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The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘A three-week drama in daily episodes': curtain to fall on free-to-air Tour de France coverage
When the last rider rolls across the Tour de France finish line in Paris on 27 July it will mark more than the end of the world's most prestigious bike race. Once Gary Imlach and team have wrapped up, it will conclude four decades of free-to-air Tour coverage for British TV viewers. While the sport, and the technology used to broadcast it, have transformed since the 1980s, the excellence of the ITV programme (previously on Channel 4) has been constant. Just as British and Irish interest in the race has cycled through eras – from Sean Kelly to David Millar, to Chris Boardman and later Mark Cavendish, to Team Sky of Wiggins, Froome and Thomas – the on-air cast has naturally evolved. Nick Owen and Richard Keys first presented the highlights: Owen in '86, Keys in '87 and '88. Phil Liggett, for a time, doubled as presenter and commentator, and Liggett and Paul Sherwen were succeeded by the more cerebral – and no less popular – Ned Boulting and Millar on commentary. In an increasingly fragmented industry, though, Imlach is established as the face of cycling on terrestrial TV, blending journalistic rigour with a drily humorous style, a long way from the banterverse of much contemporary sports coverage. As he nears the finish of his own Grand Tour it seems apposite to ask the question put to countless out-of-breath stage winners down the years. How does he feel? 'There's a mix of emotions,' Imlach says. 'Sad that it's ending but grateful, too, because you can't complain after a 35-year run from what I initially thought was a freelance job. There's also a sort of a determination: we can't let the fact it's our last Tour get in the way of doing a good job. Inevitably, I've also been thinking about people who are no longer here like [director] Steve Docherty, who shaped the show for so long.' Coolness under pressure is another Imlach attribute; essential when the increasingly fierce French summer heat occasionally causes his iPad to shut down while live on air. How does he describe his approach? 'The first principle of covering TV sport is the first principle of medicine: Do no harm. Don't get in the way of the sport. But if you are going to add something, make sure it's of value.' In 1986, Brian Venner, the show's original executive producer, was tasked with its creation. The core team he assembled has shown remarkable staying power and some of the seasoned crew at Vsquared TV have been involved for decades. A deep well of knowledge, both of the Tour's unique intricacies and creating daily live coverage and highlights shows, is thus brought to bear. 'Adrian Metcalfe, head of sport for Channel 4, asked me to develop it,' Venner says. 'The Tour never had proper coverage in this country. When I worked at the BBC I'd followed a stage and was excited by what I saw, so when Adrian asked me I leapt at the chance. 'We developed various things technically, and things which saved money. We built a truck that had everything: A commentary position in the back, satellite dish on top, the whole thing in one. We even organised a chef. He went out every morning to the markets and came back with lunch.' Brian's son James joined in 1992. With Carolyn Viccari, who began as Brian's assistant and would become executive producer, overseeing complex planning and logistics, James Venner – like Brian an early adopter of new technologies – became a senior producer and remains responsible for the London operation. What makes the Tour special? 'As you get close to it, you realise what an incredibly tough sport it is,' James Venner says. 'It's the incredible scenery, the theatre in which it takes place. And as a challenge in TV, it's as complex as the Olympics but it moves every day. 'Doing any live TV you're on the edge, frankly. With this you're on the edge but you don't know if all the wiring and glue will hold. Professionally it's a tremendous challenge and a very satisfying one. From a sporting point of view it's this immensely hard thing, these brilliant athletes in the most wonderful backdrop.' TV affects cycling like no other sport. Sponsors want exposure, ensuring all those doomed breakaways, and James Venner explains how the introduction of Eurosport's pan-European coverage changed the race in the Lance Armstrong era. 'The teams could watch as they drove around and Armstrong used to play on that, he'd make it look like he was suffering. The camera would come in and get the big shot of him suffering on the climb. Other teams would say on team radio: 'Attack now, he's in trouble!' Then, of course, he wasn't in trouble. He'd forced them to attack too early.' As the end approaches James Venner shares Imlach's sadness. 