[just some guy]

If you go back and watch old cycling documentaries or some of the race footage in our classic Race footage section cycling footage has not changed much in 50 years, sure we have HD and beautiful shots from helicopters but the basic structure is the same.

Recently the UCI asked us about TV coverage and with the technologies we have available today surely we could have a change.

2 years ago we had some footage from team cars everyone loved it, but still not a normal everyday race event, we could have all sorts of things to add to the entertainment......

what are you ideas ? what would you like to see?

To get the ball rolling have a read of the this - Op-ed: Cycling TV needs a big change for the sport to survive 

[just some guy]

I would like to see

On board camera´s

Sound from the peloton - especially in sprint stages

All cars miked up and race radio´s kept

Watts , heart rate information on certain riders on screen all information available

[Arb]

Choose your own camera.

More fixed cameras at key points on mountains.

GPS checkpoints at regular intervals on mountains.

[froome19]

I think if WSC/Sky or whatever it is called succeeds then cycling on TV will get a big jackup.

[just some guy]

I think if WSC/Sky or whatever it is called succeeds then cycling on TV will get a big jackup.

maybe but what do you want to see ?

[just some guy]

one more for my list constant comms from a moto -

[Dim]

Call me weird, but as far as the actual cinematography goes I love it how it is, I love the occasional picture breakup, or the motorbikes struggling to keep up with riders on descents, thats the way it used to be and still is.. love it.

That said, there is room for huge development in the technical and information side of things.
Onscreen timings, all the time, accurate, but not just to the chasing group or peloton.. on mountains stages i want to know how far behind the grupetto is and what the cutoff time is etc.

Possibly team car footage, possible coverage of the radio chatter

[Slow Rider]

Video and sound from the team cars would be a first priority imo, loved it when Ronde van Vlaanderen did that a couple of years ago. Camera's on the bikes of some riders could also be great, I'd love a Cancellara-cam during a descent.

Cycling could mostly make far more use of the internet. Second screens are very common in programs where it has little to no added value, while in sports it could really help yet isn't applied. A tablet app or even just a website that provides alternative images from different motors, constant updates on the gaps and names of riders in the break, perhaps a twitter feed... A lot of information could be provided through such a system.

Oh, and some kind of tracking system on the riders. I think Sporza would love to show us where exactly in the peloton Boonen is in the run-in to the Arenberg. But also to show where in the peloton riders are during a sprint, what the current and average speeds of riders are, etc. All that information could also be available through internet, so that fans can follow the location and speed of their favourite rider.

[LukasCPH]

To get the ball rolling have a read of the this - Op-ed: Cycling TV needs a big change for the sport to survive

I understand their points. But I would under no circumstances be part of the target audience for a post-produced "highlights" package. It worked in the 80s for the Tour in the US for several reasons: Europe was many hours away, and the stages were run at an inconvenient time for US live audiences; and people couldn't get updates of just about everything just about everywhere as they can now, in the days of internet, mobiles, tablets and whatnot (none of this existed in the 80s).

While Europe is still many hours away, watching a "highlights package" just isn't the same if you already know the outcome. And although I see how this could work in the US, bringing cycling into more Americans' homes, I'm happy that I'm in Europe, where cycling is very much a live sport on TV.

For the big races, many channels have "pre-game" and "post-game" sections in the same way that the US have it for their national sports (probably not even on that scale). On the day of the Ronde, there's cycling on Sporza from 9 am to 6 pm, almost uninterrupted.
First the write-in in Brugge, the start, then some discussions and interviews in the studio, usually with some riders not doing the race (focusing on other races, or sick/injured), and finally a live broadcast of 4 hours or more. After that, "breathless racers posturing for post-race interviews", the podium ceremony, and finally an analysis of the race with ex-riders, DSs, one or two from the top-10, and finally the winner making his appearance as well.
Of course that's an extreme example, but more or less it's the same for the most important races in other countries as well.

For me, cycling is not only about the big moments of action; it's about the suspense waiting for them (be it the final sprint, the decisive hill in a classic or the inevitable attack by a yellow jersey contender to make up time) just as much. And when they come, of course I want to see the big moments. But I don't want to get them served on a platter, pre-chewed and ready to swallow.
To my (almost) final point: Especially in stage races, the stories they apparently are so desperate to tell in their "reality sports drama TV" (that sounds more horrible every time I read it) are already told, and very well so. Voeckler's fight against all odds in last year's Tour couldn't have been scripted more beautifully than it came to pass (especially for a French audience), and the pre- and post-game broadcasts can and do tell all these small and interesting stories already.

