Tour de CA: Embarrasing & Frustrating!

[Skrawny]

I am watching a DVR of the live broadcast of stage 1 right now.

I was excited to watch this stage because it is in my neighborhood and I know every twist & turn they are racing on.

Unfortunately I have NEVER heard more lame announcers!
I hope none of you guys have to suffer through it too. Hopefully you won't be stuck with the local broadcasters.

Never mind the inane conversation ("Do they really hide behind each other like that?")

These guys have the wrong route!
They are announcing last year's route and saying they were going up Panoramic and over Mt Tam when they actually went up highway 1 and never went on Mt Tam. This is no small mistake, they were wrong for about 30 minutes.

They never mention the splits on the breakaway.
The one time they mentioned it, they GUESSED that it was about 50 seconds, when I knew that it was at least 5 minutes because I ride that road at least weekly. What am I going to do when they are on roads I don't know?

If these guys announce the rest of this race it is going to be a loooong week.
I will never again complain about Phil, Paul, Al and Bob.

-s

[regularguy412]

Use the link that AmerLin provided. It's Frankie Andreu. He knows his *****e. I watched the last hour and a half of Stage 1, there. Pretty good stuff.

Mike in AR

http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/docroot/tourtracker2008/AdobeTourTracker.html

[Skrawny]

Alas, you're lucky.
i want to take throw my shoe at the TV....

[davidlee]

IMHO , Andreu and Co. are just as bad as what Skrawny speaks of.
I had to turn the audio down and just watch the action.
They need Phil and Paul. BADLY.

[thinpin]

[QUOTE=davidlee]IMHO , Andreu and Co. are just as bad as what Skrawny speaks of.
I had to turn the audio down and just watch the action.
They need Phil and Paul. BADLY.[/QUOTE
I remember during Roche and Kellys peak the national Irish broadcaster started to show a lot of continental races inluding the big tours. They got a buffoon called Jimmy McGee to do the commentary on the tour one year instead of Phil Ligget. He was clearly incompetent and the gaff I loved best was during the early part of a stage a rider from one team passed a route card (pre radio days) to a guy on another team. "And there's the camaradarie of the tour", came the comment, "2 fellows exchanging phone numbers"

[AgilisMerlin]

whatever,

turn computer on www.amgentourofcalifornia.com at 2:00 and watch FREE TOC coverage with commentary............i actually like Andrueu.........

what is there to complain about.....................

is someone pissed off about paying for a feed with bad commentary......sorry

how about no coverage.....................a blurp in a cycling mag...... :crap:


seriously: you all want no coverage......................*** is everyone complaining about.......

must say........i disdain the month of February............more than anyother :D

and yet tomorrow, you will log in as usual.........and piss and moan about the commentary............sorry folks..........i just look at the riders spinning their cranks........try and recognize some faces.........and enjoy the spectacle........


Cipo as Presdient........

Cipo.............waiting for a straight sprintline............me thinks....

[SWorks4me]

I am with AgilisMerlin...think back 10 years ago. NO coverage, and don't EVEN think about live coverage.
Just watch the race...and shut up. :beer:

[AgilisMerlin]

in February, i misspell most forum typed words...........yo !

[davidlee]

Chill....
Just making light humor about the audio..
Like I said, IMHO, it detracts from watching it.
Its just an opinion
geeze

[chakatrain]

...to have something to complain about.

The vocal musings of Dave Towles was just about as annoying as a non-stop gatling gun at the Santa Rosa finishing line. I am grateful to have someting so wonderous to ***** about...it's a wonderful thing to have a race like the ToC in my hometown and it's fun to make fun of the idiotic rambling (though probably better than what I can do).

I'll probably ride up Mt. Hamilton (from San Jose side) to see the guys crest the tough climb. Look for me on an unpainted Legend Ti.

[regularguy412]

Mebbe I'm missing something, but I haven't figured out how to make the LiveTour video feed on the Adobe Flash thing larger. That's really my only complaint. I can deal with the Andreu-and-friend commentary. I just tune out the goofy part supplied by the 'play-by-play' guy and try to pick out the good info from Frankie. Otherwise,,I'm pretty pleased with it.

And you're right; 10 years ago there was no coverage. What about all those Red Zinger Classics that came and went with no coverage?

Mike in AR

[swoop]

Mebbe I'm missing something, but I haven't figured out how to make the LiveTour video feed on the Adobe Flash thing larger. That's really my only complaint. I can deal with the Andreu-and-friend commentary. I just tune out the goofy part supplied by the 'play-by-play' guy and try to pick out the good info from Frankie. Otherwise,,I'm pretty pleased with it.

And you're right; 10 years ago there was no coverage. What about all those Red Zinger Classics that came and went with no coverage?

Mike in AR

double click on the picture or hit the prompt for full screen on the top right. atmo.

[Michael Maddox]

Last night was the first time I've ever turned off a cycling broadcast in my entire life.

It felt like 30 seconds of "Here's a high shot from our 'ROCK CAM'...and here's a guy running. Oop! Women's criterium! Annnnnnd....they're done."

4 minutes of commercials.

Now, repeat.

I'm not picky when it comes to cycling coverage--ANY is fine with me--but the coverage last night didn't win any awards. A great race, but none of the shots felt close and personal; it didn't reveal how freakin' TOUGH it is to be a pro cyclist. I wanted to see some sweat, some gritty determination. There was NOTHING motivational about that coverage, nothing I wanted to watch while on the trainer. And that's a shame, considering the solo flyer that Stewart put on. That was a nice ride.

[Bill Bove]

I watched it for free on www.cycling.tv maybe it wasn't live but I didn't know what happened so it didn't matter to me. Commentary was O.K.

[regularguy412]

double click on the picture or hit the prompt for full screen on the top right. atmo.

Thanks Swoop. I'll try that. I 'did' right-click on the vid window, but there was no 'zoom' option showing in the menu that popped up.

I know what you mean, MMaddox. At one point, I thought the feed I was watching was gonna turn into that. At least this feed was using Moto 1 and Moto 2 cams, direct from the road, with only the occasional aerial shot. Frankie was pretty good at picking out the top riders. Only once, during the final hour and a half, did he not know who was attacking.

Mike in AR

[bzbvh5]

I agree with most of you. Too much talking and not enough racing. The Stewart breakaway was a non-event on TV. One segment he is in a group of 3, the next he is 12 minutes ahead at mile 59.

One of you mentioned riding up Mount Hamilton on Wednesday to see the race. Good luck and I wish I was there to do it with you.

I am from San Jose originally and it pains me how little the announcers or the people prompting them know about the area. My favorite one happened last night when they talk about Sausalito just across the Golden Gate Bridge with a very nice picture of the Bay Bridge on screen.

[pdxmech13]

the regulars were doing the commentating at 8 pct.
pretty lame coverage of Stewart.....that is one plan kit though.

[regularguy412]

the regulars were doing the commentating at 8 pct.
pretty lame coverage of Stewart.....that is one plan kit though.

I agree. I half expected to see the words "THIS SPACE FOR RENT', when he sat up as the group caught him. Mebbe their kit is not ready yet, cuz they don't have all the sponsors on board.

Mike in AR