carlton kirby leaves eurosport carlton kirby leaves eurosport

We cant do that when hes at his house and Im at mine. Eurosports commentator Carlton Kirby has called hundreds of races throughout his career, both on-site and from the studio. But I do allow people to believe Im always on-site. My Ultimate Commuter, rebuilding her at the moment, everything external. If she wins so does everyone else. To cycling fans, Carlton Kirby's voice has become synonymous with the sport, having become an integral part of British Eurosport's race coverage. Well over a 1000 signatories on that petition now. I think you need to be a specialist to be a cycling commentator, yet he covers several sports on Eurosport. join Outside+. Exactly - and if you had any insight into professional riding and experience actually being a pro like Sean Kelly or Rob Hayles - you wouldnt struggle to find commentary. Well, Kirby says, when its all out action on the road its very easy the problem comes on longtransition stages. What is his cycling background ? Antoine Demoitie tragically died after being hit by a motorbike. Some of which have been admitted, some of which weren't. Tom Owen vents his fury after cycling blogger highlights verbal abuse on Box Hill, Geraint Thomas returns as domestique in experienced nine-man line-up, Summit finishes dominate opening fortnight with potentially pivotal time trial in final week, The best of the gear that's dropped into RCUK over the last couple of weeks, One carbon bike and two alloy models for 2016 'cross campaign from Chain Reaction Cycles' in-house bike brand. Would like to cancel eurosport but it's the only way to watch the classics (legitimately at least). Are you sure? Kirby has more than two decades as a. 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. We have seen far too much of it - near collisions as much as actual collisions over the past few years. Next time you watch, ask yourself how many of his critiques are aimed against non-Anglophone riders. Most races have one unit but the Tour de France has four double-decker units. Its quite nice at the Tour de France that we have a roadbook and a history book of everything were going through. A mile from home, looked behind me, moved to the centre of the lane, stuck my arm out to turn right, got Editorial, general: info [at] road.cc When Kirby explains the difficult process of commentating on cycling, and the concerns he has, one might want to know how much of that impacts him. As we reported at the time, the six-time Olympic champion tweeted that he had been on a Sunday bike ride with his son when they were almost run over by a van driver who drove at us, then proceeded to angrily inform me it was my fault we nearly died.. I had almost no idea what was going on or who was where. Tel 01225 588855. I usually increase the pace especially on a sprint day to match the peloton, Kirby admits. We have a quiet conversation about who is going to win today. They only received compensation a couple of years later. Hosted by Duncan Steer Carlton Kirby's Cycling Lock-In Radio Days Events Sports NOV 24, 2021 London live show preview! Yes Harmon is okay and like I said - at least he does his homework on the teams and riders and hangs on every word uttered by Sean Kellyas though he is keen to learn the professional circuit. -"Looks like shit. 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. From dealing with the never-ending frenzy of action, and incessant radio announcements, to having to tackle the director. 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. What you are talking about is a place in history. 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. Even once the race itself is over, and the post-analysis is done, theres a second race to get away from the finish line. But it was here he developed the ability to call a sprint. I like Carlton too, not as much as Harmon, granted, but I've given up on him coming back. When youre on-site, even though youre there, youre still watching a monitor, Kirby says. The road curved, but it was nothing to concern one's self with. Eurosport's lead cycling commentator Carlton Kirby presents a weekly guide to everything that's NOT happening in the sport . The unrelenting, inane chatter (did any of us want to know that his wife had their third child by caesarean section? Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions. Whether they be dusty in the summer or wet in the winter, motorcycles are far too dangerous and get far too close to the bikes. It was a dreadfully high price to pay in my opinion to high but the suffering couldnt go on. You take yourself to the studio, call up your procyclingstats.com, do your research online. VN:What do you talk about differently when youre in the studio? Also, I would say many of his criticisms are unfair and/or cruel. