This year alone, we had a Sky rider getting his elbow clipped by a security vehicle when he went for a gap when none existed. The most interesting people are the race commissars, and talking with them you get a lot of insight into who they are keeping an eye on. Maybe it's because he doesn't ride a bike himself? Kirby is a shockingly bad commentator, but Harmon is not much better. Kittel did win stage four, but then Cavendish beat him again on stage six. Thus concentrating becomes a difficult job for a commentator. That is exactly what has happened now. My primary issue with Carlton Kirby is that he doesn't commentate on what is happening (he rambles whatever is inside his head). There must be so many ex-pro riders out there who would give valuable commentary and insight into the races. I comfort myself with the fact that there are people out there who actually hate Terry Wogan. We have to get him off eurosport. This afternoon, I yet again, tolerated his insulting drivel on the Dauphine. Carlton Kirby: No matter if youre in a mobile unit at the finish, or in a studio with air conditioning and a coffee machine, youre doing the same thing, the view out the window is just different. But he's British and that's all that matters to Kirby. It was almost featureless and the riders would not engage in it at all. I think people will appreciate what were trying to deal with. You are calling the race as you see it on the screen. To cycling fans, Carlton Kirby's voice has become synonymous with the sport, having become an integral part of British Eurosport's race coverage. The atmosphere fills up with buzz from moment to moment that enthusiasm pushes the words out of the heart. Kirby has however found his own distinctive and unique style which has brilliantly worked for him all these years. London live show preview! And anybody who has watched one unfold on TV will recognise the frantic speed of the commentary as the race reaches its climax. Personally I think Harmon and Brian Smith are the best team. Plus security bikes, plus rolling paramedics. You might remember an 'interpretive spinning' vid doing the rounds on social media a few weeks ago. Kirby laughs. Well, Kirby says, when its all out action on the road its very easy the problem comes on longtransition stages. Would like to cancel eurosport but it's the only way to watch the classics (legitimately at least). But it was here he developed the ability to call a sprint. For all those who can't stand Kirby's 'commentary' (must be everyone on Bikeradar? Baseless. COME ON WRITE TO EUROSPORT AND LETS GET HIM OFF ! The current situation has made things difficult, where previously they would head over to the channel to cover Tour De France, now they sit in their studios and practice social distancing and looking at monitors. Ill ring someone up on-site to talk to them. 4th in last year's Giro d'Italia. And then on day one on Utah beach..boom..Cavendish stuns the previously unbeatable German racer. https://t.co/rFjZ7dTFUE. You have to say who they are, where they are on the road, what colour theyre in and call the tactics and often all within 30-45 seconds of sheer hell and manic action. I can walk or drive the technical approach to the finish, which is gold. Utterly self-absorbed: he had already decided who'd won. New Eurosport presentation team for cycling's Grand Tours If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. Cycling Commentators on Eurosport & GCN 2022 - ProCyclingUK.com I don't have anything against him personally, but he doesn't seem to get the basics of the sport. It is amusing that explaining this is futile, he remarks. 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. The actual bones of the job are quite similar. The commentators day doesnt juststart when the racing does, with research and planning underwayas soon as breakfast is taken. Fully agree Kirby is the most irritable commentator ever. 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. He's probably too much of a joker,not serious enough, but has a 'springy' voice which is good to listen to. 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. 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. As well as sports commentary his voiceover work includes corporate videos and feature films as well as radio and television advertising. CK:Its pretty bleak. Every time she fought back from a coma we were warned. https://yahoo.uservoice.com/forums/1698 ant-drivel, http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85131. I realise that commentating on a race involving nearly 200 riders is challenging, but since 1986 I have always been able to follow what is going on thanks to the commentary. OK. And then, we wait. Such things impact ones reputation a lot, and there is no way around it. Joe Robinson. Some people take offence for the strangest reasons. All the news from the site and beyond as we start a new week. 