SPOILERS - TDF Femmes Avec Swift

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by NHAero

I'm watching on Peacock. Commentators are Anthony McCrossan and a former woman pro who I have not been above to identify.

And once I do identify her, my wife and I will boycott any/every event she serves as commentator on. Insuffereably difficult to listen to! She prattles on and on without saying anything of substance...and yet, unlike most other overly-loquacious commentators who prattle on and on, she also seems genuinely reluctant to say anything! It is absolutely painful to listen to her speak.

Though we were amused by her sotto voce question to Anthony "Am I allowed to say 'butt'?" during the ITT.


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[Edit: it might be Tanja Erath?]

[NHAero]

Puck!
Kasia goes too early….

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

And once I do identify her, my wife and I will boycott any/every event she serves as commentator on. Insuffereably difficult to listen to! She prattles on and on without saying anything of substance...and yet, unlike most other overly-loquacious commentators who prattle on and on, she also seems genuinely reluctant to say anything! It is absolutely painful to listen to her speak.

Though we were amused by her sotto voce question to Anthony "Am I allowed to say 'butt'?" during the ITT.


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[Edit: it might be Tanja Erath?]

You could always just pay attention to the race instead. Your choice

[72gmc]

I’m giving Tanja some grace. I have a little experience in a broadcast co-host role and it’s not easy. She’s probably way overthinking how to edit her statements for a broad audience. She’ll figure it out.

Look at Laurie Hernandez from Olympic gymnastics coverage—she started out uncomfortable, but she’s found a way to be interesting and still a total insider nerd and audiences love her.

[NHAero]

I think she's doing a better than OK job.
Together she and McCrossan are way ahead of the Liggett/Roll duo in my ears. I've only been watching these races the past few years, so I don’t have the history many of you have with Phil/Paul/Bob.

Can Puck climb? How are Kristen's legs gonna be?

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by NHAero

Stage 4 has wet roads. Chloe Dygert seems to have had a minor crash and once back up has a wobble from overcooking a corner. Stay vertical, Chloe, rubber side down!

Dygert is quickly becoming the Enric Mas of Primoz's Roglic for women's peloton.

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by NHAero

Puck!
Kasia goes too early….

Going too early is the only way she knows how to go.

[nooneline]

Originally Posted by prototoast

Going too early is the only way she knows how to go.

She knows she can't outsprint the other two - at least she rolled the dice to see if she can catch them looking at each other. set Puck up perfectly, too!

[Big Dan]

I think Tanja is doing great.
A new voice with some recent experiences riding the peloton.

[reuben]

Originally Posted by NHAero

I think she's doing a better than OK job.
Together she and McCrossan are way ahead of the Liggett/Roll duo in my ears. I've only been watching these races the past few years, so I don’t have the history many of you have with Phil/Paul/Bob.

Can Puck climb? How are Kristen's legs gonna be?

I like McCrossan, but he won't hesitate to interrupt or shout over his fellow commentors. I've heard him shout out exactly what the other commentator said just a second or two ago. His knowledge and enthusiasm are great, but...

On the other hand, I'm ecstatic to be streaming this stuff live across an ocean, after going to the college library to read one paragraph about a TdF stage 48 hours after the fact, and waiting for Winning Bicycle Racing Illustrated to land in my mailbox once per month.

First world problem and all that.

And as I used to tell my grumbling/whining coworkers from time to time - "Criticism is easy. Doing it yourself is hard." It was very rare that any of them rose up to try and accomplish the job of the person they were criticizing, and even rarer that they succeeded.

"It can't be that hard."
"OK, you do it."
"Oh no, it's not my job!"
"I can make it your job."
silence

[weisan]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

And once I do identify her, my wife and I will boycott any/every event she serves as commentator on. Insuffereably difficult to listen to!

First of all, are we talking about the same female commentator here?
Anthony McCrossan & Tanja Erath.

If yes, it's this kind of comments that I read all day long on the paceline that constantly reminds me of the fact that this world that we live in is huge and diverse. There will always be people who love PIZZA but hate chinese food or vice versa.

It's perfectly ok to have different opinions. What becomes not ok is when people start acting agressively and/or out of character because of difference in opinions and I have seen perfectly normal and average people react violently when someone press their buttons the wrong way or touch on a raw nerve. It can happen to you, nobody is above reproach.

We all contribute in some ways to the noise and disharmony happening around us daily - the key is to acknowledge the role we play in it, and do something about it.

[cuda]

Originally Posted by NHAero

Puck!
Kasia goes too early….

Great finish! well deserved win + QOM and best young rider jersey. By far my favorite rider to watch. Road, XC, CX. She rides with so much heart and grit.

[NHAero]

Originally Posted by cuda

Great finish! well deserved win + QOM and best young rider jersey. By far my favorite rider to watch. Road, XC, CX. She rides with so much heart and grit.

Now I have a split fandom - Puck and Kristen!

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by charliedid

You could always just pay attention to the race instead. Your choice

Sorry, a multi-team peloton is simply too much of an undifferentiated mass for me to be able to follow who is doing what at any given moment without audio commentary.

I can deal with Phil Liggett misidentifying a rider so long as he gets corrected in time for me to make the connection...ah, so that's Wojahowitz in the purple jersey, got it! but I have zero ability to recognize any of the athletes (except the yellow jersey...usually) by sight without a little help.

So engaging commentary is critical to my enjoyment of the sport. Otherwise, why would I bother watching other people ride bikes on TV when I could be outside riding my bike?

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

Sorry, a multi-team peloton is simply too much of an undifferentiated mass for me to be able to follow who is doing what at any given moment without audio commentary.

I can deal with Phil Liggett misidentifying a rider so long as he gets corrected in time for me to make the connection...ah, so that's Wojahowitz in the purple jersey, got it! but I have zero ability to recognize any of the athletes (except the yellow jersey...usually) by sight without a little help.

So engaging commentary is critical to my enjoyment of the sport. Otherwise, why would I bother watching other people ride bikes on TV when I could be outside riding my bike?

I get it. I have the volume low and also have Tour Tracker open which is a live feed. I'm also able to tune out and compartmentalize it all.

http://live.thetourtracker.com