Was it just me or did they just miss out the last 500m of the stage? Cut straight from just inside the 1km mark to about 100m to go!

I cannot watch it. Hugh Porter is just too dreadful.

But the conditions were perfect for racing!

LOL @ British racing conditions.

Did you see that bloke get drenched by his own team car 😀

Did you see that bloke get drenched by his own team car

Brilliant.

Nice to see the Manx Express win again, eh?

Hough Porter is Alan Partridge

Bradley Wiggins very much in demand for appearances. How do you balance that with training and racing. But I’m sure if there is a free beer envolved he’ll be there…..

I may have missed it but did they explain or show how the peloton split?? Kind of a big deal for the race overall, yet it was hardly mentioned and didn’t even show the main field coming in to the finish.

Good days racing though and nice to see pro’s racing in proper conditions

They sais the split was down the wind, so yes they mentioned it….

OP – yes, I was thinking exactly the same thing… they went from a helicopter shot where it seem like cav might have been caught out once again and slipped back to fifth(certainly the leading riders were strung out in a line – but given the 20 seconds they were behind a massive building it could have been anyone :roll:) to suddenly final stages of sprint and he was ahead of several others who where either side and pretty close to him (though from the angle they could have been behind a bit, zoom lens looking right down the road. Poor editing certainly, but makes me suspect they didn’t get the shots to fill that gap.

Fantastic move by Bradley to close that challenge though, and great how the team knew what was going on, think I saw him give some kind of a sign, they must practice stuff like that loads.

The advert breaks seemingly every 10 minutes do my head in.More adverts than racing.

Just when we wanted to see the finish they cut to the helicopter 😐

I’m sure Hugh’s a lovely old bloke but it’s time for someone new.

Bradley Wiggins very much in demand for appearances. How do you balance that with training and racing. But I’m sure if there is a free beer envolved he’ll be there…..

I think it was rob hayles who made the beer joke in response to hugh.

There was a very uncomfortable silence for a bit though.

It’s a shame the coverage is so hit and miss. You would think they would try and get some better interviews with the riders as well. At least it is getting some coverage, just could be a bit better quality.

why does Hugh Porter insist on calling Cav the “Manx Express” ?

It was like that live too.
Basically, I think we saw it all, but the finish line was much closer than you expected.
They should have had a better camera placement for the finish, but it was crap, so they stayed with the helicopter longer than usual.

Hugh Porter is so bad he actually makes me wish that the Lance apologist was commentating. At least Rob Hayles is on the ball.

because he is in the train… but when i hear that i think where would the manx express go? Douglas to erm … Douglas? And the Trams are hardly bullet trains are they:-)

Even the boss was ranting at the helicopter footage last night. they really did balls up the sprint.
they don’t seem to be able to keep a camera bike at the front either. we keep on getting shots of the back of the pack. Its not the alps we don’t need to see whos hurting.

Highlights are a bit irritating, ads etc. I’m recording it Live on Sunday’s stage, mainly because it’s my neck of the woods, anyone Surrey STW-ers going? Goes through Holmbury and Leith.

I may have missed it but did they explain or show how the peloton split??

I was thinking the same. Had about five minutes of looking at the peleton and wondering why it was so weeny before it sunk into my addled brain that they’d dropped two thirds of it. We never saw those poor folk again, or got any news on the time various riders had lost. Were any of the GC contenders in there?

Agreed on Hugh Porter & I do find the fact that we call him the Manx Express others call him the Manx Missile annoying, just call him Cav & be done with it, he doesn’t need all the media labels

I like Ned though, he’s getting better & better on the cycling stuff. Doesnt take himself or it too seriously. Enjoyed his book too

It is a real shame that the quality of UK commentators is so inconsistent, across various sports. Hugh Porter is virtually unlistenable. As said, Liggett’s Lance comments are poor but at least you can forgive him when he’s commentating, as he’s enthusiastic, in the same way Murray Walker was.

we call him the Manx Express

I thought it was just Hugh Porter that called him that. Perhaps I owe Hugh an apology for my sarky comment above.

Can’t stand Liggett, Harmon and Kelly for me.

I cannot watch it. Hugh Porter is just too dreadful.

+1 He just doesn’t understand it at all.
Rob “erm” Hayles clearly knows what he’s going on about and would be decent if he managed to stop saying “erm” every other word.

Overall, it makes you appreciate how well the TDF and Vuelta coverage is put together.

The highlight shows for these events really need a bit longer when you add in the advert breaks. A 2 hr evening show is more like it.

It’s been such a great summer of cycling on the tv. ITV4 should be congratulated for everything it has done this year, including the cycle show, which really did improve, they need to keep it up.

Bring back the city centre cycling and get some mountain biking and cyclo cross on too. Also some decent BMX as the olympic stuff was great to watch.

Needs some Boardman or perhaps for the slightly left field approach some Obree on the mike?

2 hours of Hugh Porter would have me taking up golf.

Slippy isn’t a word!

The highlight shows for these events really need a bit longer when you add in the advert breaks. A 2 hr evening show is more like it.

Seriously? Who can dedicate 2hrs every evening for a week to watching blokes pedaling bikes where nothing really happens until the last 20km?

40 mins if you fast forward the ads seems about right to me.

Unfortunately, without the ads it’s unlikely we would have the programme 🙁 As has been noted above, the production is relatively low budget but at least ITV(4) are covering “our” sport and, hopefully, the more that cycling is included in their programming, the more professional they will get in producing the shows.

Jfletch, may time for you to take up golf.

If the world could be powered my moaning stw **** heeds then this place would be world class and solve the worlds problems in one go!!!

Itv 4 stick loads of cycling on the tv and all folk on here can do is complain.

Some of the folk on here are a joke.

😥

Itv 4 stick loads of cycling Hugh Porter on the tv and all folk on here can do is complain.

FTFY

What is wrong with most of you lot, there’s a primetime programme dedicated to a cycle race (which ranks a 2.1 on the European Tour Circuit) in what has been the best year I know of for British cycling.

It does nothing to harm the sport and everything to promote it.

I really can’t see ITV4 or any other Channel showing full coverage of wha is basically the equivalent of a low ranking football competition, now can you?

Itv 4 stick loads of cycling on the tv and all folk on here can do is complain.

Their coverage of most things this year has been good, though the images available are down to the TV production team rather than the broadcasting channel. The coverage of the ToB has seemed amateur in parts by comparison. They’re obviously on a budget with the number of available cameras (3 moto, one feature and a heli); it’s just a shame that most of the poor direction has happened near the finish line.

In fairness its the national broadcaster who throws together the feed. So for the TdF its likely a big french sports channel or someone wityh money because its taken really seriously over there so loads of cameras etc.

Less so for a smallish national tour in only its 9th year. Obviously viewing figures are good though, as yesterday there was a helicopter and I don’t think there was on the previous days which implies they’re are able to spend more. It is for this reason I am willing to sit through all the god awful adverts (i have never watchs as many ads as I have this year, and honestly believe it could be damaging my brain).

unklehomered

Hard disc recorder……….

Or ABP extension for Firefox.

No it’s not quite up to TDF standards but then no-one’s been take out by a press car yet. Swings and roundabouts.