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. During a sprint stage, every turn is important, and sometimes Ill walk the final approach with [commentator] Sean Kelly, and there will be no need to even take notes, because hell just say, Oh, this will be shit. You can read an off-camber turn when youre standing on it, and see the attack points when youre going up and down a mountain. if many people would do this via twitter it could at least give a sign. And I said: Because I asked him! I asked him at breakfast, because when youre on-site, you can talk to the riders. Eurosport will never get rid of Carlton Kirby, he receives so much fan-mail that it will far out way any negative feedback they get from him. You might remember an 'interpretive spinning' vid doing the rounds on social media a few weeks ago. We've asked Colnago for more details but they just shrugged their shoulders in reply. You are calling the race as you see it on the screen. You have entered an incorrect email address! ADDITIONAL: 13/4/21 - Some have said that this petition is 'cruel', but if you're in the public eye then you are open to criticism of your professional abilities - or are we now not allowed to criticise the abilities of authors, actors, sports people, musicians, etc.? "Beware everybody, he is well and truly back!" yelled Carlton Kirby on Eurosport commentary. I've decided and bought a '21 Revolt which is nigh on identical in stack and reach to the Defy, only differences being a slacker front end and Well if you ever go to Chesterfield you will be called "youth" however old you are. And, one can understand the enthusiasm that has kept him going despite the setbacks and even criticism from people. Bridport cycles. As just one example, the long list of criticisms he has levelled at Thibault Pinot. Essentially, there needs to be some sort of schooling or protocol coming from the International Cycling Union that has a proficiency test for these guys. The commentary line-up will include regular voices Rob Hatch and Carlton Kirby, who will also joined by cycling legend Sean Kelly at all three major races. Anyone but dreary Declan Quigley please! 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. All of this stuff adds to the vrit of the broadcast, and its stuff you cannot get in a studio in London. Advertising, commercial: sales [at] road.cc or maybe you,re a relative ?? His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled togethera few hundred quidoff the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought hisfirst road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadlypinched a few years later. 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? 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. Being on the site always gives you extra material which makes the commentating so natural and energetic. I think people will appreciate what were trying to deal with. Personally I think Harmon and Brian Smith are the best team. Its not something thats learned, or something you can prepare for. 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. 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. Brian Smith is very good and I feel for him having to listen to Kirby's dumbfounding comments. JavaScript is disabled. It was almost featureless and the riders would not engage in it at all. If it goes on for two or three years, then people will notice because the freshness of what is in our heads will ebb. Not much love for Eurosport commentator Carlton Kirby amongst the Team Sky ranks it seems Air pollution: London mother launches petition for second inquest into daughter''s death, Jason Kenny recounts last months near miss on BBC TV, Yoann Offredo's condition described as not life-threatening after GP de Denain crash, Telegraph article suggests "Littering cyclists and joggers could be to blame for countryside rubbish problem", Jeremy Vine's latest unpleasant encounter, 'Youths on pedal cycles' help Wednesfield Police catch thief, Best Cycling Website, BikeBiz Awards 2018, Tao Geoghehan Hart (picture copyright Simon Wilkinson, SWPix.com via Britishcycling.org_.uk), "Looks like shit. 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. Thats when it down to you and not the riders.. Carlton Kirby discusses the art of commentary, says thank you to those who enjoy listening to him. Cavendish swept to his second win at the Tour of Turkey with another . Info-wise, being on-site is amazing.. As well as sports commentary his voiceover work includes corporate videos and feature films as well as radio and television advertising. It doesnt take much accomplishment to understand what Kirby is referring to. If its one of those days where its going to end in a sprint and you need to cover 240km, then its gonna be a bit of a drag. Ive been up the Galibier. It is all kinds of stuff. Id love to see this Eurosport commentator substantiate even 1% of the outrageous claims he makes. 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. 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. To my mind, the motorcycles are the most dangerous because they have the least ability to stop. Copyright 2015-2022 ProCyclingUK - All rights Reserved, 2024 Womens WorldTour Promotion/Relegation Standings, Commentating on cycling is not like snooker or tennis, says Carlton Kirby, Demi Vollering wins Strade Bianche from teammate Kopecky. The commentators day doesnt juststart when the racing does, with research and planning underwayas soon as breakfast is taken. I think it is just individual race directors who decide who gets to ride these bikes. On the last Vuelta a Espaa, Tinkhoff threatened to pull his team out because two of his riders - one of whom is Peter Sagan - were hit by vehicles. Ive just turned Catalunya on and hes already come out with I think he fell victim to his agent, so now hes at x team. London live show preview! How much longer do the cycling public have to suffer the idiotic commentary from Carlton Kirby ?? Theres an awful lot of distractions to keep on top of, so if you happen to be looking at your notes when somebody has a moment and you dont see it, its not your fault., Kirby laughs. What blasphemy is this? I'm not sure if they have forgotten about the rule, or if it was always just advisory. Not that itsa straightforward drive to the finish at the Tour, as Kirby explains. The best thing you can do is relax, in my opinion, Kirby explains about going live on air. Tech, reviews: tech [at] road.cc Im a bit annoyed at myself because I lost my temper at the time. If you don't like something, how else can you change it - by saying nothing? His Grand National, Murray Walker shouting in the last 2 kilometres really is unbelievable. There have always been deaths since the early 1900s from vehicle-related incidents. You can do that by clicking one of these links - TAKES 30 SECONDS: https://help.eurosport.com/hc/en-gb/requests/new, https://help.globalcyclingnetwork.com/hc/en-gb/requests. I could paint the Galibier and Ventoux and even some of the rarer mountains by memory. For me, Carlton is the perfect commentator for the 'early shift' on long, flat grand tour stages. Thanks to all who have signed. He came off the corner leading, it was a right hand to the finish in Villars-les-Dombes. And his constant er, er, erms.. all the time were extremely irritating. That is exactly what has happened now. You sit there, its often quite quiet, and you get brought an exotic meal like a guacamole sandwich. 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. I often moan about Kirby myself, but I don't. 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. He inspires such devotion that he has his own fan club, yet also is on the receiving end of a petition to get him sacked. Eurosport's lead cycling commentator's weekly guide to what's not going on in cycling during the lockdown. Fully agree Kirby is the most irritable commentator ever. We caught up with Kirby to learn what is gained for the telecast. Set the scene for us. (Clarke is a very good rider, but there is nothing to suggest he SHOULD have won the 2016 M-SR. Watch the race.). We dont want this man commentating. I can walk or drive the technical approach to the finish, which is gold. It is not just the press core looking for pictures for the following day. From wrestling with sound walls, coping with dropped audio, working with Sean Kelly and deciphering the Kirby CODEC, we caught up with Kirby midway through the raceto getan insight into life on Tour as a commentator. I have - again - sent this to Eurosport (23/2/23, with 1,871 signatures - and 1,400 people taking the time to comment!). I don't think much does get through to him, I really wish it did. I remember being impressed during the Giro at his ability to identify riders. Apologies it's in super annoying meme form (we couldn't find the originalsource) but this is too good not too share! After my tweet he at least toned that down. He said from the rider's perspective, motorbikes get far too close to the race. All of that is avoidable if you have the right distance and the right protocol in place. The youngsters were congratulated by the force on Twitter, as they helped chase down a thief who had stolen over 300 worth of goods. Kirby is a shockingly bad commentator, but Harmon is not much better. Astonishingly though, a single stage of the Tour de France lasts for about more than six hours. "Commentating on cycling is not like snooker or tennis," Carlton Kirby tells Betway in a recent interview, one of the principal commentators for Eurosport's cycling coverage, who has served in the sport since 1996. The word count for me at the end is almost blurred.. It is irretrievable. As you say, he doesn't shout unnecessarily either. 