Kirby remarks, Its not like a written press where you can write something out and finesse it and shave it. 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 In the mountains, when you have say four significant peaks to climb, the day tells itself and often all you have to do is call it as it happens. Stig Broeckx avoids serious injury after being hit by motorbike. And his constant er, er, erms.. all the time were extremely irritating. He clearly thinks he's the star of the show. VeloNews: Whats the biggest difference for you when youre commentating on a race from back home, instead of attending the event? The Kirby CODEC will also be called into action as his followers on Twitter will know. 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). On rest days we circulate to meet with everybody. To show no fear is the best skill of all. You get a sense of the weather a bright morning, going up this morning in a hail storm, and the hailstones are this big. 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. 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. From dealing with the never-ending frenzy of action, and incessant radio announcements, to having to tackle the director. He also never tells you who the riders on screen are - and if he does, he's usually wrong. Went for a bike ride earlier today. I can't understand why Eurosport need to use him when they gave at least four other knowledgeable commentators, even without Harmon. The Tour de Suisse is traditionally one of the last big races before the Tour de France. Kirby continues to put his notes togetheronce hearrives at the commentary booth, reading the local press andKellys grasp of colloquial French coming into its own. Eurosport - Wikipedia The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. Tour of Turkey cycling video - 'He's back!' - Mark - Eurosport There used to be a 35 metre rule which seems to be flouted these days. Carlton Kirby Kirby is the most marmite commentator there is. He is rubbish Eurosport have many other far better options we need a decent commentator not Carltons partridge esque musings. I do love the sport because its a crescendo sport. 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. 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. 27/8/22: Stage 7 of the Vuelta, Herrada wins the sprint and has his arm in the air in celebration. There has to be some kind of distance applied and minimal standards of what is needed. 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. 2008present unless otherwise stated. but the bike was nowhere to be found!" Eurosport commentator. Proper all rounder. It is a free-for-all. Join Outside+ to get complete access to exclusive content on VeloNews, training plans for road and gravel, and more. 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. 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! Its not something thats learned, or something you can prepare for. Thomas De Gendt launched a solo attack from the break with 60 kilometres remaining of todays opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya, covering 163 kilometres and starting and finishing in Calella and the Lotto-Soudal rider now finds himself with a lead of almost three minutes on his rivals. Also, I would say many of his criticisms are unfair and/or cruel. People were saying track preparation knocks you back for the sprint because it is a different form of physicality that is needed. 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. Ill be making notes when Sean Kellys driving, which can be a difficult thing! 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 this sort of meaningless, demented jabber is not at all unusual I could have chosen many examples just from today. "Beware everybody, he is well and truly back!" yelled Carlton Kirby on Eurosport commentary. 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. Eurosport is a group of pay television networks in Europe and parts of Asia. American racers headed to Italy chime in. The walls do move when they pile in too. 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. 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? Kittel did win stage four, but then Cavendish beat him again on stage six. 2023 Eurosport, a Warner Bros. Plus the the week's top tech news, in: Flying Tom Pidcock wins Strade Bianche, in: Cyclists call on council to reconsider unsafe diversion, in: Call for Scottish safety portal that would "deliver justice", in: Campaigners: Remove pedestrian vs cyclist conflict, in: Highway Code changes haven't helped cyclists, Near Miss of the Day 853: Driver of lorry urging cyclists to Please take extra care near this vehicle fined for close pass (includes swearing), Continental unveils the "strongest" and "fastest" ever Grand Prix 5000 tyre models, Brompton boss frustrated to be fighting "war of attrition" against rip-off rivals, Remove conflict between cyclists and pedestrians, urge campaigners in wake of manslaughter case, Have bike tech wars turned cycling into Formula 1? When youre on-site, even though youre there, youre still watching a monitor, Kirby says. 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. She got hit by a car and thats someones mum, not just a cyclist. 4th in last year's Giro d'Italia. Carlton Kirby Kirby is the most marmite commentator there is. Well, Kirby says, when its all out action on the road its very easy the problem comes on longtransition stages. It was a dreadfully high price to pay in my opinion to high but the suffering couldnt go on. We had a heated debate about the incident and then the person drove away. Ive done so much and been so many places that I mostly have all of them embedded in my head. Let us know what you think in the comments. 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. She talks about the background to the petition, which you can sign here, in this video. 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. Conversely, a Carlton Kirby Fan Club exists for those who love the cycling commentator. 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. As for Kirby - its the arrogance of the bloke - does he think his viewers are 10 year olds who know NOTHING about cycling. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled togethera few hundred quidoff the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought hisfirst road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadlypinched a few years later. So, our information can be slightly second-hand. Hes done it four times, and I think he might want to do it again on the Champs-lyses. Controversial! Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. Carlton Kirby is one of the successful names in the industry, recently had been a topic of gossip for good and bad reasons. He came off the corner leading, it was a right hand to the finish in Villars-les-Dombes. Now it is live pictures going onto blogs, stream TV pictures. I agree listening to the mans over stressed enthusiasm really gets on my nerves. 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. . The Wanty-GroupeGobert rider was air lifted to hospital after the crash yesterday, but thankfully it seems like he's in a stable condition. Owned by Warner Bros. 2.4K views, 20 likes, 3 loves, 5 comments, 3 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Eurosport: "The pictures were all over the news. My primary issue with Carlton Kirby is that he doesn't commentate on what is happening (he rambles whatever is inside his head). That is the way it appears. You take yourself to the studio, call up your procyclingstats.com, do your research online. I'm not sure if they have forgotten about the rule, or if it was always just advisory. As a Post Graduate Broadcast Journalist Carltons Television career began with the BBC as a News and Sports Reporter. @DeGendtThomas, guanyador de la primera etapa de la #VoltaCatalunya 2019. Mark is already the greatest sprinter there has ever been. How can someone who watches so much cycling know so little? (Clarke is a very good rider, but there is nothing to suggest he SHOULD have won the 2016 M-SR. Watch the race.). I just wish we had Liggett and Kelly doing the Grand Tours. Following a two year broadcasting secondment with the United Nations in the South Pacific he joined ITV as TVam's overnight Sports Producer and Reporter. Eurosport's Carlton Kirby in Conversation - Magazine - Ride Velo 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. 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. Some of which have been admitted, some of which weren't. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Every stage of the Tour de France LIVE on British Eurosport HD. Baseless. We cant do that when hes at his house and Im at mine. The atmosphere fills up with buzz from moment to moment that enthusiasm pushes the words out of the heart. Le point sur la situation de Yoann Offredo. Thats one of the vagrancies of Eurosport.. 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. He is now only four short. I could get 20 minutes of commentary out of dinner last night. It is irretrievable. Having spent over 25 years in the field, he has seen a lot, as many other countless commentators have seen. Some pros think so, plus more tech news from Shimano, Zwift, Le Col, Dahon, Fairlight + more, Pick-up truck driver crashes into group of cyclists, leaving two dead and 11 injured. 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 must log in or register to reply here. What is the point? Its that melting pot of information that you get on-site. Its a whole other much more positive view of commentators as a whole. 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. and clearly was totally clueless. Page 6 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community. 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. This is why he often cracks jokes and laughs heartily. Hence, talking on something is difficult without matter. The man, the myth, the chosen son. ADDITIONAL: 13/4/21 - Some have said that this petition is 'cruel', but if you're in the public eye then you are open to criticism of your professional abilities - or are we now not allowed to criticise the abilities of authors, actors, sports people, musicians, etc.? 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. Ive been up the Galibier. There are many great cycling commentators around at the moment, Im afraid Kirby isnt one of them. 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. Its Kirbys cheat sheetfor every stage in the race, with details of the top finishers, jersey wearers, men in the breakaway and so on. Live blog: "outrageous claims" - Tao Geoghegan Hart lays into Eurosport commentator Carlton Kirby, cyclists blamed for countryside litter - Twitter responds, Colnago e-bike, Jason Kenny, Jeremy Vine on close-passes, TdY teams, Peloton baby + more. When asked about the criticism, Kirby opined Its not like the written press where you can write something out and finesse it and shave it, I dont have that gift. He kept on saying, Its gone, its irretrievable. The major problem with this is that you cannot follow a race he is commentating on unless you are watching it - i.e. Carlton Kirby: 'Yates is the heart and mind of this breakaway group'. I think it is just individual race directors who decide who gets to ride these bikes. When we drive to the finish well usually get on the course, because were badged up to do it, and then make notes. As well as sports commentary his voiceover work includes corporate videos and feature films as well as radio and television advertising. There's also his lack of knowledge. All rights reserved. Ive gotten drunk on the Galibier and been evacuated off the Galibier. Bridport cycles. Carlton kirby - has to go !! | Cyclingnews Forum Teams have been announced for May's Tour de Yorkshire and the Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women's Race. theres nowhere like ENOUGH cycling on tv. Listen to Carlton Kirby's Cycling Lock-In on TuneIn While cycling commentator Carlton Kirby and his teammates would normally head across the channel for the Tour de France, the recent situation suggests he will be covering the 2020 edition from the Eurosport studios in London. Live blog: "outrageous claims" - Tao Geoghegan Hart lays into Eurosport Such things impact ones reputation a lot, and there is no way around it. Get rid of Carlton Kirby - iPetitions We caught up with Kirby to learn what is gained for the telecast and what is lost from these two very different broadcasting scenarios. Colnago is using social media to tease the arrival of its new E64 Performance, which well go out on a limb and guess is the companys attempt to tap into the rapidly growing e-bike market. He has poor knowledge and really just annoys everyone. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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. "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. 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. 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!. Carlton Kirby: 'Joo Almeida, who won't worry anyone in the General Classification'. 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. And, he is right about it. Commentating during the 2022 Ronde with 222km to go, Kirby says: Aranburu could have finished as high as 5th in Milan-Sanremo, but didnt think it was worth his while so he eased off at the end and came in 13th. Ive fallen off the Galibier. 