# Pro Cycling Challenge - Virtually Unwatchable



## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

I got fed up with watching this race. Video feed keeps freezing up. An embarassment for the USA. Bring in the French video crews.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

AlanE said:


> I got fed up with watching this race. Video feed keeps freezing up. An embarassment for the USA. Bring in the French video crews.


come on, seeing a bunch of skis in Aspen is awesome


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

wow. touchy about the feeds here. elevation and weather has a lot to do with it. along with eth rugged terra.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

AlanE said:


> I got fed up with watching this race. Video feed keeps freezing up. An embarassment for the USA. Bring in the French video crews.


Versus coverage is awful. Last night I missed the end because the time went over--today I hear they totally skip the Cottonwood segment. Shack Tour Tracker is a lot better, but they still are having the same issues with the video.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

weltyed said:


> wow. touchy about the feeds here. elevation and weather has a lot to do with it. along with eth rugged terra.


bottom line: the feed was sh!t. how are you getting people to see cycling that way? 
are afternoon rain showers a surprise in aspen in august?


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

den bakker said:


> bottom line: the feed was sh!t. how are you getting people to see cycling that way?
> are afternoon rain showers a surprise in aspen in august?


Feed was shite yesterday also and it was bone dry. They really blew what should have been video of some spectacular scenery.


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## mtrider05 (Aug 8, 2009)

They showed about 30 seconds of Cottonwood today, disappointing.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

mtrider05 said:


> They showed about 30 seconds of Cottonwood today, disappointing.


They showed the whole thing on The Shack Tracker as well as the runup to the dirt pass so the video exists. Versus was too cheap to buy it most likely.


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## mtrider05 (Aug 8, 2009)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> They showed the whole thing on The Shack Tracker as well as the runup to the dirt pass so the video exists. Versus was too cheap to buy it most likely.


Really? I'll have to start watching on there. Today is bad signal wise, every time something important happens it freezes.


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

weltyed said:


> wow. touchy about the feeds here. elevation and weather has a lot to do with it. along with eth rugged terra.


Not touchy - just say'n. 

What does elevation have to do with it? Is video equipment affected by barometric pressure?

The weather wasn't so bad. The video froze up even in sunny conditions.

What does rugged terrain have to do with it? Is video equipment affected by boulders?


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## PDex (Mar 23, 2004)

It does seem like Amateur Hour.


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## foofighter (Dec 19, 2008)

i think it has to do w/ FAA regulations and flying in inclement weather and the feeds being messed up due to the rain. It would have been really good to see where a certain someone got dropped on the descent. I'm just happy i can watch the tour tracker at work as you dont get the pure feed like that on the versus broadcast


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## givethepigeye (Aug 23, 2009)

^ should not have been a "surprise" and a work around developed - it is really pretty bad.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

i agree, not seeing cottonwood sucked. in a stage where there are only two climbs, and both are monsters, you think they would have planned to show more of the race. esecially when they played up this stage so much.

but the picture feed is another issue. elevation plays a part in that the airtraffic height is restricted. during the tour they can fly extremely close to the ground. i doubt the faa would allow that. 

they did have a workaround, but i wish they would have maybe shown more of cottonwood in that time rather than the regular "wrap up" package they play at the end of each stage. i imagine they will roll more of the stage than "behind the scenes" during tomorrows lead-in show.


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## EDUC8-or (Jan 2, 2009)

Over sparsely populated areas there is no minimum altitude but must stay at least 500' from any person, vehicle, or structure. As far as bad weather is concerned the helicopters can fly around, but there are minimum safe altitudes required that are around 16000' in the areas the race was today if they're operating in the clouds.


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## givethepigeye (Aug 23, 2009)

Id rather just have it air @ 8ET and have the video from the motorbikes et al edited together rather than endure the transmission freezes. Was looking forward to today's stage.


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## Tumbleweed (Jun 6, 2005)

den bakker said:


> come on, seeing a bunch of skis in Aspen is awesome


True that; Polska women are hot!


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## superjesus (Jul 26, 2010)

I can accept (somewhat) the poor video feeds, but it would be nice if Versus would air the race during prime time. All week it's been some ungodly dog challenge and I have to wait until 10 or 11 pm for an hour of cycling.

