Best of the Giro

by universalsports on Jun 2, 2009 12:45 PM EDT

If you missed any part of the Giro, you can still see every part of the race! Check out all the re-caps, interviews with Armstrong and Basso, Highlight of Menchov’s crash in the final stage, and much more all with links below.

Relive the Giro: http://www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=13044&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=23000&ATCLID=3734597

Menchov Crash in the Final Stage and Victory: http://www.universalsports.com/mediaPlayer/media.dbml?SPSID=105625&SPID=13044&DB_OEM_ID=23000&id=415956&sid=13044

Exclusive Lance Armstrong Interview: http://www.universalsports.com/mediaPlayer/media.dbml?SPSID=105625&SPID=13044&DB_OEM_ID=23000&id=415953&sid=13044

Interview with Basso: http://www.universalsports.com/mediaPlayer/media.dbml?SPSID=105625&SPID=13044&DB_OEM_ID=23000&id=414952&sid=13044

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thank you again, universal!

what a joy to have all that giro coverage!

by cg. on Jun 2, 2009 12:50 PM EDT reply actions

Yes thank you again for wonderful coverage throughout.

I really look forward to hopefully having Universal cover cycling more often in the future. Would love to see the Vuelta covered!

by ncmussell on Jun 2, 2009 1:12 PM EDT reply actions

Would be great.

by pigilito on Jun 3, 2009 8:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Schaaalaaangman a go-go!

Thank you!

by thisisntthezodiac on Jun 2, 2009 2:58 PM EDT reply actions

Geo-restricted?

by tedvdw on Jun 2, 2009 3:35 PM EDT reply actions

yeah, well, that's what raisport piu's for

"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind

by umwolverine on Jun 2, 2009 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions

We finally get free and live quality cycling coverage in the US of something other than the Tour.....

and you expect us to share it with the rest of the world? Oh no, this is all ours!

by Phil H. on Jun 2, 2009 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions

go to

cyclingfans.com

I had a working link every day (hope that continues) to Uni.

ES’ priorities are tennis, snooker and motorsports, though I heard they are sending 7 stages live this year from start to finish, but not sure about that.

by Bruce Suomi on Jun 3, 2009 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions

At the risk of sounding smug...

You were watching the eurosport feed each morning!! Technically it belongs to the euros and we are sharing! Don’t belive me – ask Mr Aisner..

http://www.podiumcafe.com/2009/5/18/879392/viewer-suggestions-for-universal

On a serious note – lobby hard for Universal to cooperate more with eurosport. As an outsider to this debate seems like the best way forward – loads of cycling coverage in that model.

Hopefully (for you) giro figures good for Universal and they go the extra yard.

by andrewp on Jun 2, 2009 4:50 PM EDT reply actions

Well Eurosport is getting the feed from RAI

so blah! :) And actually Eurosport geo-restricts its coverage which I hate because I love a lot of the stuff Eurosport broadcasts.

by Phil H. on Jun 2, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

You miss my point

ES gets feeds from many host broadcasters but still shows a shit load of cycling. That US hooked up with ES is GOOD.

ES has it’s faults. I pay for ES player, but this is 45 secs beind the live coverage and has a long way to go. I watched the giro via peer to peer on US and the coverrage was still ahead of my ES player – whats that about? Also insert tennis and motorsports at this point – re problems with ES.

US seem to have a trouble free platform (stage 8? – and seemingly unlike ctv!) and have made at least one deal with ES. Lobby they make many more.

by andrewp on Jun 2, 2009 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Strong work Universal Sports!

Much better than the usual CtV fare. Please keep it up.

"…I saw bloody Cavendish coming, really fast…"
HH

by ELVISGOAT on Jun 2, 2009 6:31 PM EDT reply actions

Congrats to Universal

for a strong entry into the big races. Next year: live TV! And the main announcing team to boot. They were terrific, although the morning web guy wasn’t bad.

Abruzziamo!

by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 2, 2009 8:10 PM EDT reply actions

I agree - great job Universal Sports. And all in 2 days prep time.

by ZoeRochelle on Jun 2, 2009 9:40 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks for the coverage

Please expand your coverage to include other cycling events.

