In the early 1990's he became a freelance commentator. but the bike was nowhere to be found!" We caught up with Kirby to learn what is gained for the telecast. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It is exciting being in a vast peloton, and the less experienced ones almost engage with it. And within the second group, he sprints hard, coming 13th overall. 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. Simon Yates drops back to the Peloton in the last 2km - Carlton Kirby: 'Yates has decided this isn't worth the candle' - i.e. And it is at that point, Cav comes out of the shadows to mug him at the line. Tech, reviews: tech [at] road.cc Tel 01225 588855. After my tweet he at least toned that down. Teams have been announced for May's Tour de Yorkshire and the Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women's Race. I just wish we had Liggett and Kelly doing the Grand Tours. 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. Its the art of illusion. There are several fan forums that constantly try to have him removed from Eurosport and even made a Carlton Kirby petition their demands on the grounds of inane chatter, terrible jokes, and unnecessary screaming. In their eyes, he is one of the worst cycling commentators. 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. And then, of course, there are the flat stages and the sprint finishes. Once its out there youre done, so youll just have to forgive me if I make the odd gaffe. Yeah he does. I had almost no idea what was going on or who was where. 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. There are some other sports, like cycling, where the commentary has to be complete. So poor . So, our information can be slightly second-hand. Maybe it's because he doesn't ride a bike himself? Youre at the finish line, essentially watching the TV albeit with extra screens.. ), there is a thread in the. Where is the central body that has its own rules of discipline and rules of engagement that respect distance protocol and passing protocol under the race director? Every time she fought back from a coma we were warned. Carlton Kirby BikeRadar Carlton Kirby: Tour De France Commentator but the bike was nowhere to be found!" Eurosport commentator. Joe Robinson. Thus, the commentary that you hear wont come from the finish line, but rather from some television studio thousands of miles away. It is irretrievable. There are no points for each turn. We need to get to tomorrows finish line, and sometimes that is a four-hour drive. What you are talking about is a place in history. Among an awful lot of distractions, as Carlton Kirby explains, commentating on cycling is an arduous process. ), peppered with the repeated clichs (just see how many times he says 'puppy paws', joining the party or a dozen or so others). Twaddle. Eurosport's Carlton Kirby. because there wuld be an uprising in the country. You don't need to be that close to the riders to get snaps. More often than not they slip into commentary which is at best nationalistic, and at worst xenophobic. Mark Cavendish crossed the line first, and said Kittel came up to slap him in the back. Its quite nice at the Tour de France that we have a roadbook and a history book of everything were going through. I've just discovered, after following a tweet that Orla Chennaoui had re-tweeted, that the esteemed Mr Kirby has blocked me on Twitter. And hes trying to improve them. VeloNews: Whats the biggest difference for you when youre commentating on a race from back home, instead of attending the event? carlton kirby leaves eurosport 2021 - nehantech.com "Commentating on cycling is not like snooker or tennis," says Carlton Kirby, principal commentator for Eurosport's cycling coverage, who has worked in the sport since 1996. Not that itsa straightforward drive to the finish at the Tour, as Kirby explains. 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. And his constant er, er, erms.. all the time were extremely irritating. You sit there, its often quite quiet, and you get brought an exotic meal like a guacamole sandwich. So many other cycling commentators on Eurosport. On the descent, motorbikes often get too close to the cyclist in front of them. De Gendt, Volta 2019 Stage 1 winner. Wow, all this over a commentator, so Kirby sees a Quickstep rider and mistakes it for Voeckler - that's funny, it's engaging! It just stays online forever. Thanks to all who have signed. ), there is a thread in the Eurosport 'comments and suggestions' forum requesting that he be removed from the roster. Whilst im not a great fan of Carlton Kirkby I very much doubt I could talk for between 1 and 5 hours without descending into complete nonsense from time to time. 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. View our media pack. Can you at least extend our premium subscriptions so we can play all races, until you fix the issue? You could hear a pin drop. Nah, Harmon is clued up. Kirby has however found his own distinctive and unique style which has brilliantly worked for him all these years. But saves my life" German governments helmet advert sparks sexism row, - Sir Gary Verity steps down from Welcome to Yorkshire for health reasons after "errors of judgement" with his expenses, -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. While folk littering with gel wrappers is no doubt annoying, is it really up there with fly-tipping? PLEASE CONTACT EUROSPORT/GCN INDIVIDUALLY AS WELL AS SIGNING, BECAUSE THAT WILL PROBABLY HAVE A GREATER EFFECT. We have a quiet conversation about who is going to win today. Carlton Kirby's Cycling Lock-In - Radio Days Events Hosted by Duncan Steer Carlton Kirby's Cycling Lock-In Radio Days Events Sports NOV 24, 2021 London live show preview! Being a commentator is all about improvisation and Kirby knows this quite well considering his huge range of experience. Those are definitely the days when you earn your corn. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The Vuelta a Espana used to be the worst of the Grand Tours because theyd have transitions day of 250km across a desert. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. Yep, thats my pick. They race ahead, dismount to get the tracking shots they need of the riders. Also add in several alert mobile keyholders. Its the constant attempts at humour, then the giggling at his own in-jokes that has me reaching for the mute button. 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. 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. Cookies help us deliver our services. Now it is live pictures going onto blogs, stream TV pictures. (@StasaZlatanovic) March 24, 2019. You take yourself to the studio, call up your procyclingstats.com, do your research online. One example of his commentary, from 11/3/21 Tirreno-Adriatico: Carlton Kirby: 'Yates is the heart and mind of this breakaway group'. 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. We have seen far too much of it - near collisions as much as actual collisions over the past few years. Various types of distractions are always ready for a commentator. Eurosport is a group of pay television networks in Europe and parts of Asia. Harmon LOVES cycling, cycling history, and even riders who don't speak English. Its a massive operation. It is amusing that explaining this is futile, he remarks. He's obsessed with what he thinks is going to happen, preferring baseless speculation to commentating on what is actually happening. James and Joe catch up with the chosen son of cycling commentary, Carlton Kirby. So, you have to ask yourself: What is different, and why is it worth it to actually go on-site? A new bike is coming very soon! We dont want this man commentating. Theres no doubt about it, the most difficult thing to do is cover nothing, he says. For me, Carlton is the perfect commentator for the 'early shift' on long, flat grand tour stages. 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. At the moment I turn up to a large building that has been stripped of staff, and there are just 16 people in the building. 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. One of the worlds most iconic cycling brands appears set to launch an e-bike. 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.