I like Kelly just out of respect more than anything. To cycling fans, Carlton Kirby's voice has become synonymous with the sport, having become an integral part of British Eurosport's race coverage. To cycling fans, Carlton Kirbys voice has become synonymous with the sport, having become an integral part of British Eurosports racecoverage. When we drive to the finish well usually get on the course, because were badged up to do it, and then make notes. They will tell you, Yes, so-and-so is looking really mentally fatigued, or, they are saying, Hes getting very aggressive in the peloton and weve had a word with the team, that is all great information. Helen Blackman (@HelenBlackman) March 24, 2019. March 2, 2022 . I don't think much does get through to him, I really wish it did. and clearly was totally clueless. Carlton Kirby Kirby is the most marmite commentator there is. You sit there, its often quite quiet, and you get brought an exotic meal like a guacamole sandwich. Commentating on cycling is not like snooker or tennis, says Carlton Kirby, a principal commentator for Eurosports cycling coverage, who has worked in the sport since 1996. Valverde gets it very, very wrong!" exclaimed . Personally I think Harmon and Brian Smith are the best team. he's saving his energy. Hosted by Duncan Steer. He suddenly realises how to beat Kittel, working out the formula to finish first. Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions. You have entered an incorrect email address! 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. I don't have anything against him personally, but he doesn't seem to get the basics of the sport. For all those who can't stand Kirby's 'commentary' (must be everyone on Bikeradar? From wrestling with sound walls, coping with dropped audio, working with Sean Kelly and deciphering the Kirby CODEC, we caught up with Kirby midway through the raceto getan insight into life on Tour as a commentator. I changed to German commentary on eurosport international today I was so mad. I am having this problem too. Copyright 2015-2022 ProCyclingUK - All rights Reserved, 2024 Womens WorldTour Promotion/Relegation Standings, Commentating on cycling is not like snooker or tennis, says Carlton Kirby, Demi Vollering wins Strade Bianche from teammate Kopecky. These local mountain bikers tried Athletic Brewing Company's craft beer for the first time, and you'd be surprised by their reactions. From dealing with the never-ending frenzy of action, and incessant radio announcements, to having to tackle the director. Let us know what you think in the comments. It is not so bad if they are in front because the rider can tell the motorbike to go away, but if it is trailing the rider and the rider comes off, there is always the possibility of impact. The blokes an insult to all cyclists. By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies. You are calling the race as you see it on the screen. There is a rumour that the plane ticket has already been bought for Mark to leave the Tour, but I think the temptation is there for him to go to the Champs-lyses because he believes in his mind that he has worked out how to unpick Marcel Kittel, who is his main threat. Get rid. At dinner, you gather around the table and argue the hell out of it, and thats a big thing. She talks about the background to the petition, which you can sign here, in this video. If she wins so does everyone else. The commentary line-up will include regular voices Rob Hatch and Carlton Kirby, who will also joined by cycling legend Sean Kelly at all three major races. UPDATE: New online Zoomcast show, July 16, click through for tickets. When Kirby explains the difficult process of commentating on cycling, and the concerns he has, one might want to know how much of that impacts him. Le point sur la situation de Yoann Offredo. Ive done so much and been so many places that I mostly have all of them embedded in my head. Hence, talking on something is difficult without matter. 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. The very aspect of commentating that requires filling the gaps spanning hours of no action is the reason. Terms and conditions of use. There have always been deaths since the early 1900s from vehicle-related incidents. Not much love for Eurosport commentator Carlton Kirby amongst the Team Sky ranks it seems Air pollution: London mother launches petition for second inquest into daughter''s death, Jason Kenny recounts last months near miss on BBC TV, Yoann Offredo's condition described as not life-threatening after GP de Denain crash, Telegraph article suggests "Littering cyclists and joggers could be to blame for countryside rubbish problem", Jeremy Vine's latest unpleasant encounter, 'Youths on pedal cycles' help Wednesfield Police catch thief, Best Cycling Website, BikeBiz Awards 2018, Tao Geoghehan Hart (picture copyright Simon Wilkinson, SWPix.com via Britishcycling.org_.uk), "Looks like shit. Eurosportreports that Kenny expanded on the incident on BBC One today, saying: Someone felt