He's fine when it's all action but flounders when it's a longer stage. How much longer do the cycling public have to suffer the idiotic commentary from Carlton Kirby ?? Jason Kenny has recounted to the BBC the near miss he and his infant son Albie encountered while out cycling last month. At least King Kelly is still there despite Harmon's departure. 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 make notes of the corners, pinch points, danger points, acceleration points, attack points all of those things.. At least he can string a sentence together and he seems to bring good comments out of Backstedt. They support his knowledge and enthusiasm behind the mic, even after so many years. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy. He's obsessed with what he thinks is going to happen, preferring baseless speculation to commentating on what is actually happening. When all the commentators from different nationalities are inside the same studio room, it is no longer the same as before, remarks Kirby, in a monotonous tone. It is really sad when you see the consequences of that. Without any editing, moderation, or credibility, it is all out in the name of fate. theres nowhere like ENOUGH cycling on tv. 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. Kirby has however found his own distinctive and unique style which has brilliantly worked for him all these years. Of all the criticisms that can be leveled at him (not recognising riders, not admitting he doesn't recognise a rider), being only interested in angolophone riders isn't one of them. What blasphemy is this? But not today in the Vuelta or yesterday, and this is the first time I have heard Kirby commentating. Also add in several alert mobile keyholders. Were literally opening up Sean Kellys cranium to learn the nuances of the sport, and he comes out and says which guy is going to go on and win the next day. 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. You can get every picture you need from in front of the peloton. Stig Broeckx avoids serious injury after being hit by motorbike. You get a sense of the weather a bright morning, going up this morning in a hail storm, and the hailstones are this big. We caught up with Kirby to learn what is gained for the telecast. 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 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. Hes done it four times, and I think he might want to do it again on the Champs-lyses. Best known for his work on Eurosport, his voice has also appeared on BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Motors TV, Cycling TV, Speed Channel USA, ABC Australia, SABC South Africa, Canal Plus France, Canal France International and more. Some people take offence for the strangest reasons. And we have managed to cover his view on it. What a load of rubbish - Team Sky Fan !! Well over a 1000 signatories on that petition now. I changed to German commentary on eurosport international today I was so mad. And suddenly some feel like a part of the race. Cycling is a sport where there are no time limits and there are no constant action-packed sequences to speak about. The road curved, but it was nothing to concern one's self with. Im a bit annoyed at myself because I lost my temper at the time. Let us know what you think in the comments. There are no points for each turn. As a small example, he started talking to Magnus Backstedt about tyre widths the other day ("weren't you the 27 mm guy?") Hence, To be qualified to fill up that huge amount of time is, quite naturally, a daunting job. You can use your lens. 27/8/22: Stage 7 of the Vuelta, Herrada wins the sprint and has his arm in the air in celebration. Some of which have been admitted, some of which weren't. 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. He is thinking Champs Elysees. You can also sometimes find your hotel is one or two hours away. I could paint the Galibier and Ventoux and even some of the rarer mountains by memory. Doesn't look that pretty, cable tied, very practical. Yates was obviously cooked - why else would anyone work for dozens of kilometres and then give up in the final 2km? The sights and sounds of the race and the attention of aptitude in an ample pressroom can renounce some valuable chunks for a commentator. 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. Set the scene for us. If you don't like something, how else can you change it - by saying nothing? We saw that on the Tour of Catalunya - a useless piece of motorcycle protocol. Absolutely mad. VN:So, what really is gained by being on-site? And then, you hang a look at anyone who is there to find out if theyre going to listen to you. I agree listening to the mans over stressed enthusiasm really gets on my nerves. As well as sports commentary his voiceover work includes corporate videos and feature films as well as radio and television advertising. I'm not sure if they have forgotten about the rule, or if it was always just advisory. and apologises to those who don't. 00:04:00, 29/05/2020 at 08:52 Related But, being in the studio means there is a considerable loss of interaction. Harmon LOVES cycling, cycling history, and even riders who don't speak English. Carlton Kirby As a Post Graduate Broadcast Journalist Carlton's Television career began with the BBC as a News and Sports Reporter. The atmosphere fills up with buzz from moment to moment that enthusiasm pushes the words out of the heart. "Commentating on cycling is not like snooker or tennis," Carlton Kirby tells Betway in a recent interview, one of the principal commentators for Eurosport's cycling coverage, who has served in the sport since 1996. There's also his lack of knowledge. Without wishing to be too disparaging to Mr. Kirby, I dont have Eurosport or the ability to watch cycling live, so I have to make do with highlights. London live show preview! Having spent over 25 years in the field, he has seen a lot, as many other countless commentators have seen. Punching the handlebars is the almost universal sign of frustration at losing. but the bike was nowhere to be found!" Eurosport commentator. . It is exciting being in a vast peloton, and the less experienced ones almost engage with it. Tel 01225 588855. 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. i like the stuff the two GCN guys do, is it dan Loyd and Matt Stephens? For no reason. In the early 1990s he became a freelance commentator. Eurosport is a group of pay television networks in Europe and parts of Asia. -"Looks like shit. Nobody but nobody doesnt sprint for 5th at the end of a Monument. That is exactly what has happened now. All the news from the site and beyond as we start a new week. Once its out there youre done, so youll just have to forgive me if I make the odd gaffe. The man, the myth, the chosen son. Terms and conditions of use. 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. 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. 35m is 100ft. Every time she fought back from a coma we were warned. He believes. 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. Antoine Demoitie was tragically killed by a motorcyle at the age of 25. Tech in brief: new gear from Shimano, Park Tool, Wahoo and more Tech in brief: new gear from Shimano, Park Tool, Wahoo, Tortec and more Vitus launch three bikes for cyclo-cross season. Theyd often stop too Euskaltel-Euskadi were one of the most common for that, theyd roll to the front, let everyone know it wasnt an attack and then ride up the road to briefly chat to family! The rest is very monotonous and quite naturally the onus of filling that gap falls on the commentator. This is why he often cracks jokes and laughs heartily. It is amusing that explaining this is futile, he remarks. Fully agree Kirby is the most irritable commentator ever. You get the mood of the crowd, and of the press. VN:Whats it like calling a race from back home at the studio? Theres no doubt about it, the most difficult thing to do is cover nothing, he says. Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions. Learn More, Blog: Abusing other cyclists highlights everything wrong with cycling in Britain, Chris Froome backed by strong Team Sky squad for Vuelta a Espana, Vuelta a Espana 2015 route: five stages which could decide the race, Vuelta a Espana 2015: five stages which could decide the race. pic.twitter.com/MaRgbFKTet, The Ella Roberta Family Foundation (@rosamund_ElsFdn) March 25, 2019, @emmachamberlain at her soul cycling class. Please tell your friends: Ive read so many negative comments about Kirby that unlike most online petitions this one could work. Eurosport's Carlton Kirby and cycling legend Sean Kelly reacted like the viewers at home - at first incredibly concerned, then mightily relieved. 2008present unless otherwise stated. Tao Geoghegan Hart (@taogeoghegan) March 25, 2019. But it is also true that there isnt a dearth of genuine fans of Kirby who really appreciate his vast knowledge on the field. 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. When youre part of the race caravan, all you talk about is the race. Astonishingly though, a single stage of the Tour de France lasts for about more than six hours. 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. Ive done so much and been so many places that I mostly have all of them embedded in my head. One of the worlds most iconic cycling brands appears set to launch an e-bike. At dinner, you gather around the table and argue the hell out of it, and thats a big thing. My primary issue with Carlton Kirby is that he doesn't commentate on what is happening (he rambles whatever is inside his head). I think this is what is powering Marks mind at the moment. During a long interview, the legendary veteran commentator of Eurosports shares some of his knowledge about the job. Carlton Kirby: 'Yates is the heart and mind of this breakaway group'. What is his cycling background ? Joe Robinson. For every Nicolas Roche or Steve Cummings great characters, totally locked down there are some savage bastards out there, and we love them all. And he has outthought Marcel Kittel here. #GPDenain pic.twitter.com/2DsagK73lS, Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team (@TeamWantyGobert) March 24, 2019. 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. The commentators day doesnt juststart when the racing does, with research and planning underwayas soon as breakfast is taken. Teams have been announced for May's Tour de Yorkshire and the Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women's Race. Win! JavaScript is disabled. Being a commentator is all about improvisation and Kirby knows this quite well considering his huge range of experience. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. For example, I know that Jakob Fuglsangs last name means bird song, which is a nice little thing. 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. And then on day one on Utah beach..boom..Cavendish stuns the previously unbeatable German racer. We caught up with Kirby to learn what is gained for the telecast and what is lost from these two very different broadcasting scenarios. We met a young boy and young girl who recently lost their mum, and its really sad when you see that side of it. Ive been up the Galibier. The very aspect of commentating that requires filling the gaps spanning hours of no action is the reason. 