Commonwealth Games MTB Finals (Stream & potential discussion content)

Good excuse for not going 29er – they look slow on TV!

Got around to watching some of the ladies race on iPlayer after getting back yesterday to see what we’d missed. Reckon Northwind is a little harsh but they could of shown a lot more of the technical sections with a little less helicopter. It’s fine for the TdF but a little annoying at an XC event.

The commentary was passable but some of the stuff was unintentionally hilarious imo. The constant references to the lefties, the comment about moving away from dérailleurs and how most recreational cyclists would be riding all mountain bikes and amazed at what the women could do on hard tails all made me chuckle.

Edit: Just noticed Matt’s last photo has me taking the same photo from a different angle in the background, nice 😀

I was at the event yesterday.

I really enjoyed it, brilliant atmosphere, watched the coverage in iPlayer later too, the course looked brilliant on TV. Really nice to see trails I’ve ridden so many times being tackled by the pros.

The event was really well run too, the organisers had done a great job of clearing the area around the trails so spectators had lots of places to watch from.

The only criticism I would make is around the ticketing. The tickets were “sold out” but you could turn up and watch it without a ticket? 90% of the course was accessible to people without a ticket so why bother ticketing? Either sell more tickets or don’t ticket it

Some of the commentary was a bit daft and dull but then I guess Rob Warner isn’t BBC approved!

It did look brilliant.

Are there any interviews with the racers giving their opinions of the course?

My opinion.

It looked great, the course, the racing, the riders, the bikes, the crowd and the coverage. Commentary was iffy but you cant have everything!
I’m half English, half Scottish and have lived 15 years in Wales but found myself cheering for Cooper from the start. He’s got some skills. No wonder he was so fresh for the sprit, he used half the energy that any of the others did to get through the tech sections!
The big disappointment for me was that Welsh Cycling sent no riders! Some big questions need asking there! Did they not know there was a MTB race happening?

The big disappointment for me was that Welsh Cycling sent no riders!

Yes that is poor,

Jersey sent 3!

The Welsh might not have had any realistic medal prospect but its only up the road. Lesotho managed to send 2 riders!

whatnobeer – Member

Reckon Northwind is a little harsh

I was talking about the short highlights thing they broadcast in the evening not the actual race coverage. Definitely not harsh, it was dire.

I was talking about the short highlights thing they broadcast in the evening not the actual race coverage. Definitely not harsh, it was dire.

Ah, sorry, missed that part of your post! Didn’t actually see the highlights. Real shame they didn’t show any of the interesting bits!

has anyone got a link to the womens race? All I can see is the mens on the iplayer website and all the links above go to the mens race.

nevermind, found it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/commonwealth-games/28262958

not on iplayer though so cant watch it on the TV 👿

If I had known yesterday I could attend without a ticket, I would have binned work and rode or walked up.

Was that only certain areas of the course that were ticketed, e.g. the grandstands?

I suspect that the ticketing was allocated more around the park and ride and access to the site, than what the site itself could cope with?

Anyway, the Commies are great so more than happy to cut the organisers some slack. The TT route runs close to my home so go Wiggo Millar!

Was that only certain areas of the course that were ticketed, e.g. the grandstands?

I suspect that the ticketing was allocated more around the park and ride and access to the site, than what the site itself could cope with?

I suspect that’s would of been the case. The start/finish area was ticketed, as were a couple of the other bigger features where they had big screens set up. I didn’t mind paying for the ticket but the site definitely could of held more people and suspect more people of gone if they’d known it was mostly free.

The only part of the organisation that I would criticise was the bike parking situation and the lack of information on where the actual entry place was. We rode up from East Kilbride and no one on that side seemed to know where we needed to go to get in. That and the bike parking was a fair walk from where the tickets were being swapped for wristbands. But otherwise they did a pretty good job.

could’ve!

talking to myself here but if anyone else is looking for it the womens is now up on iplayer.