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. UPDATE: New online Zoomcast show, July 16, click through for tickets. Carlton Kirby As a Post Graduate Broadcast Journalist Carlton's Television career began with the BBC as a News and Sports Reporter. 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. There are people who love what I do, and others who hate it, he admits. Seriously. https://yahoo.uservoice.com/forums/1698 ant-drivel, http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85131. There are some other sports, like cycling, where the commentary has to be complete. 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. I make notes of the corners, pinch points, danger points, acceleration points, attack points all of those things.. 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. Harmon LOVES cycling, cycling history, and even riders who don't speak English. Yeah he does. Carlton Kirby: What inspired Chris Froome's golden era Eurosport's voice of cycling Carlton Kirby analyses Chris Froome's performance in winning a fourth Tour de France. Youre at the finish line, essentially watching the TV albeit with extra screens.. 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. Q&A: Eurosport's Carlton Kirby on announcing the Tour de France from You cant please everybody and as a commentator thats something you have to get to grips with. So many other cycling commentators on Eurosport. PLEASE CONTACT EUROSPORT/GCN INDIVIDUALLY AS WELL AS SIGNING, BECAUSE THAT WILL PROBABLY HAVE A GREATER EFFECT. From the Eurosports studios in London, covering the tour is not the same as waiting at the finish line. Agreed. His voice tends to wake me up from my nap when something happens. Coverage includes enhanced production with access to helicopter, on-board and superslomo cameras. He's probably too much of a joker,not serious enough, but has a 'springy' voice which is good to listen to. Always the hardest and most challenging role in such types of games is of a cycling commentator. Quite brilliant and gutsy from Tom. And its only the past year that we even get to see more than the Tour de France. Fully agree Kirby is the most irritable commentator ever. 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. Carlton Kirby Cycling Commentator On The Nature Of Cycling Broadcasts How much longer do the cycling public have to suffer the idiotic commentary from Carlton Kirby ?? 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. Before Kirby hits the airwaves, he touchesbase with Eurosport HQ in Paris,and then its time to take to the microphone. Among an awful lot of distractions, as Carlton Kirby explains, commentating on cycling is an arduous process. The unrelenting, inane chatter (did any of us want to know that his wife had their third child by caesarean section? The word count for me at the end is almost blurred.. Riders have lost their ability to race, says LeMond, Nacer Bouhanni handed penalty, fined for shove. 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. 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. How do you call one of the biggest sporting events on the planet? 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. Carlton's voice is familiar to fans of Motorsports and Cycling both on British Television and throughout the world. but the bike was nowhere to be found!" The Tour forces us to have dinner. He suddenly realises how to beat Kittel, working out the formula to finish first. The commentators day doesnt juststart when the racing does, with research and planning underwayas soon as breakfast is taken. Harmon's attitude can best be described as 'wogs begin at Calais'. 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. Riders having to get close to a motorbike just to take a corner. Its the press guys we see more, because of the mechanics of the day. Various types of distractions are always ready for a commentator. Thus concentrating becomes a difficult job for a commentator. That is common in France and Belgium with a dedicated roving reporter from the race roving all over the peloton and having a chat. CK:As a commentator, you dont have a great deal of contact with the riders. If youve watched Eurosport cycling, you'll know. Eurosports commentator Carlton Kirby has called hundreds of races throughout his career, both on-site and from the studio. Fantasy Cycling: game [at] road.cc 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. Thus, the commentary that you hear wont come from the finish line, but rather from some television studio thousands of miles away. He said from the rider's perspective, motorbikes get far too close to the race. It is amusing that explaining this is futile, he remarks. 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. During a sprint stage, every turn is important, and sometimes Ill walk the final approach with [commentator] Sean Kelly, and there will be no need to even take notes, because hell just say, Oh, this will be shit. You can read an off-camber turn when youre standing on it, and see the attack points when youre going up and down a mountain. All crescendo sports deserve to be treated as such. I'm constantly berating or pointing out the danger of the motorcycle. But, Kirby has to do that, without fail. Most races have one unit but the Tour de France has four double-decker units. There must be so many ex-pro riders out there who would give valuable commentary and insight into the races. Your Tour de France telecastwill look the same this year, but it may feel somewhat different. You don't need to be that close to the riders to get snaps. Antoine Demoitie tragically died after being hit by a motorbike. But he's British and that's all that matters to Kirby. That is because like most hacks they are too arrogant to do any research and preparation. 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. But it is also true that there isnt a dearth of genuine fans of Kirby who really appreciate his vast knowledge on the field. That is in fact my main Friday occupation. Matt Stephens will be Eurosport's dedicated reporter on all Grand Tour coverage, bringing breaking news, updates, and interviews from inside the peloton. Over 3,200 worth of amazing prizes from Pacenti Cycle Design and Saint Piran, including some stunning carbon wheels! Carlton Kirby: Mark Cavendish the greatest sprinter of all - Eurosport Plus security bikes, plus rolling paramedics. 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. To know that, you simply have to do a Google Search and you will know why. Kirby is a shockingly bad commentator, but Harmon is not much better. Kittel moves first into Cavendish, who follows the white line. 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. A new bike is coming very soon! When Cavendish won again on stage 14, Kittel just fell to pieces emotionally. 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 .