Finally, yes, there are a lot of "boring" stages. Today's stage in Paris-Nice was one; the bunch sprint was expected from the moment the stage was planned, and it inevitable came. But even so, there was some unexpected action in the final with the Boonen group losing contact (didn't see how that happened). And a mass sprint is in itself one of the best moments of cycling: Normally there are a couple of favourites, but it doesn't always come as expected.
And even though I know that much of the cycling that's broadcast isn't especially exciting, I watch it anyway. Hoping for those special days when the race is on from the first minute against all odds (the 2011 Galibier-Alpe stage is a prime example), for the torrential weather that turns an otherwise unaspiring race into an epic (2010 KBK, and the Giro stage to Montalcino that same year), or simply a marvellous race (2011 Ronde van Vlaanderen).

[search]

no idea if this is the right thread, but anyway...

RAI - CICLISMO 2015

looks like there will be no live coverage for the Giro del Trentino this year again

Spoiler (hover to show)

but there's a new stage race called "Giro del Delfinato"

...seriously, I had to google that

[just some guy]

https://twitter.com/inrng/status/572683889426235392

and 0 min of the womens shown live and 3 min on a news footage reel

[DB-Coop]

https://twitter.com/inrng/status/572683889426235392

and 0 min of the womens shown live and 3 min on a news footage reel

If there was a market for womens cycling it would be on. There does not seem to be great interest though. If that is a good or bad thing is still in the air though.

[just some guy]

If there was a market for womens cycling it would be on. There does not seem to be great interest though. If that is a good or bad thing is still in the air though.

How would anyone know if there is a market there or not , serious question

How would you show a fat male suit in a TV station he can make money from showing some womens cycling?

[DB-Coop]

How would anyone know if there is a market there or not , serious question

How would you show a fat male suit in a TV station he can make money from showing some womens cycling?

You could do screening for it, having people watching a race and check their reaction, this is done for a lot of TV shows before they ever air. Or you could do a large scale test by simply having a race be covered on TV and see what the viewership is like. Lastly you could if you are advertising financed approach companies and see what kind of money they would pay for ad space for such a race.
I saw a commentator on danish tv state in relation to the idea of having a womens TdF run before the mens that one of the main problems facing this would be that the pre-race coverage for the mens race would have higher ratings than the womens race, and that the TV stations would prefer running this instead. Of cause this doesn't mean that it is a bad idea to do the race, they would just have to shift it so that this race would be able to end before pre-race coverage of mens, and they could take advantage of TdF hype. If one wants to promote womens cycling this is a great idea imo, as it would perhaps open a viewer group for other races. But basically the way to get it on TV is to build either a sponsorship group with special interest in the races, or to build a viewer group big enough that general sponsors will be interested.

[just some guy]

You could do screening for it, having people watching a race and check their reaction, this is done for a lot of TV shows before they ever air. Or you could do a large scale test by simply having a race be covered on TV and see what the viewership is like. Lastly you could if you are advertising financed approach companies and see what kind of money they would pay for ad space for such a race.
I saw a commentator on danish tv state in relation to the idea of having a womens TdF run before the mens that one of the main problems facing this would be that the pre-race coverage for the mens race would have higher ratings than the womens race, and that the TV stations would prefer running this instead. Of cause this doesn't mean that it is a bad idea to do the race, they would just have to shift it so that this race would be able to end before pre-race coverage of mens, and they could take advantage of TdF hype. If one wants to promote womens cycling this is a great idea imo, as it would perhaps open a viewer group for other races. But basically the way to get it on TV is to build either a sponsorship group with special interest in the races, or to build a viewer group big enough that general sponsors will be interested.

I think the screening idea would be great and the best, the TDF for women before the Men bad idea on many levels

TBH I think the Women sould have a GT in the US on at this time of the year.

Last hours shown 21.00 ish Euro time , be my idea

I think the sponsorship angle is what the UCI is working on, but this is probably the slow burner idea as it take the longest but maybe the best way forward Business plan way ???

[Vimto]

I think this post is going to be really unpopular but I just don't understand jsg's argument at the moment and I need help to understand.

I'm confused because I saw the multiple tweets complaining about voxwomen being by women for women. At this precise moment in time, I can't see a problem with that because by men for men and women is barely happening. I think OHN shows that.