'Nothing is for ever … You'd like to go on, and there's sadness that the team we've built has got very good at doing it. It's the last time we might see some of them.' Why do those team members, just like fans, become addicted? 'The drug analogy might not be the most diplomatic,' says Imlach. 'It's a three-week drama delivered in daily episodes. There's the bigger overall picture, but every day you have a self-contained story. There are all sorts of layers and complexity but I think anybody can enjoy it.' Imlach's break came via an NFL assignment. 'Mike Miller, Channel 4's commissioning editor for sport in the 80s and 90s, gave me a job doing travelogue pieces on cities where NFL games were played. He said to Brian: 'You should get somebody doing what Gary Imlach's doing on the NFL.' 'Brian took him at his word. I'm not sure it was entirely popular because the highlights were only half an hour and it was mainly hardcore cycling fans watching. I don't think they appreciated some ignoramus popping up with a piece about a fleet of motorised profiteroles in the publicity caravan.' The Tour has had its share of scandals, including the British-branded version involving Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins. Considering how a complex saga developed over time, is there anything Imlach would do differently? 'Hard to tell without going back and double-checking everything,' he says. 'Certainly there isn't just one Sky story. There's the story Sky told about themselves and there's the story that leaked out around the edges. It leaked out after the fact, we addressed it after the fact, but, like everybody else, we didn't get satisfactory answers out of the principals. 'Having declared this project of transparency, when it came to account for the discrepancies between what they'd said and some of the contradictory evidence that subsequently seeped out, Dave Brailsford never really did.' Brailsford denies wrongdoing and appeared at a 2016 House of Commons select committee hearing. There have been speedbumps on the way. It was Channel 4's acquisition of Test cricket that prompted the move to ITV in 2001. Like Test cricket the world's greatest bike race will soon move behind a paywall. The good news for cycling fans and Francophiles across the UK, though, is that Imlach and co have a final crack at it. When the race rolls out from Lille on 5 July, for one last time, sit back and enjoy the ride.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘A three-week drama in daily episodes': curtain to fall on free-to-air Tour de France coverage
When the last rider rolls across the Tour de France finish line in Paris on 27 July it will mark more than the end of the world's most prestigious bike race. Once Gary Imlach and team have wrapped up, it will conclude four decades of free-to-air Tour coverage for British TV viewers. While the sport, and the technology used to broadcast it, have transformed since the 1980s, the excellence of the ITV programme (previously on Channel 4) has been constant. Just as British and Irish interest in the race has cycled through eras – from Sean Kelly to David Millar, to Chris Boardman and later Mark Cavendish, to Team Sky of Wiggins, Froome and Thomas – the on-air cast has naturally evolved. Nick Owen and Richard Keys first presented the highlights: Owen in '86, Keys in '87 and '88. Phil Liggett, for a time, doubled as presenter and commentator, and Liggett and Paul Sherwen were succeeded by the more cerebral – and no less popular – Ned Boulting and Millar on commentary. In an increasingly fragmented industry, though, Imlach is established as the face of cycling on terrestrial TV, blending journalistic rigour with a drily humorous style, a long way from the banterverse of much contemporary sports coverage. As he nears the finish of his own Grand Tour it seems apposite to ask the question put to countless out-of-breath stage winners down the years. How does he feel? 'There's a mix of emotions,' Imlach says. 'Sad that it's ending but grateful, too, because you can't complain after a 35-year run from what I initially thought was a freelance job. There's also a sort of a determination: we can't let the fact it's our last Tour get in the way of doing a good job. Inevitably, I've also been thinking about people who are no longer here like [director] Steve Docherty, who shaped the show for so long.' Coolness under pressure is another Imlach attribute; essential when the increasingly fierce French summer heat occasionally causes his iPad to shut down while live on air. How does he describe his approach? 'The first principle of covering TV sport is the first principle of medicine: Do no harm. Don't get in the way of the sport. But if you are going to add something, make sure it's of value.' In 1986, Brian Venner, the show's original executive producer, was tasked with its creation. The core team he assembled has shown remarkable staying power and some of the seasoned crew at Vsquared TV have been involved for decades. A deep well of knowledge, both of the Tour's unique intricacies and creating daily live coverage and highlights shows, is thus brought to bear. 