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! And to be honest, most of us are scared of losing Carlton Kirkby in case Ant McCrossan takes his place. She got hit by a car and thats someones mum, not just a cyclist. He is rubbish Eurosport have many other far better options we need a decent commentator not Carltons partridge esque musings. You get the mood of the crowd, and of the press. Star names like Sagan getting knocked off and knocked out of races. That doesnt portend his job has not become a whole lot harder. For example, I know that Jakob Fuglsangs last name means bird song, which is a nice little thing. Mrs John Murphy May 3, 2010 2,662 0 0 Aug 26, 2011. Eurosportreports that Kenny expanded on the incident on BBC One today, saying: Someone felt they had right of way and decided that gave them the right to kind of jump on the throttle and drive at us, which was a scary experience. For mine, Carlton is the perfect commentator for the 'early shift' on long, flat grand tour stages. They race ahead, dismount to get the tracking shots they need of the riders. Carlton's voice is familiar to fans of Motorsports and Cycling both on British Television and throughout the world. Carlton kirby - has to go !! | Cyclingnews Forum The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. At dinner, you gather around the table and argue the hell out of it, and thats a big thing. When actually its just hand-written sheet of notes to recall from.. or maybe you,re a relative ?? They support his knowledge and enthusiasm behind the mic, even after so many years. Mark is already the greatest sprinter there has ever been. (PS If there's anything here about donating, that's the website host - nothing to do with this petition - there is nothing to donate to. 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. But saves my life" German governments helmet advert sparks sexism row, 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, in: Car crashes into building - please post your Local news stories, in: Has cycling become F1? 27/8/22: Stage 7 of the Vuelta, Herrada wins the sprint and has his arm in the air in celebration. Advertising, commercial: sales [at] road.cc VeloNews: Whats the biggest difference for you when youre commentating on a race from back home, instead of attending the event? If it goes on for two or three years, then people will notice because the freshness of what is in our heads will ebb. This is why he often cracks jokes and laughs heartily. 2008present unless otherwise stated. Or at least diminished. You must log in or register to reply here. Kirby is not uncomfortable with the spurt of social media and the exponential increase of criticism that has gone alongside with it. 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. I think you need to be a specialist to be a cycling commentator, yet he covers several sports on Eurosport. Kirby tells us that Batistella is punching his handlebars in celebration. To know that, you simply have to do a Google Search and you will know why. One example of his commentary, from 11/3/21 Tirreno-Adriatico: Carlton Kirby: 'Yates is the heart and mind of this breakaway group'. After a long journeyback to the hotel, often punctuated by Kelly taking media calls especially on the stages he himself would have thrived on during his career its then a debrief over dinner and back to bed for a seven-hour sleep and restarting the process again the next day. I think it is just individual race directors who decide who gets to ride these bikes. I make notes of the corners, pinch points, danger points, acceleration points, attack points all of those things.. @DeGendtThomas, guanyador de la primera etapa de la #VoltaCatalunya 2019. 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. The road curved, but it was nothing to concern one's self with. March 2, 2022 . Its quite nice at the Tour de France that we have a roadbook and a history book of everything were going through. Kirby's Knowledge and Enthusiasm on the Mic is Unparalleled 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. It is exciting being in a vast peloton, and the less experienced ones almost engage with it. Ill be making notes when Sean Kellys driving, which can be a difficult thing! I think there seems to be a bad feeling against cyclists and its really strange because theyre only people, he continued. 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. Painting a verbal picture of a five-hour race is stream of consciousness, and to be able to do that effectively, you just need to be there. Even once the race itself is over, and the post-analysis is done, theres a second race to get away from the finish line. We cant do that when hes at his house and Im at mine. When youre on-site, even though youre there, youre still watching a monitor, Kirby says. Most races have one unit but the Tour de France has four double-decker units. There are many great cycling commentators around at the moment, Im afraid Kirby isnt one of them. I don't know the guy but I wish in netherlands we would do it with mart smeets, danny nelissen and herbert dijkstra, who are complete idiots. The concern of course is how much is this going to take out of him before he begins preparations for the Olympic Games next month? CK:I think not many people will notice. The races are only on GCN/Eurosport. About - Carlton Kirby 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. Its a case of trying to keep everybody amused. We met a young boy and young girl who recently lost their mum, and its really sad when you see that side of it. As for the Sky Team Fans member - you wouldnt actually be Mr Kirby would you ???? When youre part of the race caravan, all you talk about is the race. This is the video I showed Trinity School in Lewisham this morning. Like in any other sports, being a cycling commentator for a broadcast has its own perks & lows. Its that melting pot of information that you get on-site. VN:When youre at the race, who are you talking to regularly to get your intel for the broadcast? And we have managed to cover his view on it. There is no discussion or debate, just chatter, articles, and just that. Proper all rounder. I have - again - sent this to Eurosport (23/2/23, with 1,871 signatures - and 1,400 people taking the time to comment!). 