When I'm on the mic, I'm like global warming, you can't ignore me.

by tehGrindCrusher on Jun 3, 2009 8:53 AM EDT reply actions

Yes, many thanks!

In my household we watched online and on TV, and tell your sponsors we also drank milk and watched the Cervelo videos at bartape.net. Haven’t got a Road ID yet, but you can’t have everything.

My husband also digs your marathon and tri coverage, but perhaps you could make room for more cycling? Table tennis isn’t really our thing, if it’s on the bubble.

Looking forward to your Philly coverage!

Hugs,
majope & family

Long day--bad grammar. That's the way it works.--Lance Armstrong

by majope on Jun 3, 2009 9:19 AM EDT reply actions

online was okay, much better w/o flash (imo)... you need better announcers

universal sports television needs to expand to more markets and to do live race coverage (w/o all the commercials… one of the great disappointments about versus’s tour de france coverage)

all, in all, i’d give it about a 3 out of 10

btw, flash is not the best format for live video streaming

"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind

by umwolverine on Jun 3, 2009 9:57 AM EDT reply actions

Flash is fine

It’s just a container format. The video that’s inside can have all different sorts of encoding, good or bad. At least Flash is ‘de facto’ cross-platform. What do you think is better?

by tedvdw on Jun 3, 2009 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions

much better than a 3, IMO

I’d give US at least a 5.

Live coverage
Minimal commercials on TV
No stupid cutesy fluff pieces
Passable commentary on-line
Decent commentary on TV

My suggestions:

Better quality feed for TV
Live coverage on TV
Better commentary staff
Avoid the NBC penchant for showing “Human Interest” stories instead of the actual event. NBC has killed Olympic coverage in the US.

But, considering this is their first attempt at covering a Grand Tour, I think US did an admirable job. Hopefully the powers-that-be at CTV and Versus took notice.

by johnw on Jun 3, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions

a 3 or a 5? compared to what?

I may sound old school when I say we are lucky to have this coverage at all…it has been documented around here what we had in the past: CBS/ABC hour long vinnette’s of the tour and maybe PR in a lucky year. ESPN 1/2 recaps at 2:30 in the AM and then the dreaded Outdoor Life/VS stuff and then pirated RAI/ES over the web etc to cycling.tv…all vast improvements over the last (except cycling.tv sometimes)…

To call this a 3 or even a 5 seems rather juvenile to me. Universal could be better, but not by much. Constructive criticism is what is needed. The last thing we need is for Universal to reverse their decision because of lack of support from the only community that will ever care that this stuff available not to mention live. Cycling is still, and always will be, a fringe spectator sport in the US. Its not like 6 hour long races are really that exciting to watch, especially sprint stages…(there is the argument about how boring american football is to watch but I won’t go there here).

The point about not being in more markets is generally not the channels specific issue – it is the cable companies decision based on demographics, saturation and what they are willing to pay based on their total line-up. Sure the channel itself sets the ultimate price, but they have to cover their costs – generally specialty cable companies are not rolling in the dough. Feed quality comes directly from the Giro or event not the re-broadcaster. As for commentary, what is your comparison? there are only a few good teams (english speaking) out there Euro and Cycling.tv…

Please support this and other attempts to bring better live cycling coverage not be typical whiny roadies – you can save that for your campy/shimano battles.

by humbug1 on Jun 4, 2009 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I also could not find much to complain about.

Slightly higher resolution would make it easier to figure out who’s who, but I have no idea what resolution feed they are getting from RAI, so that may be out of their hands.

I was so thrilled to wake up expecting to turn on the computer and watch a stage, feeling fairly secure that I’d see it from start to finish. Having it for free was even better.

I would like to see a “click to pay $5 to keep free access on the web” (kinda like a cross between donor supported public radio/television and pay-per-view). I suspect part of the problem with CTV lies with their sign-in process. Anything that requires a subscription requires a gate, and it also challenges some people to try to crack the system. Between sign-in crud and whatever difficulties are caused by back-door access, things can get unreliable, fast. So I’d rather toss in a few bucks at the time of my choice, if that would help keep this option going.

by JFS_PGH on Jun 5, 2009 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions