there must be some big commercial reason why the “incumbents” get to stay in that commentary seat

Liggett & Sherwin seem to sit in a caravan and get a feed provided by ASO (maybe they have every camera not just the director’s cut), must cost big bucks and limited availability so it’s shared across networks.

Boardman & Imlach are in a tent (nearly a non-tent if this weather continues) and seem to only have the director’s cut, same as us. Must be a lot cheaper but I bet they’re not allowed by contract to commentate through the race.

If i have any choice at all I avoid ITV. One of the choices is to not watch it al all.

Luckily I have Eurosport and the ability to pause, so usually no ads

Kwiatkowski and Martin on the break… hmm interesting 🙂

Rodriguez takes the first big top of the day. Definitely looks like he intends to take the spotty jumper.

Pictures on big tv from ITV4, audio from tablet on eurosport. Waldorf and Statler make my blood boil. I think they have the English speaking commentary contract, hence all the Americanisms like “traffic circle’.

and Bertie has tumbled, big shake up

bertie’s come off

Still not back on the bike 😕

Looks like a bad one. Knee, ankle maybe?

not back on the bike yet 🙁

peloton are all sat up

peloton are all sat up

I’m sure Astana won’t attack but I doubt they’ll make it easy for him to get back on.

changing his shoes …..

I’m no fan of AC but I hope it’s not too bad – never good to see riders come off.

Losing lots of time,will they wait for him?

and he’s back on the bike! Come on Bertie, it’s going to be boring without you …..

He’s back on… doesn’t look happy. 4 mins down on Nibali group.

4 minutes, there is waiting and there is not racing off really.

Not a chance. He’s not a jersey holder.

lots of brake adjustment going on there …..

Where’s his team? Sticky mechanic time!

They are reporting a snapped frame

I’m reckoning either an abandon or he will just be going for stage wins now. Ending the day 6-7 mins down on Nibali should put him out of contention.

Sabotage?

Peloton sat up (slightly)! FFS let’s not have a race decided by crashes :-/

If he carries on I reckon he’ll get back on to the peloton them but they are not going to make it easy for him to do so.

Ligget and Sherwen do the comentary for NBC Sports (the US broadcaster who shows the tour) and the comentary is sydicated by ITV and SBS (Austrailian broadcaster).

When NBC aren’t boardcasting live at the start of stages Ligget and Sherwne are talking so ITV need someone to fill in. They use the presenters that are already on the tour. This is also one of the reasons for all the breaks on ITV as the comenators are taking their lead from the US comercial schedule. When ITV haven’t sold enough ads for all the breaks this is when they cut back to the studio for comment from Imlach and Boardman.

Cost probably isn’t reason ITV buy the NBC comenarty. 2 comentators for 2 weeks wouldn’t cost that much. It’s more that Ligget and Sherwen are the “voice of cycling” so people expect to hear their voice, they probably cost more that just paying say Rob Hatch and Matt Stephens even though those two would be infinitely better.

snapped frame wtf?! This is Bertie’s bike, not some 15stone biffer!. Hope he gets back on for the sake of racing.

If he makes contact I reckon it will be like that annoying group who just wait until you get there and grab some food then **** off fast as they can.

Nearly 10mins down, If it was Nibali who had the off would Contador attack, trying to think of an instance. Didn’t he attack Schleck when he missed a gear which is different I suppose.

Nearly 10mins down, If it was Nibali who had the off would Contador attack, trying to think of an instance. Didn’t he attack Schleck when he missed a gear which is different I suppose.

He did indeed, though claims otherwise.

I reckon Astana will be slowly cranking up the watts, just enough to make it a bit hard for him 🙂

Frame snap consequence of the crash or cause of the crash?

Hmm Contador really not happy.

Astana will still need to keep Kwiatkowski in check.

It’s a bit of a conundrum. As has been pointed out, he’s not a jersey holder so there’s no official unofficial rule to say that they should wait but clearly if they don’t it will be perceived as unsporting.

I’ll bet Astana are praying that one of the French teams (Roland would be a likely candidate on past form…) decides it’ll live with the consequences against the benefit of a win on Bastille Day and go on the attack, ‘forcing’ Astana to chase…

In fact, given Vino at the helm, a man who I don’t believe understands that the word ‘ethics’ even exists, I’d say he’s probably on the phone to the French teams offering to pay them to attack…

Forgotten about Kwiatkowski, be a great excuse for Astana to press on.

Dropped chain but yeah, he said he didn’t notice despite the 2010 Schleck go backwards more like the 2014 Schleck. I didn’t believe that and I don’t see why they don’t push on as I’m sure Alberto would.

If that big red patch in the middle of his back isn’t an undershirt sticking through then he’s a mess.

Schleck dropped a chain whilst launching an attack from behind on contador, completely different scenario.
Anyway, losing an attacking GC contender would be to the detriment of the race whether you like Bertie or not.

whoa.

keep the updates coming – this place is my only link

FFS let’s not have a race decided by crashes :-/

… pretty much the whole race so far has been dictated by crashes 😕

Contador seems to be going well now.

Martin is digging in and pushing for the Jersey for his team mate so Astana are going to have to do something.

Astana have to chase as Kwaitkowski is up the road. It’s nothing to do with the Contador crash.

@jfletch thx

It’s more that Ligget and Sherwen are the “voice of cycling” so people expect to hear their voice

I guess there’s a chance for ITV to break that cycle. They have better alternatives lined up, regular viewers seem to mostly dislike L&S (at least going by opinions here), casual viewers probably don’t really care.

Nibali should attack now he could regret it otherwise as Contador has already made back a couple of minutes.