Versus, please get your act together. If you're gonna pay for Phil and Paul at least give them a stage to do their thing.

I know. I know. Get a DVR. How am I supposed to afford carbon everything if I have to blow my money on a tour tracker or a DVR?


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## budmol3 (Dec 7, 2008)

The people supplying the feed for the TDF seem to be capable and they have to be to satisfy the European market, the coverage of races in the USA is on a much lower level and in this case has proven unacceptable to many viewers, including me. It would be nice to have Dish explain to me why I should keep paying them over $100 a month to watch this crap.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

wow... and here I am marveling at the tech, thinking how back in the day we'd find out about the race via VeloNews, delivered on paper, weeks later.


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## The Weasel (Jul 20, 2006)

weltyed said:


> wow. touchy about the feeds here. elevation and weather has a lot to do with it. along with eth rugged terra.


Lots of problems for Stage 1 and the weather was fine, lower elevation. They gotta do something. It's aggravating.


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## johnlink (Jun 12, 2010)

In addition to the fubar video, I'm also annoyed by the noisy rock music mixed way too loud behind some of Phil's commentary.


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## pedalruns (Dec 18, 2002)

And to think... I dvr'ed the stage of frozen video.. I should have just read CN or something...


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## johnlink (Jun 12, 2010)

pedalruns said:


> And to think... I dvr'ed the stage of frozen video..


Don't you need another coaster?


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## vipergts (Aug 18, 2011)

The coverage has been atrocious. Every single time you have an attack on the front the feed chops up and freezes. Helicopter yesterday had to leave because of ice on its wings and we missed the group catch the columbian. Hopefully they learn from this first year and rectify it for next year but its looks like this year will be a wash in terms of coverage.


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

> In addition to the fubar video, I'm also annoyed by the noisy rock music mixed way too loud behind some of Phil's commentary.


It really is amazingly annoying. After yesterday, I won't even bother to try to watch it on Versus.


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## penn_rider (Jul 11, 2009)

vipergts said:


> The coverage has been atrocious. Every single time you have an attack on the front the feed chops up and freezes. Helicopter yesterday had to leave because of ice on its wings and we missed the group catch the columbian. Hopefully they learn from this first year and rectify it for next year but its looks like this year will be a wash in terms of coverage.



No wings on a helicopter, but a plane did have to divert to de-ice. Video feed is horrible, and VS blaming almost everything is over the top. I agree, do normal vid and show it at 8 pm. I have driven almost all of these roads and was looking forward to seeing them again..

I am sure that the companies doing the tech on this coverage are scrambling to fix or figure it out, it's not like they do this all season... However there was plenty of time to get it right before this event.


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## vipergts (Aug 18, 2011)

penn_rider said:


> No wings on a helicopter, but a plane did have to divert to de-ice. Video feed is horrible, and VS blaming almost everything is over the top. I agree, do normal vid and show it at 8 pm. I have driven almost all of these roads and was looking forward to seeing them again..
> 
> I am sure that the companies doing the tech on this coverage are scrambling to fix or figure it out, it's not like they do this all season... However there was plenty of time to get it right before this event.


Sorry what i meant was the rotating blades. Someone made a good suggestion of just replaying the race with the video of the bikes riding around. At least they can salvage some of the attacks this way.


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## wks9326 (Apr 24, 2004)

vipergts said:


> Sorry what i meant was the rotating blades. Someone made a good suggestion of just replaying the race with the video of the bikes riding around. At least they can salvage some of the attacks this way.


That is assuming the cameras on the bikes were recording the video to media. They may only be capable of transmitting the video and not storing it.


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## DiegoMontoya (Apr 11, 2010)

Which froze more frequently yesterday? The video feed or the plane's wings?

Ugh. Horrible video. Complete amateur hour, but definitely better than nothing.


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## RkFast (Dec 11, 2004)

The picture feed I can understand. 

The American MORONS who ALL think they should put on stupid costumes and run next to the riders, I cannot understand. 

I know, I know, this goes on in Europe, too. Just seems worse and more dramatic in races held stateside. The idiots in their costumes, the running and even the yelling. Again, when you see it in Europe, you know that folks are cycling fanatics...here in the states, I bet a good half those "fans" are thinking a Jimmy Buffet concert is gonna start, not a bike race is going to go by. 

Hey....if someone has been in this evironment at the ATOC or another US race and these fans are indeed "down", PLEASE set me straight. But what Im seeing from the comfort of my TV, it just doesnt come across as genuine.


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## allison (Apr 19, 2006)

I'm stoked just for additional race coverage of US races here on TV. So it isn't perfect, but Versus is airing it 2x day in HD and there are more bike-related commercials than ever as well. It's killer.


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

RkFast said:


> The picture feed I can understand.
> 
> The American MORONS who ALL think they should put on stupid costumes and run next to the riders, I cannot understand. .


I think these idots are trying to get themselves on TV. But the joke is on them. When they get home and try to see themselves on their DVR, all they will see is Versus's crappy frozen video.


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## Jake123 (Aug 25, 2011)

RkFast said:


> The picture feed I can understand.
> 
> The American MORONS who ALL think they should put on stupid costumes and run next to the riders, I cannot understand.
> 
> ...


Seriously? You do realize the rabid fans are what makes professional cycling fun? Yelling is a problem? Should everyone sit on their hands and watch quietly as the riders go by? The riders love the specatacle just as much as the fans. It is exactly what makes events like this awesome to see in person. And yes I have been there live, and it is 100% genuine.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

Jake123 said:


> Seriously? You do realize the rabid fans are what makes professional cycling fun? Yelling is a problem? Should everyone sit on their hands and watch quietly as the riders go by? The riders love the specatacle just as much as the fans. It is exactly what makes events like this awesome to see in person. And yes I have been there live, and it is 100% genuine.


Agree...as long as you aren't interfering with the race why is it bad to have a little fun. More power to those who dress in silly costumes and cheer the riders on!


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

*Just more 'merican innovation*



AlanE said:


> I think these idots are trying to get themselves on TV. But the joke is on them. When they get home and try to see themselves on their DVR, all they will see is Versus's crappy frozen video.


First aerobars. Then over-the-top fans. Now crappy video resembling David Hockney art.

They do need more aerial cameras to capture scenery and race simultaneously. And copter blades can gather ice and that can plummet them to the ground. My company developed and builds the rotor ice protection system for Sikorsky, but it has yet to see widespread use on smaller aircraft.

The star-studded field deserves good video. How much can Phil and Paul apologize?


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## vipergts (Aug 18, 2011)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Agree...as long as you aren't interfering with the race why is it bad to have a little fun. More power to those who dress in silly costumes and cheer the riders on!


Agreed! I look forward to the fanatics running around. Like you said as long as they stay out of the way its alright. The riders enjoy it as well its a boost for them when riding. Some people do forget you have europeans attending these events as well. Not all are american running along the riders.


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## Rugergundog (Apr 2, 2011)

Screw the freezing up stuff..........commercials every 2 minutes .........the same commercials every 2 minutes is annoying!


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## AdamM (Jul 9, 2008)

I think its amazing that after the first day of botched video they apparently didn't have a back up plan going forward. I mean a guy on a moto with a smart phone like they did for the Tour of Utah would have been a big improvement.


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## PDex (Mar 23, 2004)

And so it begins anew....


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

PDex said:


> And so it begins anew....


It's just too sunny today for decent transmission


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## Tucker44 (Apr 6, 2010)

RkFast said:


> The picture feed I can understand.
> 
> The American MORONS who ALL think they should put on stupid costumes and run next to the riders, I cannot understand.
> 
> ...


I was on Indy Pass yesterday...the scene up there was *completely *genuine and exciting...everyone on the mountain was biking around for most of the morning, enjoying the festive atmosphere to the fullest. I also was in Crested Butte for stage 1, and all the fans I was around were very knowledgable cyclists. Running with the riders is just part of the whole scene, but not the only part.
The cooler scene for me was riding with thousands of fans back down from the pass 20 miles to Aspen after the race...I've never seen so many bikes.


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## The Tedinator (Mar 12, 2004)

I think a squad of high school AV students could top the production quality of what we are(n't) seeing at this race. Even video coverage of a 10 mile TT seems beyond their technical capabilities.


