Tour Down Under

[Dominic]

Following a conversation with Marek in the cafe today, the above starts tomorrow. Highlights are shown on Sky Sports 2 at 7.30pm. Apparently a certain Lance Armstrong is riding

[Jon C C on a Bianchi]

I'm pretty sure it's also on Cycling TV.

[Marek]

Race starts proper on Tuesday, today was just the criterium warm up which is not part of the event. Looks like it is on Cycling.tv but you need to have one of the packages to watch it.

Cheers

Marek....

[Nicolas]

Are the packages worth the money on cycling.tv? It seems most of the big stuff (classics...) are only available from the US.

[Jon C C on a Bianchi]

Hi Nick

I have premium and vuelta membership - it's a difficult call whether it's worth the money. I have to say just. I don't like the new (ish) website - it was very unreliable compared to the old - although to be fair it does seem to be getting better. There are times when you just want to smash the PC into tiny bits when the whole thing freezes just before the climax of a big stage race after you've sat and watched live for the last four boring hours!!! logging on at busy times can also be frustrating.

but there are times when it's been a godsend the only way i've been able to watch is via Cycling Tv highlights in the evening - what with Eurosport showing handball instead of the scheduled vuelta stage. and you do get to see some of the smaller races not covered by eurosport. all in all I've stuck with it for the last three yaers or so , so it can't be all bad

have fun

Jon

[Andrew G]

I used to have it when it was just a premium package but then they started slicing it up and you had to buy more and more. Also as you say a load of stuff can't be shown through a UK ISP. I also had it freezing all the time and found it a right pain to use. Very unreliable.

I have Eurosport which covers most I want but have found most others I want (or when the Eurosport schedule gets mucked about) [url]http://www.cyclingfans.com[/url] has saved the day. It provides links to sites that provide free streaming, and they also knock up viewers with say French Eurosport which is showing the race when the UK one isn't. I've found the links very good and the streams are generally very fluid and pretty freeze free.

[TimNick]

Used Cycling.TV last year with the Premium Package and will do again this year if it has the coverage of all the spring classics & semi classics - from Het Volk, Dwars, De Panne, E3 and FULL coverage of De Ronde - and let's face it it's worth it for that alone - coverage you can't get with Eurosport.

It's frustrating that Roubaix (the best!) is not included - guess it must be ASO/web rights issue as is free to air in France on France2. We usually go out to Lille every year and go to the velodrome to watch it 'arrive' and would highly recommend it to all if you haven't experienced it - beer, big screen an an earthy French Flandrian experience! Carrefour de l'Arbe is also easily accessible by local bus and a great spot for spotting pro's training on the Fri/Sat plus you can pop into the bar for a top beer. Last year also went onto Scheldeprijs in Schoten near Antwerp (Anvers) the week after which gives you a great beer, frites and cycling experience - didn't meet a single English bod and got to see Cav pip the 'home' favourite (Mr & Mrs Boonen sat a few yards way looking slightly glum)!

Anyhow good chance of all day coverage on Paris- Roubaix this year as it falls for the first time in about 8 years on Easter Sunday, which is the last time Eurosport carried the whole coverage from 1pmish (UK time) - famously the last really muddy one I think?! I hope so as for the first time in half a decade I'm unlikely to get out there (unless as a day return) as child number one is possibly arriving at that time! Possibly ride the cylosportive in 2010 - better start training now!

Coverage wise, makes you wonder whether with Sky's involvement in British Cycling and the growth of web TV it'll force Eurosport to up the ante so to speak with coverage or do a deal to carry on a lower Sky channel - the rights must be prety cheap compared to many sports rights? Aslong as we don't always get Liggett and Sherwin I'll be happy - bring on Harmon/Kelly and Emma Davies so we get some personality. Anyhow already prepared my video recorder to tape hours of some non-Britsh related tennis match when cycling was supposed to be on!

Finally, last years Tour Of California was free to air on the web on their own site and at a far better quality stream than Cycling.TV so let's hope thats the same again. Also the Giro had live coverage on the Gazetta delo Sport website last year and with the 'buffering' on the stream made the (possibly) 'assisted' leaders appear to cycle at human speeds even up the Zoncolan!

[Toks]

http://www.londoncyclesport.com/
have a link to nice little video highlights package

[Dombo]

[quote="Dominic"]Following a conversation with Marek in the cafe today, the above starts tomorrow. Highlights are shown on Sky Sports 2 at 7.30pm. Apparently a certain Lance Armstrong is riding