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. For no reason. Minutes later, Sean Kelly points out that Padun is 'not getting around the corners well not comfortable whatsoever on the descent'. When Cavendish won again on stage 14, Kittel just fell to pieces emotionally. In the early 1990's he became a freelance commentator. Kittel threw his arms up in the air, and lost not only first place, but second, third and fourth..winding up in fifth because of his complaints. It just stays online forever. With very little data being sent to them, and some pretty bad camerawork they have made a good fist of the event in Spain. 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. You also get a guy filming on the one side of a cyclist, who is then blocking the rider from turning at the right angle into a corner because a motorbike is blocking him. Le point sur la situation de Yoann Offredo. Wow, all this over a commentator, so Kirby sees a Quickstep rider and mistakes it for Voeckler - that's funny, it's engaging! The actual bones of the job are quite similar. More often than not they slip into commentary which is at best nationalistic, and at worst xenophobic. From the Eurosports studios in London, covering the tour is not the same as waiting at the finish line. I am very sorry but he is just nowhere near the standards of messrs. Liggett, Boulting, Miller and Hatch. You can get every picture you need from in front of the peloton. Continuing our discussion of 2020's cancelled/postponed races continues, Eurosport bon viveur Carlton Kirby discusses why riding up Swiss mountains is easier than riding up French mountains; villages accessible only by ladder; the world's highest lighthouse; 70s balladeer Gilbert O'Sullivan; human . The headline does anyway, while the sources in the article cover a few different potential causes. He is thinking Champs Elysees. Its that melting pot of information that you get on-site. and clearly was totally clueless. 2023 Eurosport, a Warner Bros. That doesnt portend his job has not become a whole lot harder. You cant please everybody and as a commentator thats something you have to get to grips with. Its the constant attempts at humour, then the giggling at his own in-jokes that has me reaching for the mute button. Especially on the downhill runs which is a crazy situation. 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. I speak no language other than English. 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. VN:What difference will people notice in this years Tour broadcast from a normal year, when you and your team are on-site? But try explaining that to Cycling Weekly and their letters column.. It is guys sitting on a motorbike who pull up alongside a cyclist and say 'how are you doing?'. Please tell your friends: Ive read so many negative comments about Kirby that unlike most online petitions this one could work. 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. It is really sad when you see the consequences of that. The atmosphere fills up with buzz from moment to moment that enthusiasm pushes the words out of the heart. I think there seems to be a bad feeling against cyclists and its really strange because theyre only people, he continued. He also never tells you who the riders on screen are - and if he does, he's usually wrong. You have got to be kidding! It is all clearly not set in stone at the moment, and I hope that I'm not going to have some sharp intake of breath moments on commentary just because bikes are needlessly endangering the lives of cyclists. For every Nicolas Roche or Steve Cummings great characters, totally locked down there are some savage bastards out there, and we love them all. De Gendt, ganador de la primera etapa de la Volta 2019. Tao Geoghegan Hart (@taogeoghegan) March 25, 2019. Harmon's attitude can best be described as 'wogs begin at Calais'. CK:As a commentator, you dont have a great deal of contact with the riders. They have produced some merchandise like cycling caps and badges, they get together at Carltons events. And anybody who has watched one unfold on TV will recognise the frantic speed of the commentary as the race reaches its climax. Its the press guys we see more, because of the mechanics of the day. No ! Among an awful lot of distractions, as Carlton Kirby explains, commentating on cycling is an arduous process. It is not general knowledge, and it should be. That should have been alarm bells for everyone. After moving to 30 Tour de France stage wins with four rousing victories that has shattered Marcel Kittel on this year's Tour, Eurosport's voice of cycling Carlton Kirby tells Desmond Kane why he . The Tour forces us to have dinner. Kittel is not a broken man, but his supremacy has tumbled because Mark Cavendish has only gone and won four stages here. For god's sake grow up the man's just doing his job some of it good, some of it bad Is it my imagination or has there been more talk about commentators than cycling on here recently?