they had right of way and decided that gave them the right to kind of jump on the throttle and drive at us, which was a scary experience. The breaks going to go up the road, theyre going to be allowed anything up to 15 minutes of an advantage and everyone else is just having a chat including us., All the other commentators from all the other nations and all their information are in the same room, so you often get people saying: Have you heard this?, with loads of things to share. But Mark Cavendish says no: what the track does is make you think fast, it makes you think within a very tight set of circumstances. I remember being impressed during the Giro at his ability to identify riders. Cycling is a sport where there are no time limits and there are no constant action-packed sequences to speak about. As is seen in most cases, the primary action of any game takes place during the outset and ending parts. but the bike was nowhere to be found!" Eurosport commentator. Like this site? You can also sometimes find your hotel is one or two hours away. It was a dreadfully high price to pay in my opinion to high but the suffering couldnt go on. He's obsessed with what he thinks is going to happen, preferring baseless speculation to commentating on what is actually happening. Bit harsh, Quigley is a lot more knowledgeable. But I do allow people to believe Im always on-site. Once its out there youre done, so youll just have to forgive me if I make the odd gaffe. Cavendish swept to his second win at the Tour of Turkey with another . Carlton Kirby: 'Yates is the heart and mind of this breakaway group'. The races are only on GCN/Eurosport. He threw the toys out of the pram because his head is scrambled by these defeats. It's garnering quite a few sarcastic responses on Twitter Yep, I regularly cycle to MacDonalds, get a load of food, then cycle to the off license, get some beer, and then cycle to a lay by or car park and spread it around the place. It is not just the motocycles remember. Set the scene for us. His Grand National, Murray Walker shouting in the last 2 kilometres really is unbelievable. Carlton Kirby brings his True Tales of the Tour de France to Reading on Weds June 21, a little over a week before #TDF2023 , as he launches his new @BloomsburySport book, Sticky Bottle . Eurosport's voice of cycling Carlton Kirby analyses the collision between Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish that ended the Tour de France for both men. Star names like Sagan getting knocked off and knocked out of races. I think it is just individual race directors who decide who gets to ride these bikes. Discovery through its international sports unit, it operates two main channels Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 across most of its territories, and streams on Discovery+, which superseded Eurosport Player. Apologies it's in super annoying meme form (we couldn't find the originalsource) but this is too good not too share! 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. We caught up with Kirby to learn what is gained for the telecast. Its the art of illusion. But Kirby is only interested in his own narrative: McEwen told him twice that Herrada had won, but Kirby kept eulogising about Batistella's 'win', even as Herrada celebrated further coming past the camera. OK. And then, we wait. And yet, love him or loathe him, Kirbys voice is as intrinsically linked to the Tour de France, for Eurosport viewers at least, as other famous voices across the sporting spectrum. e-bikes are very much the SUVs of the car world with every manufacturer seemingly keen to add at least one to their range to not miss out. Also add in several alert mobile keyholders. pic.twitter.com/bcRWeK1p3o, just merder. I've decided and bought a '21 Revolt which is nigh on identical in stack and reach to the Defy, only differences being a slacker front end and Well if you ever go to Chesterfield you will be called "youth" however old you are. This is why he often cracks jokes and laughs heartily. In the second episode of Story Time with Carlton Kirby, the Eurosport commentator reads an excerpt from his book (Magic Spanner) about how British cycling caused a seismic change in the. Also, I would say many of his criticisms are unfair and/or cruel. The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. For god's sake grow up the man's just doing his job some of it good, some of it bad Is it my imagination or has there been more talk about commentators than cycling on here recently? The problem is that social media has allowed anyone and everyone to voice their opinion, regardless of their credibility. Its windowless. And alongside everything going on in his ear and on the screens in front of him, Kirby says the booths themselves can be a sourceof distraction from the job of commentating. i like the stuff the two GCN guys do, is it dan Loyd and Matt Stephens? Kirby has the benefit of what he calls the ultimate pass the presence of his legendary co-commentator when it comes to cutting through the crowds and police lines. Not that itsa straightforward drive to the finish at the Tour, as Kirby explains. Well then I propose a CN forum audio livestream for the tour de france. It's embarrassing now. Harmon LOVES cycling, cycling history, and even riders who don't speak English. I could get 20 minutes of commentary out of dinner last night. 14 Aug 2020. 2.4K views, 20 likes, 3 loves, 5 comments, 3 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Eurosport: "The pictures were all over the news. Carlton Kirby is one of the successful names in the industry, recently had been a topic of gossip for good and bad reasons. Mark thought it was congratulations, but it was Kittel hitting him on the back in frustration. Get the latest race news, results, commentary, and tech, delivered to your inbox. It is all well having experience, but at some of the smaller races who are the guys riding these bikes? The unrelenting, inane chatter (did any of us want to know that his wife had their third child by caesarean section? There must be so many ex-pro riders out there who would give valuable commentary and insight into the races. How do you call one of the biggest sporting events on the planet? Baseless. Wow, all this over a commentator, so Kirby sees a Quickstep rider and mistakes it for Voeckler - that's funny, it's engaging! Proper all rounder. Tel 01225 588855. And we have managed to cover his view on it. For no reason. 2023 Eurosport, a Warner Bros. As we reported at the time, the six-time Olympic champion tweeted that he had been on a Sunday bike ride with his son when they were almost run over by a van driver who drove at us, then proceeded to angrily inform me it was my fault we nearly died.. Juan Antonio Flecha and Johnny Hoogerland were sent into barbed wire on the Tour de France because the France TV van was about to hit a tree having a run out of road, but took the softer option of the riders. 2023 Eurosport, a Warner Bros. If it goes on for two or three years, then people will notice because the freshness of what is in our heads will ebb. 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. Ive just turned Catalunya on and hes already come out with I think he fell victim to his agent, so now hes at x team. Eurosport have a lot of these, so theres a lot of conversation going on in your ear [between producers] and its quite a task trying to keep the flow of what you are saying, Kirby says. Stay tuned! Hes done it four times, and I think he might want to do it again on the Champs-lyses. VeloNews: Whats the biggest difference for you when youre commentating on a race from back home, instead of attending the event? Some people take offence for the strangest reasons. Such things impact ones reputation a lot, and there is no way around it. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. You get the atmosphere and emotion of a place. Eurosport is transmitting the same amount of races as any standard european tv channel - go to Italy where it is their number 2 sport next to football - they dont struggle for professional sports commentators. All rights reserved. From the Eurosports studios in London, covering the tour is not the same as waiting at the finish line. For every Nicolas Roche or Steve Cummings great characters, totally locked down there are some savage bastards out there, and we love them all. Theyre the best stages, and the most exciting ones, but often as a commentator the days you take the most pride in are actually the ones where absolutely sod all has happened! And within the second group, he sprints hard, coming 13th overall. It is not general knowledge, and it should be. That is in fact my main Friday occupation. There is absolutely no deficit of distractions for a commentator. Are you sure? They race ahead, dismount to get the tracking shots they need of the riders. You could hear a pin drop. 35m is 100ft. Can you imagine Paris-Roubaix with Kirby commentating? As a Post Graduate Broadcast Journalist Carltons Television career began with the BBC as a News and Sports Reporter. Yeah he does. Well, Ill tell you: It makes your view of the race verifiable when youre there. Those are definitely the days when you earn your corn. And thats where comes the utterly significant role of the commentator who not only has to fill the huge time span but needs to stay alert at all times. Agreed. https://yahoo.uservoice.com/forums/1698 ant-drivel, http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85131. She got hit by a car and thats someones mum, not just a cyclist. "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. For mine, Carlton is the perfect commentator for the 'early shift' on long, flat grand tour stages. We cant do that when hes at his house and Im at mine. So many other cycling commentators on Eurosport. According to the Telegraph, cyclists and joggers could be targeted as part ofa new Government initiative to work out who is leaving waste behind in countryside. 