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## troutmd (Sep 7, 2007)

An epic commercial for future CO races.


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## Eldnur (May 28, 2010)

budmol3 said:


> The people supplying the feed for the TDF seem to be capable and they have to be to satisfy the European market, the coverage of races in the USA is on a much lower level and in this case has proven unacceptable to many viewers, including me. It would be nice to have Dish explain to me why I should keep paying them over $100 a month to watch this crap.


What I think is interesting is that the organizers of the two pro tour events in Quebec City and Montreal have arranged to bring over the entire video production suite from the TdF for the two events. The in studio, in the air and on the road video and camera production facility will be in Quebec. Hopefully the coverage will top notch.


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## RkFast (Dec 11, 2004)

Tucker44 said:


> I was on Indy Pass yesterday...the scene up there was *completely *genuine and exciting...everyone on the mountain was biking around for most of the morning, enjoying the festive atmosphere to the fullest. I also was in Crested Butte for stage 1, and all the fans I was around were very knowledgable cyclists. Running with the riders is just part of the whole scene, but not the only part.
> The cooler scene for me was riding with thousands of fans back down from the pass 20 miles to Aspen after the race...I've never seen so many bikes.


Outstanding then. Ill happily admit my assessment was off. But such is life when judging things through an LCD screen 1500 miles away from the action.

I will say this, though....some drunk moron with a day glo wig and a bra and speedo, running and mugging for the tv cameras and yelling like a banshee is CERTAINLY NOT "what makes pro cycling great." Not under ANY circumtstances.


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

I could have sent an amateur video club of high school students with camera phones and seen more of the race. Versus has stooped to a new low. Utterly disgraceful freeze ups on scenery that remains unseen. Who knows what is going on until the race gets to the finish. May as well be broadcasting on audio with a few pics now and then.


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## MattSoutherden (Jun 24, 2009)

RkFast said:


> I will say this, though....some drunk moron with a day glo wig and a bra and speedo, running and mugging for the tv cameras and yelling like a banshee is CERTAINLY NOT "what makes pro cycling great." Not under ANY circumtstances.


Too right.

And they're clearly not there for the cycling, whatever anyones says. How is running in front of the riders with your back to the action so you can't see what the f^&* is going on 'supporting the race'. Sorry Mr Fat B&*$£$%, but you can eff off.

Someone should paint a faux camera on a house brick and hold it out to get some shots.


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## Zombie John (Jul 25, 2011)

The announcers keep saying, "Of course, this is cost of getting you these prestine HD shots..." I keep thinking, "Then screw HD and find something reliable!" It's not like SD was unwatchable or anything.

Run a cord if you have to, haha.


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## double_b (Jul 13, 2011)

I just started road biking a little over a month ago. Starting to train for some Tri's. I was psyched when I did a search for cycling on my DVR and saw last week some stages of the "Veulla"(sp??) and I watched the standard def Universal Sports and while it was SD I enjoyed watching it since it was cycling.

Then I DVR'ed Stage 2 of the USA Pro ...OMG....I won't be DVR'-ing any of the other stages....obviously the feed freezing was the main issue but even beyond that I enjoyed seeing current speeds, time delta from the group to the leaders, etc..... The Pro Challenge has NONE of that...wtf?? Terrible. Totally turned me off as a new viewer.


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## jmitro (Jun 29, 2011)

glad I'm not the only one pissed at the terrible, embarrassing coverage. it's f**king pathetic.

OTOH, it's awesome to have such a great race in the states, especially concurrent with the Vuelta start. Events like this can only be good for the sport. And I think Lance Armstrong's presence is helpful....he's articulate, well spoken, optimistic, and a good ambassador for American cycling IMO.


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## MAS-SD (Jun 14, 2008)

Sherwin and Liggett seem to be phoning it in too. At one point Phil kept saying that Sagan was trying to bridge the gap to a breakaway. He's in Spain right now at the Vuelta, so it would be tough to bridge from across the pond. Usually VS is outstanding, but this is a debacle all around.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

MAS-SD said:


> Sherwin and Liggett seem to be phoning it in too. At one point Phil kept saying that Sagan was trying to bridge the gap to a breakaway. He's in Spain right now at the Vuelta, so it would be tough to bridge from across the pond. Usually VS is outstanding, but this is a debacle all around.