1/9/22 4.2km to go, Stage 12 Vuelta a Espana: the riders are going uphill.Kirby: as they get to this step, but it doesnt last long, its like your mums old step, give it a polish, give it a clean and then a clean pair of heels to everybody else. On rest days we circulate to meet with everybody. 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. Eurosports commentator Carlton Kirby has called hundreds of races throughout his career, both on-site and from the studio. 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. Thus concentrating becomes a difficult job for a commentator. His voice tends to wake me up from my nap when something happens. Your Tour de France telecastwill look the same this year, but it may feel somewhat different. James and Joe catch up with the chosen son of cycling commentary, Carlton Kirby. And its only the past year that we even get to see more than the Tour de France. Eurosport's lead cycling commentator Carlton Kirby has called for action to regulate the role of motor vehicles in the sport following the tragic death of Belgium's Antoine Demoitie, who was. 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. It is all clearly not set in stone at the moment, and I hope that I'm not going to have some sharp intake of breath moments on commentary just because bikes are needlessly endangering the lives of cyclists. One example of his commentary, from 11/3/21 Tirreno-Adriatico: Carlton Kirby: 'Yates is the heart and mind of this breakaway group'. 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. A football match lasts for hardly ninety minutes, a rugby match is over in eighty minutes, whilst a basketball game takes only thirty-eight minutes to finish. The Vuelta a Espana used to be the worst of the Grand Tours because theyd have transitions day of 250km across a desert. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Kirby remarks, Its not like a written press where you can write something out and finesse it and shave it. We had a heated debate about the incident and then the person drove away. On the descent, motorbikes often get too close to the cyclist in front of them. It easy to forget that before this tour Mark Cavendish, the greatest of all great sprinters, had never beaten Marcel Kittel in a head-to-head. He further says, "In tennis, you never talk through a point because the crowd doesn't. He is thinking of five wins, and is finally allowing himself to believe he is going to reach the all-time record of the Belgian all-rounder Eddy Merckx's record for stage wins of 34. Carlton Kirby pete54 Posts: 488 March 2014 edited October 2019 in Pro race For all those who can't stand Kirby's 'commentary' (must be everyone on Bikeradar? And anybody who has watched one unfold on TV will recognise the frantic speed of the commentary as the race reaches its climax. Among the big names the Belgian put time into today were Alejandro Valverde, fourth overall and 2 minutes 56 second down in fourth place overall, and Team Skys Egan Bernal, a further 1 second back. Yates ended up going out the back of the peloton, losing 1.22. 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. Get rid. 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? He suddenly realises how to beat Kittel, working out the formula to finish first. Kittel moves first into Cavendish, who follows the white line. But he's British and that's all that matters to Kirby. The prodigious British riderTao Geoghegan Hart laid into Kirby's"outrageous claims", and Owain Doull also chipped in to describe Kirby as a "proper muppet". I quite like Kirby. He was hinting today that he would be commentating on Paris-Roubaix (just after he said that Froome was 'over-raced' this year), so I'd be grateful if as many people as possible could comment/vote before it is too late: Mmmmm, unfortunately, the suggested replacement is just as clueless, just quieter. Cavendish swept to his second win at the Tour of Turkey with another . Carlton Kirby: 'Joo Almeida, who won't worry anyone in the General Classification'. We have seen far too much of it - near collisions as much as actual collisions over the past few years. 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. As a Post Graduate Broadcast Journalist Carltons Television career began with the BBC as a News and Sports Reporter. Riders have lost their ability to race, says LeMond, Nacer Bouhanni handed penalty, fined for shove. And he wasn't wrong. 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. How can someone who watches so much cycling know so little? Bridport cycles. You can do that by clicking one of these links - TAKES 30 SECONDS: https://help.eurosport.com/hc/en-gb/requests/new, https://help.globalcyclingnetwork.com/hc/en-gb/requests. All material FarrellyAtkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA11JB. When youre on-site, even though youre there, youre still watching a monitor, Kirby says. The unrelenting, inane chatter (did any of us want to know that his wife had their third child by caesarean section? CK:Ive been doing bike races live and on-site since 1996. Carlton Kirby Kirby is the most marmite commentator there is. https://yahoo.uservoice.com/forums/1698 ant-drivel, http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85131. Theres so much stuff going on because in front of us for starters, we have live timing, results sheets, stage profiles, live pictures, alternative live pictures and a sub-monitor with the schedule. At Eurosport, because the producer maynot necessarily be listening to the Englishcommentary, theyll be occasions when I goto Sean and say, so what do you think of Sagan? and hell start mulling it over and responding and then all of a sudden well get a producing lining up a cue pointin his ear, and hell have to switch from his usual, slow voice to speaking very quickly and wrapping up his point in five seconds for no apparent reason to the viewer. Id love to see this Eurosport commentator substantiate even 1% of the outrageous claims he makes. Help us to make it better. One of the most adaptable voices on British Television, as can be seen from hisworking synopsis, Carltons range is wide. During a long interview, the legendary veteran commentator of Eurosports shares some of his knowledge about the job. 