La Vuelta, Has anyone been watching?

[don compton]

I have been watching the Vuelta on Universal and the racing has been spectacular.

[Elefantino]

Me. Watching on Eurosport trying to get work done most days.

Love a 27-degree hill...

[bikser]

My wife just discovered yesterday that we now have Universal Sports, so I watched the 9th stage. I'll be recording it from here on out. You get spoiled with the VS HD coverage, but its still cool the see the 3rd Grand Tour. Climbs are looking tough.

[retrofit]

Watching it online via Eurosport links while preparing breakfast and lunch for our son. The commnetary is a bit dry (miss Phil and Paul), but what the héll, its pro cycling. :)

[tiretrax]

Do you miss Phil miscalling the race and talking over Paul, while Paul is either ultra polite or a doormat? I think we are so used to them from VS that we overlook most of the BS, although I don't think anyone overlooked Phil calling an African rider "colored". I wonder if that made Paul cringe since he's an African.

Whenever I watched a race on Eurosport via the web, I've always had to listen to it in a language I don't speak. Is there an english language version?

[harlond]

I'm following it, and it has been great racing. How about that Chris Froome? The way he climbed yesterday and the way he rode in the ITT, he could be a contender.

[JMerring]

another watcher here. and as an african myself, a big chapeau to mr. froome. here's hoping he can hang on.

obviously, it's great to be able to watch the year's final grand tour, each day, live.

however, as has been said before, universal's presentation sucks. hugely. granted, it may not be all their fault. but still, from picture quality, to sound quality, to announcer quality, they have a long ways to go. i know there are lots of phil and paul haters out there, but i stand by the following: they're among the best commentating duo in all of professional sports, gaffes and warts and all. bob's grown on me, too (even sort of miss the good 'ol "tour day france").

[Bruce K]

I hate to say it but I was more interested in the USPCC. Roads I've ridden and riders I am more familiar with.

I don't mind Phil and Paul. It's kind of like Cosell was on MNF, you take the quriks because in the end it's informative and entertaining.

Other than Taylor Phinney's first grand tour, there wasn't a lot that grabbed my attention early on for the Vuelta. That, plus if I were to try and watch too much cycling my wife would not be a happy camper.

Maybe this week I'll find the coverage...

BK

[Elefantino]

Watching it online via Eurosport links while preparing breakfast and lunch for our son. The commnetary is a bit dry (miss Phil and Paul), but what the héll, its pro cycling. :)
Listen to Harmon and Kelly (or Harmon and Smith) for a while and you'll begin to learn things you didn't know instead of hearing the same Phil-and-Paul-Bingo phrases over and over and over and over and over and over.

Then again, I'm biased because I am a total Eurosport cycling junkie. I even like Carlton Kirby.

[don compton]

I hate to say it but I was more interested in the USPCC. Roads I've ridden and riders I am more familiar with.

I don't mind Phil and Paul. It's kind of like Cosell was on MNF, you take the quriks because in the end it's informative and entertaining.

Other than Taylor Phinney's first grand tour, there wasn't a lot that grabbed my attention early on for the Vuelta. That, plus if I were to try and watch too much cycling my wife would not be a happy camper.

Maybe this week I'll find the coverage...

BK
I enjoyed the fact that pro tour stage racing has been brought back to the U.S., but the racing was very boring. I can appreciate that few Americans are familiar with many of the European stars. Bottom line, the Vuelta is an incredibly competitive event. I just get tired of a "GC" contender getting a small lead and having his team protect him for the final stages( i.e. UPSCC ).
Over the long history of cycling, the stars were explosive when it mattered. I know that Levi took off up a hill in one of the UPSCC stages, but the main competitors never seriously prepared for the altitude in Colorado. I guess they needed an American to win the first year.
On another note, the Coor's classic was a much more competitive race and had Hinault, Lemond, Hampsten and many other big names. In terms of level of riders, the Coor's Classic far surpassed the UPSCC.
Don C.

[firerescuefin]

.

[jlwdm]

...
On another note, the Coor's classic was a much more competitive race and had Hinault, Lemond, Hampsten and many other big names. In terms of level of riders, the Coor's Classic far surpassed the UPSCC.
Don C.

I would say the Coors was a big race the year the World Road Race was in Colorado Springs - not every year. Big US race though.

Jeff

[FlashUNC]

Listen to Harmon and Kelly (or Harmon and Smith) for a while and you'll begin to learn things you didn't know instead of hearing the same Phil-and-Paul-Bingo phrases over and over and over and over and over and over.

Then again, I'm biased because I am a total Eurosport cycling junkie. I even like Carlton Kirby.

I'd love to hear Sean Kelly just ramble on extemporaneously about cycling for 3 hours at a clip. I'd buy tickets to hear that.

[oldpotatoe]

Do you miss Phil miscalling the race and talking over Paul, while Paul is either ultra polite or a doormat? I think we are so used to them from VS that we overlook most of the BS, although I don't think anyone overlooked Phil calling an African rider "colored". I wonder if that made Paul cringe since he's an African.

Whenever I watched a race on Eurosport via the web, I've always had to listen to it in a language I don't speak. Is there an english language version?

Paul is 'colored' too, he's pink mostly.

[Idris Icabod]

Paul is 'colored' too, he's pink mostly.

Since he is English, I think he is actually 'coloured'.

[Uncle Jam's Army]

I am in decidedly the opposite camp, as I believe TG and SS do a much better job of commentating than either Phil or Paul (and their go-to "turning himself inside out" "suitcase of courage" "all over bar the shouting" phrases, or, the new "lit the blue touch paper" phrase they broke out at this year's TdF). Yesterday's TT, for example, TG was able to spot the guys struggling with form and critique exactly what was wrong with it (Mollema, for example). You don't get that level of specificity from Phil or Paul.

As for picture quality, it sure beat the heck out of VS's picture quality of the USPCC, which always broke up at key points in the mountain stages. Now that was maddening. But, I have to admit, picture quality is not really high on my list of priorities for a televised bike race.

[dana_e]

drilling it was cool to watch

he is something