And it's Contador for the win!


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## nayr497 (Nov 8, 2008)

I don't own a t.v. On the road doing work though and staying with a friend who has a t.v. and has Versus. I was pleasantly surprised to find the race on last night at 23:00.

For me, any bike racing I watch on a screen bigger than my laptop is a huge treat.


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## Jake123 (Aug 25, 2011)

double_b said:


> I just started road biking a little over a month ago. Starting to train for some Tri's. I was psyched when I did a search for cycling on my DVR and saw last week some stages of the "Veulla"(sp??) and I watched the standard def Universal Sports and while it was SD I enjoyed watching it since it was cycling.
> 
> Then I DVR'ed Stage 2 of the USA Pro ...OMG....I won't be DVR'-ing any of the other stages....obviously the feed freezing was the main issue but even beyond that I enjoyed seeing current speeds, time delta from the group to the leaders, etc..... The Pro Challenge has NONE of that...wtf?? Terrible. Totally turned me off as a new viewer.


Go to their website and watch it at www.shacktracker.usaprocyclingchallenge.com and you will get everything you want.


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## EndoMadness (Jul 14, 2005)

MAS-SD said:


> Sherwin and Liggett seem to be phoning it in too. At one point Phil kept saying that Sagan was trying to bridge the gap to a breakaway. He's in Spain right now at the Vuelta, so it would be tough to bridge from across the pond. Usually VS is outstanding, but this is a debacle all around.


Actually Sagan is in the race,,,,brother juraj.


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## MattSoutherden (Jun 24, 2009)

MAS-SD said:


> Sherwin and Liggett seem to be phoning it in too. At one point Phil kept saying that Sagan was trying to bridge the gap to a breakaway. He's in Spain right now at the Vuelta, so it would be tough to bridge from across the pond.



It's Juraj Sagan they're talking about - Sagan the Younger.


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## penn_rider (Jul 11, 2009)

Watched it today on the Shack tracker and the feed and scenery was amazing, still a few freezes, but overall very good. In the time I was watching, back and forth during work, I did not see one helicopter. Are they using planes only?. On a sad tech note, there were freezes in an area without high mtn's or trees...


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## Tucker44 (Apr 6, 2010)

Jake123 said:


> Go to their website and watch it at www.shacktracker.usaprocyclingchallenge.com and you will get everything you want.


Agree...it puts VS to shame. Great video/stats/commentary.


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## baker921 (Jul 20, 2007)

Its not just the tech thats poor. I'm sorry but I don't think the route makes for great racing. I get the numbers for altitude etc are off the scale but the road is so dull. Endless wide straight roads might be great for every day living but really don't excite me for racing on. Despite the altitude the gradients are gentle, just mind numbingly long. I think its just a scale thing. The roads were designed to carry large vehicles at high speed with maximum efficiency and safety. European equivalents have evolved over two millenia from passes for pack animals. I'm sure there will be better places in the US to hold a major race.


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## double_b (Jul 13, 2011)

Jake123 said:


> Go to their website and watch it at www.shacktracker.usaprocyclingchallenge.com and you will get everything you want.


Great! Thank You!


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## Tucker44 (Apr 6, 2010)

Does anyone know if the video from the Shacktracker is or will be available to download or re-watch?


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## Tytelynes (Jan 31, 2007)

What a bunch of whiners!
I'm glad we get to see at least a few races here in the States, That wasn't always so.
As for comparing our TV coverage to that of the Tour de France? Think people. The TDF people have been at that sort of thing FAR longer than we have. They know they have a market and they know that the costs for the technology needed to bring such fine, hi-def pictures will be born by willing advertisers. Maybe you critics of the Vesus coverage can pony up and buy them better gear until the masses catch on to this sport and it gets a bit of the money now dumped into sports where they play with balls.


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## Yangpei (Sep 21, 2004)

Even with the video feed freezing, the HD coverage of the race is so much better than the poor video quality of the Vuelta a España telecasts.


