Hugh Porter

[Crackle]

I don't mind Carlton Kirby.

 

[rich p]

Kirby would be tolerable if he didn't start screaming about 15km from the end.
He's lit up the burners - can he hold on for 15km Sean? No, he can't you farking dickheadf

 

[suzeworld]

Isn't this what they are grooming David Millar for?

Nah, he is being groomed for being tall dark and handsome in front of the camera, a job Kristian House is doing very well on this ToB.
I'm sure actual commentating for hours every day is really hard, but sheesh. Some basic accuracy would be good.

 

[Globalti]

Come on, the majority of viewers don't even notice. It's only committed cyclists like yourselves who notice the mistakes; a bit like when you spot a BSO with the forks on back to front.

 

[youngoldbloke]

'Race face on', 'tapping it out', every day we hear without fail, it's about time he stopped. Oh, and did you know that when the peloton starts going fast they form a long line?

 

[suzeworld]

Come on, the majority of viewers don't even notice. It's only committed cyclists like yourselves who notice the mistakes; a bit like when you spot a BSO with the forks on back to front.

So fans who understand / notice don't count?
Curious point of view.

 

[400bhp]

Am I allowed to confess to liking Carlton Kirby. It can't always be easy trying to keep an audience involved on long stretches of a stage when not a lot is happening but he manages it. My wife and I often enjoy his little asides about the countryside where the race is passing. Also he does go into some detail about what is actually happenning in the peleton, things that many people wouldn't even notice until having them pointed out. I think Carlton Kirby is maybe more apealling to people who don't have an in depth knowledge of cycle racing.

I'll crawl from out of the woodwork too. I like him.

 

[SWSteve]

Quite like Carlton Kirby

 

[youngoldbloke]

HP was sooooo irritating again today. If he is still commentating next year I'm not watching. His sidekick is almost as bad too. Oh, and wasn't it a great idea to cut to ads just as the main bunch was on Ditchling Beacon.

 

[Asa Post]

I was amused to note that the incompetent commentary of the last couple of miles of today's stage had been redubbed by the time the highlights were broadcast tonight, and all the cock-ups removed.

 

[themosquitoking]

I was amused to note that the incompetent commentary of the last couple of miles of today's stage had been redubbed by the time the highlights were broadcast tonight, and all the cock-ups removed.

They do that on MOTD too.

 

[Hont]

Come on, the majority of viewers don't even notice.

So it's OK that they're misinformed then?

 

[Globalti]

Well, yes, actually! It's really not important enough to get all indignant about! The majority find him OK and TBH I think all the commentators do a great job in pointing things out to the viewing public, getting it right most of the time.

It's only when you become knowledgeable in a subject that you become impatient with the shortcomings of others.

 

[smutchin]

Hugh Porter is appalling. Carlton Kirby is a bit overenthusiastic at times but at least he's not senile.

I enjoyed Magnus Backstedt's ToB commentary on ES. He's great.

 

[Hont]

Well, yes, actually! It's really not important enough to get all indignant about!

I'm not indignant. I don't know why you inferred that I was.

I just think that commentators have a job to inform as well as add colour to the images. They're supposed to be experts, not just someone who can make a noise with their mouth for six hours - especially since cycling is becoming ever more popular in the UK and there are many new spectators to the sport. If they're being confused by commentators who mis-identify riders, the race situation, speculate inaccurately and miss the key points in the race, how is that beneficial to anybody? You might as well turn the sound down and listen to the archers, if you're just after irrelevant background noise.

There are plenty of good commentators available such as Rob Hatch and David Harmon, who, for reasons which escape me, are down the pecking order but do a much better job.