That may change in the future, but I don't think voxwomen is alienating anyone in the here and now. And if that's what's needed to get things going, then that can't be a bad thing....

[just some guy]

I think this post is going to be really unpopular but I just don't understand jsg's argument at the moment and I need help to understand.

I'm confused because I saw the multiple tweets complaining about voxwomen being by women for women. At this precise moment in time, I can't see a problem with that because by men for men and women is barely happening. I think OHN shows that.

That may change in the future, but I don't think voxwomen is alienating anyone in the here and now. And if that's what's needed to get things going, then that can't be a bad thing....

But why make a thing about it

why not just be 3 women doing womens cycling stuff

Maybe even say

people who a passionate about Womens cycling producing the 1st ever Womens cycling Channel

so that included everyone

FWIW Ella has done a similar thing

and it also becomes something about the people running it , and less about the women who should be the stars

A bit like Cookson saying look what I have done for Womens cycling Tracey is here

I don´t like the fact that a person sex becomes the point not what they do or are as a person I think if we had more Tracey types and less Brain and Pat types cycling would be better off

By to fix 1 discrimination you can´+t do it by positively discriminating - casue it is discrimination smartest way forward in inclusive IMHO

plus I ranted maybe a bit much the other day

[just some guy]

How's this for brilliant news  1sty time a womens stage race has been shown live on TV and yes we are in 2015 in case you thought we time travelled back to 1973 

Watch the entire #EWT15 #LIVE on #TV and #internet! #UCI#women #cycling #webstream energiewachttour.nl/index.php/en/n… @PodiumTVnl pic.twitter.com/mRi1E9PU53

https://twitter.com/ewachttour/status/577725977851256833

[cj2002]

I'll make two points.

1, re: women's cycling "not having a market".

The Women's Tour of Britain, last year, was designed by Sweetspot not to be a direct equivalent of the men's race, visiting the same places, but with the women's teams in mind. It was based around the east of England so that the teams - many based in Belgium or northern France - could easily transport their equipment. And it proved to be a great success.

And it was a success not just from a racing perspective, but also judging by the crowds who gathered by the roadsides and the audiences who watched on terrestrial TV in the UK.

Women's cycling will never grow if we keep the same loop of delegation - the sponsor won't give money because there is no TV coverage, the TV won't cover races because "there's no market", and the market doesn't grow because there isn't money or sponsorship. Someone has to make the first move.

And as the Women's Tour showed, if you build it, they will come and they will watch and they will love it.

2, re: how we can improve cycling coverage.

I'm sure this has popped up here already, but inrng tweeted a link to this footage of Sam Dumoulin in the Drome Classic, with power, speed and cadence graphic live on screen.



 It might seem like a gimmick, but it wouldn't have to be there all the time, and it gives some interesting talking points. Imagine seeing Froome vs. Contador on Ventoux, with their different power outputs and cadences side by side?

F1 often put up rev-counters, speed, throttle/brake graphics at certain points during the race. In fact, cycling could probably learn a lot from F1's graphics - because, like cycling, without them we would have very little clue what was happening.

[just some guy]

Great post CJ

agree with both points

[Leadbelly]

The increase in graphics wouldn't do much for me I think (and funnily enough I don't watch F1  ). If there's money to spend on that sort of stuff, spend it on getting accurate time gap info or even an extra camera bike, and wouldn't it remove something from the sport by no longer having to have the camera man looking over the driver's shoulder to see the motorbike's speedometer on a downhill?

[just some guy]

https://twitter.com/8aldwin/status/578514430088101888

[cj2002]

67% Tour de France.

Echoes will explode...

[just some guy]

This is what we should have on our Tv´s

[stereojet]

That would be sweet.

[just some guy]

https://twitter.com/Velorooms/status/779366403715559424

[Leadbelly]

https://twitter.com/inrng/status/824382522159230976

...or should that be cycling not on TV.

I'm sure they'll come to some sort of agreement.

Although I have Sky and thus Eurosport, I can't actually remember the last time I watched a bike race on TV. I prefer having multiple streams up on the computer, so you can switch about to avoid ads and of course I don't have to listen to Carlton all the time. Since I still have the subscription though, it doesn't feel as if I'm doing anything too dodgy.

[Joelsim]

If that happens I'll get ES Player and a Chromecast.

Sky TV subscription will be stopped.