Tells us what cycling is coming up on TV....

[ColinJ]

I had my bicycle stolen from the school bike shed when I was 13 years old. That was me finished with cycling for 20 years...

It was watching the Ch4 TdF highlights shows in 1989 that got me interested in cycling again.

I am sure that the ITV4 highlights shows did the same for many other people. It is a great pity that they are no more!

 

[geocycle]

I had my bicycle stolen from the school bike shed when I was 13 years old. That was me finished with cycling for 20 years...

It was watching the Ch4 TdF highlights shows in 1989 that got me interested in cycling again.

I am sure that the ITV4 highlights shows did the same for many other people. It is a great pity that they are no more!

Yes, the best bits about the ITV4 highlights are not really related to the cycling commentary. It is a bit like how TMS cricket on the radio comes to the fore when it’s raining. Both have great and articulate presentation.

 

[Adam4868]

Les Champs-Elysées Paris 2025....a teary Bon Voyage from Millar and Boulting.

Can't wait....🤣

 

[mjr]

Les Champs-Elysées Paris 2025....a teary Bon Voyage from Millar and Boulting.

Can't wait....🤣

Hopefully only an » au revoir « until WB gets bored, or taken over yet again!

 

[matticus]

We could have had free to air coverage in the uk too from the EBU .
BUT ITV or any of the other uk broadcasters , didn’t bid for them . ☹️

It seems possible that a "guide price" was distributed, and ITV knew straight away it was too rich for them.

 

[matticus]

It seems to me that this thread is really only relevant for those who only watch one race a year, which is a bit like loving football but only watching the FA Cup final.
Anyone who watches the whole lot, or a percentage of it, the cyclo cross, mtb, the Tour of Romandie, Paris-Nice etc etc won't be much affected by no ITV.

Many of those people will only have had access to one race a year.

And shirley you'd get a fair bit of dicsussion if Roubaix was removed from the broadcast schedules. It's just about the Biggest Fish!

 

[mjr]

And shirley you'd get a fair bit of dicsussion if Roubaix was removed from the broadcast schedules It's just about the Biggest Fish!

Ironic given that itv4 will probably broacast "Monster Carp" instead!

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I suppose it all depends on the cost of getting the rights
costs of putting it all on

compared to the amount they can raise through the advertising slots

I presume the balance no longer works well enough

 

[Adam4868]

View: https://x.com/cyclingweekly/status/1879651120135778613?t=-vz-4ls-BTtN1_CqZHsccw&s=19

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

View: https://x.com/cyclingweekly/status/1879651120135778613?t=-vz-4ls-BTtN1_CqZHsccw&s=19

Thank the Gods for that!

 

[ColinJ]

Thank the Gods for that!

We are talking Eurosport highlights here...

"The riders have been riding hard for the first 160 km. A break has formed... [Some stuff happened since then. Mountains. Intermediate sprints etc, but we won't tell you about those...]... And this rider is riding to an unbelievable victory after a truly great solo effort. Watch him ride the last 20 km with a despondent peloton trailing 5 km back, having given up the chase! We might as well tell you about the church in that village because nothing else will happen now unless the rider crashes... And Cavendish wins a frantic bunch sprint!"

 

[Exlaser2]

Thank the Gods for that!

Not really news .
If it’s just Discovery highlights. They have been showing the Eurosport highlights program on Quest for years .
And that’s not great. As others have said for years all they did was show the last 20/30 miles with no info on what went earlier .
At least it’s a bit better now, you get some background and maybe even a little coverage before the final 30 miles But it’s still nowhere as good as the itv coverage.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Not really news .
If it’s just Discovery highlights. They have been showing the Eurosport highlights program on Quest for years .
And that’s not great. As others have said for years all they did was show the last 20/30 miles with no info on what went earlier .
At least it’s a bit better now, you get some background and maybe even a little coverage before the final 30 miles But it’s still nowhere as good as the itv coverage.

Yes - I like the Eurosport coverage when they do it properly

but ITV do it better

 

[geocycle]

Just watched the start of the women’s tour down under on the discovery app. There’s no highlights so have to flick through the 3h or so, but that’s ok. The main issue was they managed to have superimposed two commentaries for the build up. Not auspicious!

 

[Exlaser2]

Yes - I like the Eurosport coverage when they do it properly

but ITV do it better

Totally agree . In general I tend to watch Eurosport if am watching the Tour live and itv for the highlights.
UNLESS Carton Kirby is on coms. In which case it’s a pleasure to turn over to itv and listen to people who are actually talking about whats going on the the race and know who’s taking part in it .😂