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

Tytelynes said:


> What a bunch of whiners!
> I'm glad we get to see at least a few races here in the States, That wasn't always so.
> As for comparing our TV coverage to that of the Tour de France? Think people. The TDF people have been at that sort of thing FAR longer than we have. They know they have a market and they know that the costs for the technology needed to bring such fine, hi-def pictures will be born by willing advertisers. Maybe you critics of the Vesus coverage can pony up and buy them better gear until the masses catch on to this sport and it gets a bit of the money now dumped into sports where they play with balls.


I have to disagree with the "we're lucky just to have coverage" argument. This is 2011, not 1986. Pretty much all pro races are available via the internet and major pro races are on TV (through Versus, Universal, NBC, etc.). Sure the TDF people have been covering races longer, but the problems at Pro Cycling Challenge are things that don't take years to develop or work out. This is a multi-million dollar event with plenty of sponsors and fans. They should have this stuff figured out. It's not lack of technology. It's poor production and planning.


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## budmol3 (Dec 7, 2008)

It would be a mistake just to dismiss complaints about this coverage as 'whining'. The commentators use the video, so no video, no commentary. These pictures surely go outside the US so poor coverage is a disincentive for European teams to continue to attend these events. Trying to do HD on the cheap sounds like a very bad idea for everybody involved.


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## Joe A (Sep 5, 2003)

I don't know if this has been posted (apologies if it has) but thought it was a pretty good explanation of why coverage has been so bad...


Can you blame bad TV coverage on weather? YES. – Chance of Weather Blog


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## brentley (Jul 20, 2008)

While I do remember what it was like to be a Cycling fan in the 80s (waiting all day for a 1 hour show of the Tour De France (and Lemond doing his time trial magic) or having nothing and only getting printed magazine results months later the coverage that we are getting is pretty bad. Live HD Video is pretty well understood (Tour of California for example) and do able in the US (Tour of California for example) and to screw the pooch this badly on the video is not really excusable (weather or no weather). In 2010 the Santa Rosa stage of the ATOC with the rain that had no video was understandable, but they should have been able to deal with the conditions here better.

On a side note, the universal sports coverage of the Vuelta is quite lame, from the commentary to the video it us just pretty bad.


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## deeppowder (Jul 20, 2011)

Yangpei said:


> Even with the video feed freezing, the HD coverage of the race is so much better than the poor video quality of the Vuelta a España telecasts.


Actually I think the Vuelta has been a lot better then the pro challenge. Sure the picture quality might not be the same but at least it does not freeze every time there is an attack. There are no excuses for versus and the pro cycling challenge. Obviously they where not prepared for the norm. Weather in Colorado can be much worse then what they have seen so far(its been a lot stormier in the san juans over the past few days with some decent mudslides). Im not saying bringing hd quality is easy for a bike race in the rockies but if you cant make it work then figure something else out.


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## locustfist (Feb 21, 2009)

They went cheap on the relay setup

at the TdF and the tour of California (same crew) they relay like this: 

moto > low altitude helicopter > fixed wing airplane > truck > satellite.

the signal needs line of sight at each step. They also run redundant aircraft at the TdF

in Colorado they are going straight from the motos to the plane which often loses line of site in canyons.


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## Jake123 (Aug 25, 2011)

baker921 said:


> Its not just the tech thats poor. I'm sorry but I don't think the route makes for great racing. I get the numbers for altitude etc are off the scale but the road is so dull. Endless wide straight roads might be great for every day living but really don't excite me for racing on. Despite the altitude the gradients are gentle, just mind numbingly long. I think its just a scale thing. The roads were designed to carry large vehicles at high speed with maximum efficiency and safety. European equivalents have evolved over two millenia from passes for pack animals. *I'm sure there will be better places in the US to hold a major race*.


Seriously? Where? The two top states in the country to hold this type of race are California and Colorado. I'm amazed at the few I have seen complain about the roads and the course.


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## Tucker44 (Apr 6, 2010)

How does NBC not show any coverage from Golden or Lookout Mtn.?! What piece of **** coverage. Get your **** together for next year...


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

locustfist said:


> They went cheap on the relay setup
> 
> at the TdF and the tour of California (same crew) they relay like this:
> 
> ...


Thanks for the explanation...the coverage got a bit better the last few days, but that explains why much of it was crap.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

AlanE said:


> Not touchy - just say'n.
> 
> What does elevation have to do with it? Is video equipment affected by barometric pressure?
> 
> ...


