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Sep 2023
9:15pm, 19 Sep 2023
42,699 posts
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SPR
These days Kirby doesn't frustrate me much but I agree that it's best he doesn't call the end of a race.
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Sep 2023
10:33pm, 19 Sep 2023
14,524 posts
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Dave W
Each to their own then. I just don’t think he adds one iota to the coverage. His commentary is chaotic at best and shambolic at worst and he might as well not bother telling us who he thinks a particular rider is because I’ve never known him to be right. Ever.
But other than that he’s great.
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Sep 2023
10:21am, 20 Sep 2023
26,994 posts
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TROSaracen
'Never known him to be right. Ever.'
Crikey, hell of a claim.....
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Sep 2023
10:33am, 20 Sep 2023
22,034 posts
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larkim
The most irritating thing I find is his "Well it could be Joe Bloggs from UAE, or even Joe Smith from Astana or Joe Turner from Ineos, but what about Joe Davies form Burgos or Joe Jones from Jumbo today" where any sane person knows that the favourite is "Steve Stevenson". It's as if he just has a list of rider names and reads them out without any thought. And actually I suspect he does do some and probably is actually not badly informed. Mind you, commentating from a room in London on a race elsewhere does make it difficult.
He's also done LeMans in the past I believe. Not heard him on anything other than cycling or LeMans, but similar sort of long form race requiring some sort of pretty active commentary. Fewer peaks and troughs though in the action there.
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Sep 2023
10:49am, 20 Sep 2023
42,702 posts
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SPR
He has been right because he pretty much claims everything could happen.
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Sep 2023
10:58am, 20 Sep 2023
2,886 posts
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Big_G
TRO, I saw that claim and laughed 
I think it’s clear he’s excited about cycling, still, after all these years. Often with a few km to go you can hear him ‘ooohing’ and ‘ahhing’ when his colleague is talking. Or when someone blows on a climb, you can hear him go ‘oooph’. I like that he’s excited and it brings something to it, for me. I’m sure he’s got some great stories from over the years travelling about. Regarding missing riders sometimes, I think that is at least partly down to the coverage. Vuelta coverage wasn’t great at the intermediate sprints for example, so if he can’t see what happened he can’t really call it all the time. For me, the grand tours are more than just the racing and I think he captures something about the overall spectacle.
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Sep 2023
11:05am, 20 Sep 2023
42,703 posts
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SPR
Steve Cram is excited about athletics, it's not really exceptional if you're a fan of the sport.
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Sep 2023
11:06am, 20 Sep 2023
23,879 posts
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Meglet
I haven’t been quite so annoyed by him, but I’ve generally been watching the highlights. What’s clear is that he rarely summarises what’s going on, eg doesn’t name the riders in a break, so if you’re not following closely it’s difficult to pick up.
Noticeable last night when I got my partner to watch the end of the last stage and he thought Kaden Groves came from the peloton catching the break.
But when you’re used to watching the ITV coverage with Millar’s excellent insights into team racing, and Ned’s uncanny ability to pick the winner on the line from a front-on shot there is a definite change in quality! I have no idea how Ned picks out every rider and what’s going on in the frenzy of a bunch sprint, but he is so good at it.
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Sep 2023
11:07am, 20 Sep 2023
2,887 posts
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Big_G
I know. But, for me, it brings something to it. Dan Lloyd is clearly a fan of the sport as is Sean Kelly. But their personalities don’t often allow them to get all that excited, in my view. Or maybe they are getting excited, but (to me) not in the same way.
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Sep 2023
11:09am, 20 Sep 2023
14,535 posts
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Dave W
Glad you all enjoy it 😁.
And even a busted watch is right twice a day.
Just annoys me when they have Dan Lloyd and Adam Blythe available and they go to Kirby for the important bits.
But won’t denigrated him any further. We will just have to continue to watch with the sound off. And that’s better than nothing.
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