Eurosport TDF coverage

[the_mikey]

I'm recording ITV4's coverage via a freesat box and watching it later in the evening, I have the streaming version of Europsort, but it keeps freezing and crashing, regardless of which stream I choose (high or low bitrate), so I don't use that, if I could get eurosport via satellite on my tv without having to get sky, I would.

 

[zimzum42]

Harman/Kelly are far better than Liggett/Sherwen. Too many old cliches rolled out on ITV4, and far more adverts, distractions from the racing, and so on. Plus Kelly REALLY knows what he is on about, and seems more up to date and involved than Sherwen.

Kelly was a champion - Sherwen was never that good a rider. To ride the tour deserves massive respect, but you can't put him in the same league as Kelly.

Plus Sherwen lives in Uganda most of the year, not exactly the best way to keep in touch with the world of pro cycling



Am so glad to get Eurosport out here in Asia, it makes my day, and the racing is on in the evening cos of the time difference, which means I get to watch it live every day.
But at the end of the day it's Eurosport, they are a budget channel (check out their website!!!!). So you can't expect much, and I think what you get is pretty awesome considering

And anyone who ever thinks they can sky+ eurosport is onto a loser, they never stick to schedules - but you do have to respect that they tend to stick with something to the finish, which often means overrunning, but if they are showing what you want, then it's golden!!!!

 

[pawl]

ITV4 for me. More interviews with British riders than Eurosport.

 

[Sonofpear]

Ive grown up with the itv coverage and before that channel 4. Cant comment on eurosport as I've never had it.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

itv 4hd? i've got a virgin hd subscription and can't find itv4 hd anywhere…

as i work from home, i tend to have eurosport hd on. not only is in in hd, but i find the harmon/kelly commentary more suited to the club rider than the general audience (ligget/sherwin), which helps.

having come to cycling via c4's tour coverage, i can still happily watch ligwin on itv4 if need be…

 

[marinyork]

itv 4hd? i've got a virgin hd subscription and can't find itv4 hd anywhere…

ITV4 HD exists. It definitely does. It's a Sky exclusive (subs channel, not even FTV like Five HD on satellite) and believed (rumour) that ITV2/3/4 HD are sky exclusives till around 2015. That's why it ain't on virgin. Someday it will be. Someday it'll be on freesat too (satellite capacity will go up before the contracts run out).

I just wanted to see what people thought. Virgin HD subs here, know a few Sky+ HD customers but they won't put the cycling on .

Cheers Genman. I am not keen on Sherwen either.

 

[Molecule Man]

Gaaahhh!!

Just turned on Eurosport to watch today's highlights after avoiding spoilers all day, and they have a news bulletin immediately before the Tour de France giving the result away.

 

[steephill]

In the week I just set the live programme to record on Sky+ and then FFWD to wherever I want when I get home. The added bonus is that I can skip the adverts (which I don't find as irritating on Eurosport anyway). I generally prefer the presenters/commentators (but I think I'm in danger of starting to speak in an Irish accent!) on Eurosport although I do like Ned Boulting's stuff on ITV4.

 

[monnet]

Eurosport everytime for me. At the start of this year's tour I had some trouble with my laptop and couldn't get the streaming to work so I thought, 'doesn't matter, I'll watch ITV4. I grew up with Liggett and Sherwin's commentary'. Quite the mistake. 15 minutes in I couldn't bear it. I guess they were fine when it was a 25 minute programme on C4 back in the day, but SHerwin especially is completely lacking in any knowledge of the sport in its current state - compared to Kelly he is useless. No tactical insight, no info on how certain situations are calculate by the riders and no humour - just endless blether about 'the bike race' I realised why I gave up on them years ago. The money to Eurosport is definitely worth it.

As an aside, this winter Liggett was supposed to be the guest speaker at our club annual dinner. He never showed up. I presume something came up but he didn't call on the night to let us know and as far as I know no excuse as yet been given.

 

[Herzog]

but SHerwin especially is completely lacking in any knowledge of the sport in its current state - compared to Kelly he is useless. No tactical insight, no info on how certain situations are calculate by the riders and no humour - just endless blether about 'the bike race'

And how often does he say "X is doing a fantastic job of work"? It's so irritating.

I tend to watch Eurosport live, then the interviews on the ITV4 highlights show on the ITV Player.

 

[Fletch456]

+1 For another Eurosport fan over ITV4. I used to be a Liggett / Sherwen fan and last week I was feeling the guy (Harmon?) who commentates alongside Kelly was too excited for my taste but I've got used to it. I can be easily irritated by this kind of thing but watched a bit of ITV4 highlights twice and now feel so dull and monotone (Phil Liggett especially).

And doesn't Kelly know his stuff!!! He is really monotone but get a lot more out of listening to him; he isn't just filling space as commentators have to do some of.

 

[chillyuk]

I watched it on ITV4 yesterday. I got fed up of waiting for some cycling. It was natter natter natter and a few minutes of cycling. I much prefer Eurosport.

 

[Willo]

After starting this thread I've now settled back into Eurosport now sky+ seems to reconcile with the schedule and then whizz thro' the ITV4 coverage for the interviews.

 

[Dayvo]

My favourite Eurosport commentator is the Swedish Roberto Vacchi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Vacchi


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8sJmD00Jqg&feature=related


Sorry if it's all Greek to you!

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I signed up for the eurosportplayer this year. It's quite good, the HD works well and you can watch video of previous stages, doesn't seem to have the 5 minutes of cycling to 10 minutes of blather/ads ratio. Not bad for £3.99 I rec.