Abysmal ITV Vuelta Commentary...

I was surprised to hear the Miami Dolphins' most celebrated quarterback has made a sporting comeback as a Katusha climber.

I like Matt Keenan's commentary that ITV4 have bought in from SBS(?). He's not as exciting as P&P but is far less repetitive, better at picking out riders and actually talks about the race tactics.

I like Matt Keenan's commentary that ITV4 have bought in from SBS(?). He's not as exciting as P&P but is far less repetitive, better at picking out riders and actually talks about the race tactics.

a.jumper, i have to disagree about the Giro, their pictures were decent this year and in HD aswell

Simon, thats just a few clips from hours of footage, you have to remember, they are out in the heat of Deagu and working really long hours, god knows when they get sleep, But isn't that guy a kids tv presenter??

Blimey, I think Channel 4 have topped the lot with their athletics coverage - I know live presenting isn't anything like as easy as good presenters make it look, but I don't think I've ever seen it go quite as badly as this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6o52kZxvtg&feature=youtu.be

Not really a surprise if you've seen it before. Both the Giro and Vuelta pictures and captions tend to be poorer than the Tour de France. The Giro and Vuelta coverages are each led by state-owned broadcasters in heavily-indebted countries operating in harsher weather conditions than France, while the Tour can afford Euromedia to lead production.

At least it's live, unlike this year's BBC (London-Surrey) or ITV (Tour Series, Tour of Britain) hosted coverage.

The TT coverage on both ITV and Eurosport was bad, the fact Euro didn't even show it live tells me something.

I think the host broadcaster has had a shocking tour with their dodgy camera work, but worse than that, are they using 1980's camcorders, the picture is shocking, i watched a bit on ITV4 HD, that was awful

Aussie Bloke's name is Matt Keenan. I guessed back in http://road.cc/content/news/40604-itv4-show-vuelta-live-bbc-air-only-bri... they might use him on itv4, as they had before.

The time trial coverage is shockingly bad, especially the out-of-order highlights, but I think he's not too bad otherwise. I wish he could pronounce the name of the bleedin' race, though: it's the vuelta, not the volta!

He has some incorrect "facts" he keeps repeating (Mizurov is older than O'Grady, as was Garcia Acosta), but don't all commentators?

At least itv show some of the podium presentations, which Eurosport never do, even if they've only a repeat to show next. That bugs the hell out of me, so I'm watching itv.

There are a number of drinking games, but there is always someone in the group who are drinking that tweet in with tips on what it could be for that day, so once worked out and depending on their mood, they will mention whatever it is over and over to get them pissed, or not say it again

Aussie Bloke came out with "the attack has not.... eventuated" today, sometime around the various attacks from the break that took place on the final climb. The word you're looking for is 'worked', you pretentious twerp.

I have to say, I'm glad I don't have to hear Ligget saying "Manx-Missile" over and over again. I'm sure there's a drinking game to be had out of Sherwen and Ligget's commentary.

And I'm sure I heard our Australian friend say ecscape instead of escape today...

Boulting and Rendell are good, especially when accompanied by Chris "Why do they have 2nd and 3rd on a Podium" Boardman. But I wish Ned would stop describing every advertisement break as "short" (they aren't, and are clearly aimed at the usual ITV4 audience of people who want to watch ancient repeats of The Professionals, or World's Stupidest Police Videos) and stop calling an undulating TT course as "pan flat" (comparatively flat, yes, but if that is as flat as Ned's pans get then he must suffer from very lumpy pancakes.) All the same, I keep hoping for the audio link to Spain to break down, so that irritating Aussie is cut off, and the studio team have to commentate. They aren't afraid to mention something not being shown on screen, including the darker side of the sport (such a refreshing change from those cheerleaders for the Armstrong-era, Liggett and Sherwin), and don't pronounce Cofidis as Coffeedus. Yes, Matt Rendell can go off on some long tenuous trains of thought, while major action is occurring, and is sometimes completely wrong, but at least he tries.

Simon is absolutely right about the reason that there are so many shots of Anton - Eurosport and ITV are just taking the coverage produced by Spanish television.

It's slightly different at the Olympics - there is an 'independent' host broadcast company which puts out an international and fairly neutral feed.

Then the big broadcasters like NBC and the BBC pay for additional specific coverage and rights - so they are getting the host feed plus enough to focus more on their athletes.

It would be like ITV for example paying for the Spanish coverage of the Vuelta and then as part of the deal getting some extra camera feeds that focused on Wiggins and Cavendish.

I'm surprised ASO haven't taken the route that other big sports have and set up their own broadcast company which then sells the rights. Formula 1 for example has its own broadcasting arm which rolls into town with the rest of the circus and pumps out the coverage.

Relying on the skill and interest of local broadcasters produces very uneven coverage. For example the Spanish coverage has some good bits - speed readings and gradient graphics for example - but the camera placement at the finish lines has been appallingly bad. The French tour coverage is not bad, just 10 years behind what it should and could be.

