the problem comes on longtransition stages. He is now only four short. You cant please everybody and as a commentator thats something you have to get to grips with. For me, Carlton is the perfect commentator for the 'early shift' on long, flat grand tour stages. Unlike other sports, the practicalities of cycling dont change, and doing this remotely is not at all a good idea, but the situation makes all helpless. You might remember an 'interpretive spinning' vid doing the rounds on social media a few weeks ago. I usually increase the pace especially on a sprint day to match the peloton, Kirby admits. The Vuelta a Espana used to be the worst of the Grand Tours because theyd have transitions day of 250km across a desert. We get to see our own output with our team interviewing the riders.