Re: Cycling 2016
Universal's Vuelta commentary was horrible with Paul and Roll on the commentary, they also did the Tour of Britain as well.
I know. They absolutely destroyed any excitement for me about what was probably the best grand tour of the year.
And the Tour of Britain. A few years ago when Universal Sports covered it for the first time, they used a pair of the Eurosport comentators, Rob Hatch I think and maybe Brian Smith(?). And it was great, because being Brits, they knew the landscape, the traditions, the routes, and the riders riding for the small British pro teams that got invited, and were invariably in breakaways every day. So they were able to tell us stuff about them, their careers, and their teams, that had you rooting for them and their squads. With Paul and Bob, and I think Gogo and Shlanger last year, if you weren't a member of the big pro squads, you didn't get mentioned.
So there's be a break with five or six young British riders, and maybe one or two low level Pro Tour teams, and all they would talk about was the Pro Tour guys. It was like the other guys didn't even exist.
I haven't watched my recordings of the Tour of Britain yet, but I can imagine it is probably pretty much the same as when Schlanger and Gogo did it, endless yammering about Pro Tour domestiques, and nothing about anyone who isn't a member of those teams, other than "the Chain Reaction rider" or what have you. I like watching riders from teams I've never heard of, or barely hear of. I love watching like Wanty Group, or Topsport riders in the spring classics. I like to learn more about them and their teams, and the history of the races they're riding in. Watching him at Topsport the past couple years made me a fan of Edward Theuns. Still wish he rode for them instead of the friggin' Trek team.
The Eurosport guys know these things. Phil, Paul, Schlanger, Gogo, Roll and CVdV don't. Or if they do, they don't bother to pass it on to us. Instead they spout cliches like "pain locker" and "suitcase of courage". Over and over and over again.
They are tiresome.