I think as it becomes more popular in other countries they will start to demand a higher and more consistent level of coverage, which can only be done using a neutral host broadcast. Plus you have control over equipment e.g. cars and bikes, which can be important, as Johnny Hoogerland will testify.

As a newcomer to race cycling, I confess that I presumed someone called 'Igor' was Russian or Eastern Europe, even if cycling for Euskadi. Goes some way to explaining it, but surely a commentator not aiming at the Spanish audience would just talk about someone/something else when the VT feed insisted on showing the poor bloke wheezing along at the back of the peloton?

It's the Vuelta a Espana. Pictures are from Spanish TV. Anton was the pre-race favourite, he's very popular in his home country (particularly after the way he crashed out last year)... so it's unsurprising that the director will be more interested in what he is up to than most other riders.

It doesn't matter what sport you're watching or what country it's set in, the host broadcaster is almost always going to focus more on home athletes (as no doubt we'll see in London next summer).

Eurosport has a thing with Anton aswell

Its because everyday the host broadcaster seems to focus on him, the pictures are the same on both channels, there is only one crew filming the race, so thats why there is so much of him on the TV

The thing about the adverts isn't as simple as why dont cycling firms advertise, its about what ITV are charging for the spots in those breaks and if i know ITV they will be trying to get the same kinda money they got for the TdF which to a retailer of cycling products is just not worth it

I would love to know the viewing figures, i bet its at least 30% down on the TdF

Hi guys, this is probably against forum etiquette etc but I am generous with my waffle/genuinely interested in what others think. I posted this to another forum, but not so road/racing focussed as this one. I hope you don't mind the crosspost too much:

What I am wondering is: Where are the advertisers? At least Halford's advertised during the TDF. For this Vuelta? Not a single cycling related ad. Why on earth can this be? Evans, Wiggle, Chain Reaction, or Cannondale, Giant?
I was talking to one of the spotty yoofs at Halford's the other day. Their "Tour de France Special Edition" ONE BRANCH sell 40 of them PER WEEK
Surely this is madness not to be advertising?
......the more I think about this, the more mystified I am. I cannot be the only one, who after watching these titans hurtling across mountainous terrain at 30mph + wants to do the same. We all know that I can't replace or upgrade my spindly 50-year-old legs, or my much abused by tobacco and lord knows what else lungs and heart. BUT I can click my mouse on some new cycling gloves or shoes or bibshorts or a new chain or crankset or chainset or cassette or whole new groupset or wheels oh what the heck, why not £5,000 of carbon fibre drool while I'm here!!!!
Project for self:
Find out contact details for person-in-charge of ITV4, contact her/him and thank for the coverage.
Find contact details for sales directors of:
Wiggle, CRC, Evans, Cannondale, Giant, Cervelo, Shimano, Sram, Campagnolo, SOREEN!! (please add to this list as you see fit) and write to them and ask directly why they are NOT advertising to this captive and captivated market of itchy-wallet wannabe's like me.
ps I'm adding Trek to the list.
Also, while I have the ear of the controller ITV4, I might gently suggest another commentator, as well as, not instead of. The guy knows his stuff etc but I'm afraid the nasal Aussie whine almost ruins the show for me. And WTF is his obsession with Igor Anton all about? Are they lovers or something?

The one thing i do like is its free on ITV and if you have a sky HD box then its free in HD aswell, just dont like the team doing it

I'm just glad its on ITV4. Commentary aside it is progress.

Now Ch5 have the cricket and Ch4 the athletics, its confusing

Ch4 dropped it when they picked up cricket rights a few years ago - think it was a combination of budget but also timing, and not enough hours to do two lengthy sports.

The Ch4 team largely went to ITV anyway.

Frankly nothing has been the same since Duffers...

To me, i dont understand why Ch4 hasn't got into the act, now they have More 4, E4 and that they could do it and they used to have good coverage of the TdF when i was younger

The reason i mention this is i am currently enjoying the coverage of Daegu World champs on Ch4 and it seems to me they have all the guys who normally did the commentary on BBC, nothing has changed apart from the channel, nice work

If he says cofiydis one more time ill scream. to be fair I guess were lucky to have the vuelta broadcast at all. Usually gets forgotten about after the tour and before the worlds.

Right i dont watch the ITV because i have Eurosport or i'd get it online

BUT my question is, Is the guy doing the commentary in Spain or in the UK?

He just doesn't seem prepared and i could do his job with the startlist, tracker and live stream

Agree with Keith that he could do with a hand offering an alternative view/gap filler/sidekick, must be hard doing all that on your lonesome.

Well we're lucky to have it on ITV anyway, means the Eurosport pigs don't get any more money...

As well I love how Ned says, "after this VERY short break, the rest of your cycling will be uninterrupted."