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. I could paint the Galibier and Ventoux and even some of the rarer mountains by memory. There used to be a 35 metre rule which seems to be flouted these days. Eurosport's lead cycling commentator Carlton Kirby presents a weekly guide to everything that's NOT happening in the sport this year, with stories and reflections from his 25 years in the gantry. Its windowless. Also, I would say many of his criticisms are unfair and/or cruel. One of the most adaptable voices on British Television, as can be seen from hisworking synopsis, Carltons range is wide. Well over a 1000 signatories on that petition now. Carlton Kirby's Cycling Lock-In on Apple Podcasts Carlton Kirby Kirby is the most marmite commentator there is. Minutes later, Sean Kelly points out that Padun is 'not getting around the corners well not comfortable whatsoever on the descent'. In the early 1990's he became a freelance commentator. wow, all the power to you man! Let us know what you think in the comments. Nah, Harmon is clued up. Carlton Kirby As a Post Graduate Broadcast Journalist Carlton's Television career began with the BBC as a News and Sports Reporter. ). I changed to German commentary on eurosport international today I was so mad. Hosted by Duncan Steer Carlton Kirby's Cycling Lock-In Radio Days Events Sports NOV 24, 2021 London live show preview! But I do allow people to believe Im always on-site. 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. Story Time with Carlton Kirby: Mankini's and mechanicals | "The Eurosport is transmitting the same amount of races as any standard european tv channel - go to Italy where it is their number 2 sport next to football - they dont struggle for professional sports commentators. Among the big names the Belgian put time into today were Alejandro Valverde, fourth overall and 2 minutes 56 second down in fourth place overall, and Team Skys Egan Bernal, a further 1 second back. Bridport cycles. You only need to listen to him to get that he has no time for Johnny Foreigner. 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. De Gendt, ganador de la primera etapa de la Volta 2019. Kittel is not a broken man, but his supremacy has tumbled because Mark Cavendish has only gone and won four stages here. Quite brilliant and gutsy from Tom. #GPDenain pic.twitter.com/2DsagK73lS, Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team (@TeamWantyGobert) March 24, 2019. 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. Cookies help us deliver our services. The unrelenting, inane chatter (did any of us want to know that his wife had their third child by caesarean section? The best thing you can do is relax, in my opinion, Kirby explains about going live on air. What is his cycling background ? Tech, reviews: tech [at] road.cc De Gendt, Volta 2019 Stage 1 winner. There are no points for each turn. And its only the past year that we even get to see more than the Tour de France. I tweeted quite a few comments which clearly annoyed him. Next time you watch, ask yourself how many of his critiques are aimed against non-Anglophone riders. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Carlton Kirby and His Approach On Commenting for GCN and Eurosport This Year: 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. But try explaining that to Cycling Weekly and their letters column.. They will tell you, Yes, so-and-so is looking really mentally fatigued, or, they are saying, Hes getting very aggressive in the peloton and weve had a word with the team, that is all great information. 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. pic.twitter.com/TkvUUUeBXs. 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. But Mark Cavendish says no: what the track does is make you think fast, it makes you think within a very tight set of circumstances. Even my partner, who doesn't watch cycling, could tell who had won. Conversely, a Carlton Kirby Fan Club exists for those who love the cycling commentator. Eurosport's lead cycling commentator Carlton Kirby presents a weekly guide to everything that's NOT happening in the sport . Ive gotten drunk on the Galibier and been evacuated off the Galibier. The demands of media and multimedia these days make it more of a serious problem. The Vuelta a Espana used to be the worst of the Grand Tours because theyd have transitions day of 250km across a desert. The major problem with this is that you cannot follow a race he is commentating on unless you are watching it - i.e. But not today in the Vuelta or yesterday, and this is the first time I have heard Kirby commentating. Over 3,200 worth of amazing prizes from Pacenti Cycle Design and Saint Piran, including some stunning carbon wheels! And yet, love him or loathe him, Kirbys voice is as intrinsically linked to the Tour de France, for Eurosport viewers at least, as other famous voices across the sporting spectrum. Q&A: Eurosport's Carlton Kirby on announcing the Tour de France from Marcel Kittel gesticulates as Mark Cavendish wins stage 14 of the Tour de France ahead of Peter Sagan, Stage six finish: Cavendish edges Kittel again in thrilling finale, WATCH: Moment Cavendish finds out he has won. The Tour forces us to have dinner. Eurosport's lead cycling commentator Carlton Kirby presents a weekly guide to everything that's NOT happening in the sport this year, with stories and reflections from his 25 years in the gantry. And alongside everything going on in his ear and on the screens in front of him, Kirby says the booths themselves can be a sourceof distraction from the job of commentating. La Vuelta cycling - 'Wow!' - Terrifying moment Alejandro - Eurosport 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. Best known for his work on Eurosport, his voice has also appeared on BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Motors TV, Cycling TV, Speed Channel USA, ABC Australia, SABC South Africa, Canal Plus France, Canal France International and more. American racers headed to Italy chime in. To my mind, the motorcycles are the most dangerous because they have the least ability to stop. Im a bit annoyed at myself because I lost my temper at the time. Absolutely mad. And if you ever thought the job of the commentator was easy, think again, with the ability to multi-task a key skill for anyone working in live television. Driver escapes punishment for alleged hit-and-run on cyclist, as victim blasts police inaction and barriers to justice. Can you at least extend our premium subscriptions so we can play all races, until you fix the issue? 