Normally Versus is not responsible for footage - it comes from race organizers, or the company contracted to provide footage. For example, in Grand Tours, everyone gets the same "official" feed, 

Elevation (as well as weather) has a lot to do with it. The video feed is shot from the motorbike and is normally uplinked to the helicopter (and sometimes then uplinked to the satellite for broadcast). In bad weather, or when uplink to helicopter is otherwise obscured or difficult, the connection becomes lossy ("sorry for the picture break-up" as Paul Sherwen says about 50 times during the Tour). 

I watched every stage and didn't think it was "unwatchable", quite to contrary. Quality was great in HD, especially compared to low-res shots of Vuelta (which I am also watching and enjoying), and shots of Colorado mountains and skies were fantastic! The stage Hincapie won was difficult to televise due to rainy conditions, but even then we got to watch most of the important parts, plus the sprint, and for other days feed was just fine.


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## cartmaniac (Jun 6, 2007)

Tucker44 said:


> How does NBC not show any coverage from Golden or Lookout Mtn.?!


 Amen. You nailed it. The coverage was bad. Shack Tracker was awesome, but the TV package was pitiful.


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## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

Regardless of how many folks here felt the coverage was poor, what appears to be immediately important before huge coverage investment Is made was on the course fan turnout. The overjoyed reactions of Pat McQ, team directors and importantly the riders spoke volumes on how this race will grow with improved TV coverage to follow.

My wife and I spoke to many in the Pro circus that is road cycling while in Vail and Steamboat...bottom line they said the crowds and enthusiasm rivaled anything the grand tour offers. Christian, George, Levi (who passed us on a early morn TT training ride in vail like we were going backwards), Cadel, Rory, Andy, Frank all told us how impressed they were with the course and fans. The list goes on to the many younger foreign riders in the US for the first time finding route 131 the most scenic they have enjoyed while hours in a saddle. All want to come back and lay claim to high altitude wins unique to CO. A friend of ours introduced us to Pat who told us; "it's on here in CO!". Evan Bobke was obviously overwhelmed by the many fans clamoring about him saying to me while at the Garmin bus about to interview Tommy D; "I don't see this in Europe!"

Coverage will improve...but you'd might enjoy bringing your bike out here and ride about with the pro's before each stage start out here next year rather than seeing it play out on VS. :thumbsup:


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## allison (Apr 19, 2006)

DonDenver said:


> Coverage will improve...but you'd might enjoy bringing your bike out here and ride about with the pro's before each stage start out here next year rather than seeing it play out on VS. :thumbsup:


haha - maybe THIS! They'd rather have the tourism dollars for people traveling to CO to spectate


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## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

allison said:


> haha - maybe THIS! They'd rather have the tourism dollars for people traveling to CO to spectate


Good one Allison; reading my post it would appear I’m on the CO tourism board 

…but I’m not of course…just damn excited to see the reaction to pro cycling back in CO. It was awesome indeed


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

cartmaniac said:


> Amen. You nailed it. The coverage was bad. Shack Tracker was awesome, but the TV package was pitiful.


From the articles I'm reading I think next years race will have a serious T.V./internet coverage set up.

It appears a lot of entities (Inside and outside of CO) were crossing their fingers at how the race would be received. I think it met and exceeded most expectations.


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## allison (Apr 19, 2006)

Had to laugh last night watching Sunday's Vuelta stage on DVR... I hadn't really seen much of the race, just listening to it doing stuff around the house. THAT is unwatchable. Color shifting from too orange to too light/white, picture break-up, camera men all over the place swinging the camera around. 

Wow. 

At least when PCC *was* working it was HD and perfect/even color


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## PeteyPablo (Aug 31, 2011)

french camera crews = Johnny in the barbed wire


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## jekl (Aug 29, 2011)

My wife and family went to see the race in Golden and we had a blast. We set the DVR to watch the coverage and they did not cover any part of the start or the race up Lookout Mountain. The race started at 10:45 and the coverage started at 12:00. That was a disappointment. 
My friend who went downtown said he saw all of the coverage on the big screens from the start of the race.


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