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. The headline does anyway, while the sources in the article cover a few different potential causes. De Gendt, ganador de la primera etapa de la Volta 2019. if many people would do this via twitter it could at least give a sign. You get a sense of the weather a bright morning, going up this morning in a hail storm, and the hailstones are this big. Ill ring someone up on-site to talk to them. There are no gaps you might shut up for five seconds or so to listen to the crowd, but thats it.. As a small example, he started talking to Magnus Backstedt about tyre widths the other day ("weren't you the 27 mm guy?") CK:Ive been doing bike races live and on-site since 1996. 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. 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. VN:When youre at the race, who are you talking to regularly to get your intel for the broadcast? On rest days we circulate to meet with everybody. 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. Strade Bianche 2023, March 4, one-day classic (men's & women's), 78th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: February 25, 2023, UAE Tour 2023, February 20-26 (women's race February 9-12), O Gran Camio 2023, Spain, February 23-26, 49th Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta (2.Pro) // February 15th - 19th 2023, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2023 February 26, 196 km (1.Pro). Every time she fought back from a coma we were warned. 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? It is amusing that explaining this is futile, he remarks. And he has outthought Marcel Kittel here. You cant please everybody and as a commentator thats something you have to get to grips with. They have produced some merchandise like cycling caps and badges, they get together at Carltons events. He is thinking Champs Elysees. And his constant er, er, erms.. all the time were extremely irritating. Join Outside+ to get complete access to exclusive content on VeloNews, training plans for road and gravel, and more. Discovery company. So, were close to the press guys who have spoken to the riders, and they wander up during the day, and weve been in place for two hours already, and we meet with you guys. During a long interview, the legendary veteran commentator of Eurosports shares some of his knowledge about the job. theres nowhere like ENOUGH cycling on tv. Its the press guys we see more, because of the mechanics of the day. Having spent over 25 years in the field, he has seen a lot, as many other countless commentators have seen. https://t.co/rFjZ7dTFUE. So, our information can be slightly second-hand. They seem to think that it is enough to just talk about english speaking riders, or to 'emote' any time there is a crash, or a difficult corner. While he admits Sagan's explusion for. Here they are listed below, but we already know there will be one change - Team Sky will be racing as Team Ineos, with the Tour de Yorkshire being its first race following the management company's sale to the petrochemical business. Whilst im not Carltons biggest fan (prefer Backstead w Harmon) I very much doubt I could talk for between 1 and 5 hours without descending into complete nonsense from time to time. Carlton's voice is familiar to fans of Motorsports and Cycling both on British Television and throughout the world. Its the constant attempts at humour, then the giggling at his own in-jokes that has me reaching for the mute button. The most interesting people are the race commissars, and talking with them you get a lot of insight into who they are keeping an eye on. Its a case of trying to keep everybody amused. They kept the suspect in view and assisted us in the footchase before he was caught and arrested pic.twitter.com/QcQg7PBcsn, Wednesfield Police (@WednesfieldWMP) March 24, 2019. Yates was obviously cooked - why else would anyone work for dozens of kilometres and then give up in the final 2km? I talk about the same stuff, except Im making it up. VN:So, what really is gained by being on-site? Carlton's voice is familiar to fans of Motorsports and Cycling both on British Television and throughout the world. I could paint the Galibier and Ventoux and even some of the rarer mountains by memory. Hosted by Duncan Steer Carlton Kirby's Cycling Lock-In Radio Days Events Sports NOV 24, 2021 London live show preview! Owned by Warner Bros. But, Kirby has to do that, without fail. Kirby is a shockingly bad commentator, but Harmon is not much better. I'm not sure if they have forgotten about the rule, or if it was always just advisory. You always get letters or emails from people who really enjoyed your commentary, but youll always get those who hate every fibre of your being.. Its not something thats learned, or something you can prepare for. And to be honest, most of us are scared of losing Carlton Kirkby in case Ant McCrossan takes his place. I've been told to stop having a go at the motorcycles, but it is purely from a safety aspect and sadly this poor guy, who was very a vibrant talent at the age of only 25, has lost his life.