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 . Page 6 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community. The walls do move when they pile in too. Its quite nice at the Tour de France that we have a roadbook and a history book of everything were going through. Would like to cancel eurosport but it's the only way to watch the classics (legitimately at least). 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 there are always other lines to cross, and he just loves collecting these plaudits and the deserved success coming his way is just brilliant. You also have picture breakdowns, sometimes audio breakdowns so weve got all that going on and we havent even got on to the racing yet!. Ive gotten drunk on the Galibier and been evacuated off the Galibier. And his constant er, er, erms.. all the time were extremely irritating. I think people will appreciate what were trying to deal with. See the recording of the last Carlton Kirby Zoomcast hereEnjoy our vintage/summer Parisian Spotify playlist (plus Little Italy by Stephen Bishop, not French, don't write in) hereSee Carlton's Simon Yates drops back to the Peloton in the last 2km - Carlton Kirby: 'Yates has decided this isn't worth the candle' - i.e. 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. Tony Martin scared everybody with his breakaway, says Etixx chief. Simon Clarke, who should have won the 2016 Milan-San Remo is just one in a long, long line of things he invents from nowhere and then portrays as facts, banging on about them throughout a season. Proper all rounder. I just wish we had Liggett and Kelly doing the Grand Tours. but the bike was nowhere to be found!" Minutes later, Sean Kelly points out that Padun is 'not getting around the corners well not comfortable whatsoever on the descent'. 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). It is amusing that explaining this is futile, he remarks. Every stage of the Tour de France LIVE on British Eurosport HD. why must us cyclists have to tolerate a commentator who has no knowledge of professional cycling. No ! There are people who love what I do, and others who hate it, he admits. Like in any other sports, being a cycling commentator for a broadcast has its own perks & lows. Carlton Kirby is a sports commentator who is most known for his work commentating on the Tour de France. 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. It is not just the motocycles remember. But it was here he developed the ability to call a sprint. ), peppered with the repeated clichs (just see how many times he says 'puppy paws', joining the party or a dozen or so others). She got hit by a car and thats someones mum, not just a cyclist. VeloNews: Whats the biggest difference for you when youre commentating on a race from back home, instead of attending the event? As for Kirby - its the arrogance of the bloke - does he think his viewers are 10 year olds who know NOTHING about cycling. he's saving his energy. I am very sorry but he is just nowhere near the standards of messrs. Liggett, Boulting, Miller and Hatch. Kittel did win stage four, but then Cavendish beat him again on stage six. Thankfully, no tree roots to overcome. It was almost featureless and the riders would not engage in it at all. You have got to be kidding! Carlton's voice is familiar to fans of Motorsports and Cycling both on British Television and throughout the world. 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). Kirby laughs. There are some other sports, like cycling, where the commentary has to be complete. I like Carlton too, not as much as Harmon, granted, but I've given up on him coming back. 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 . 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. UPDATE: New online Zoomcast show, July 16, click through for tickets. Carlton Kirby: 'Joo Almeida, who won't worry anyone in the General Classification'. Also, Kirby criticises riders in almost every race. Well then I propose a CN forum audio livestream for the tour de france. (PS If there's anything here about donating, that's the website host - nothing to do with this petition - there is nothing to donate to. A lot of these guys seems to have free rein on what they are doing. Quite brilliant and gutsy from Tom. There are already calls for a convening of UCI protocol committee so they can start to get some proper rules together about it. Those are definitely the days when you earn your corn. Once they pass by, they have to repass the peloton to get the shots they want later on. It is all well having experience, but at some of the smaller races who are the guys riding these bikes? Youre at the finish line, essentially watching the TV albeit with extra screens.. "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. It doesnt take much accomplishment to understand what Kirby is referring to. He came off the corner leading, it was a right hand to the finish in Villars-les-Dombes.