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. 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. From the Eurosports studios in London, covering the tour is not the same as waiting at the finish line. We get to see our own output with our team interviewing the riders. Wow, all this over a commentator, so Kirby sees a Quickstep rider and mistakes it for Voeckler - that's funny, it's engaging! Controversial! It is a thrilling climax and its my job to convey that to the public. How do you call one of the biggest sporting events on the planet? 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. Well then I propose a CN forum audio livestream for the tour de france. It is crazy. Are you sure? Thanks to all who have signed. On rest days we circulate to meet with everybody. Carlton Kirby: Peter Sagan will be badly missed - Eurosport You must invest in an alarm upgrade to BT Redcare. However, a lot of his fans understand this and support him. What blasphemy is this? Its Kirbys cheat sheetfor every stage in the race, with details of the top finishers, jersey wearers, men in the breakaway and so on. Carlton's voice is familiar to fans of Motorsports and Cycling both on British Television and throughout the world. Eurosport's commentator Carlton Kirby has called hundreds of races throughout his career, both on-site and from the studio. All of that is avoidable if you have the right distance and the right protocol in place. Owned by Warner Bros. if many people would do this via twitter it could at least give a sign. Carlton Kirby discusses the art of commentary, says thank you to those who enjoy listening to him. 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. Harmon LOVES cycling, cycling history, and even riders who don't speak English. but the bike was nowhere to be found!" Eurosport have a lot of these, so theres a lot of conversation going on in your ear [between producers] and its quite a task trying to keep the flow of what you are saying, Kirby says. And somebody asked me, why dont you pronounce his name Foo-gel-sang instead ofFoolsong. Also, Kirby criticises riders in almost every race. Kirby says he opens the Tours road book (the bible for riders and media alike) first and foremost, having to change all of the notes to match his commentary notes and the on-screen graphics counting down the kilometres, rather than up as the book does. Ive fallen off the Galibier. Harmon's attitude can best be described as 'wogs begin at Calais'. ), there is a thread in the. The schedule and time duration work differently for every sport. I had almost no idea what was going on or who was where. You have engineers popping in and out, you have guests from the different languages, and the only thing separating us from the Germans, on our left, and the French, on our right, are thin sound walls its completely open at the back, he says. Hosted by Duncan Steer. He threw the toys out of the pram because his head is scrambled by these defeats. Carlton Kirby BikeRadar I can get caught out, particularly if theres a crash in the last three kilometres, because that can animate the tempo even more and I have to keep something in reserve for the sprint finish. Hence, To be qualified to fill up that huge amount of time is, quite naturally, a daunting job. And then, of course, there are the flat stages and the sprint finishes. You could hear a pin drop. Its the art of illusion. Theyre the best stages, and the most exciting ones, but often as a commentator the days you take the most pride in are actually the ones where absolutely sod all has happened! Bit harsh, Quigley is a lot more knowledgeable. And suddenly some feel like a part of the race. Why Stats Aren't Everything By Cycling Broadcaster Carlton Kirby Being on the site always gives you extra material which makes the commentating so natural and energetic. We need to get to tomorrows finish line, and sometimes that is a four-hour drive. It's embarrassing now. 26/8/22: Stage 6 of the Vuelta, Kirby informs us (clearly based on nothing) that Mark Padun is 'a master' at descending in the wet (at that precise moment, Padun is descending very gingerly, taking pretty poor lines). There are people who love what I do, and others who hate it, he admits. Carlton Kirby: 'Joo Almeida, who won't worry anyone in the General Classification'. Without any editing, moderation, or credibility, it is all out in the name of fate. 'A crazy situation' - Eurosport's Carlton Kirby slams motorbike madness Before Kirby hits the airwaves, he touchesbase with Eurosport HQ in Paris,and then its time to take to the microphone. -"Looks like shit. I never say when Im on-site vs. at the race. Some of which have been admitted, some of which weren't. Now it is live pictures going onto blogs, stream TV pictures. (Clarke is a very good rider, but there is nothing to suggest he SHOULD have won the 2016 M-SR. Watch the race.). 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. Antoine Demoitie tragically died after being hit by a motorbike.