'Adrian Metcalfe, head of sport for Channel 4, asked me to develop it,' Venner says. 'The Tour never had proper coverage in this country. When I worked at the BBC I'd followed a stage and was excited by what I saw, so when Adrian asked me I leapt at the chance. 'We developed various things technically, and things which saved money. We built a truck that had everything: A commentary position in the back, satellite dish on top, the whole thing in one. We even organised a chef. He went out every morning to the markets and came back with lunch.' Brian's son James joined in 1992. With Carolyn Viccari, who began as Brian's assistant and would become executive producer, overseeing complex planning and logistics, James Venner – like Brian an early adopter of new technologies – became a senior producer and remains responsible for the London operation. What makes the Tour special? 'As you get close to it, you realise what an incredibly tough sport it is,' James Venner says. 'It's the incredible scenery, the theatre in which it takes place. And as a challenge in TV, it's as complex as the Olympics but it moves every day. 'Doing any live TV you're on the edge, frankly. With this you're on the edge but you don't know if all the wiring and glue will hold. Professionally it's a tremendous challenge and a very satisfying one. From a sporting point of view it's this immensely hard thing, these brilliant athletes in the most wonderful backdrop.' TV affects cycling like no other sport. Sponsors want exposure, ensuring all those doomed breakaways, and James Venner explains how the introduction of Eurosport's pan-European coverage changed the race in the Lance Armstrong era. 'The teams could watch as they drove around and Armstrong used to play on that, he'd make it look like he was suffering. The camera would come in and get the big shot of him suffering on the climb. Other teams would say on team radio: 'Attack now, he's in trouble!' Then, of course, he wasn't in trouble. He'd forced them to attack too early.' As the end approaches James Venner shares Imlach's sadness. 'Nothing is for ever … You'd like to go on, and there's sadness that the team we've built has got very good at doing it. It's the last time we might see some of them.' Why do those team members, just like fans, become addicted? 'The drug analogy might not be the most diplomatic,' says Imlach. 'It's a three-week drama delivered in daily episodes. There's the bigger overall picture, but every day you have a self-contained story. There are all sorts of layers and complexity but I think anybody can enjoy it.' Imlach's break came via an NFL assignment. 'Mike Miller, Channel 4's commissioning editor for sport in the 80s and 90s, gave me a job doing travelogue pieces on cities where NFL games were played. He said to Brian: 'You should get somebody doing what Gary Imlach's doing on the NFL.' 'Brian took him at his word. I'm not sure it was entirely popular because the highlights were only half an hour and it was mainly hardcore cycling fans watching. I don't think they appreciated some ignoramus popping up with a piece about a fleet of motorised profiteroles in the publicity caravan.' The Tour has had its share of scandals, including the British-branded version involving Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins. Considering how a complex saga developed over time, is there anything Imlach would do differently? 'Hard to tell without going back and double-checking everything,' he says. 'Certainly there isn't just one Sky story. There's the story Sky told about themselves and there's the story that leaked out around the edges. It leaked out after the fact, we addressed it after the fact, but, like everybody else, we didn't get satisfactory answers out of the principals. 'Having declared this project of transparency, when it came to account for the discrepancies between what they'd said and some of the contradictory evidence that subsequently seeped out, Dave Brailsford never really did.' Brailsford denies wrongdoing and appeared at a 2016 Select Committee hearing. There have been speedbumps on the way. It was Channel 4's acquisition of Test cricket that prompted the move to ITV in 2001. Like Test cricket the world's greatest bike race will soon move behind a paywall. The good news for cycling fans and Francophiles across the UK, though, is that Imlach and co have a final crack at it. When the race rolls out from Lille on 5 July, for one last time, sit back and enjoy the ride.
Scotsman
30-04-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Entire 1,500-acre Scottish island to see 'robust' deer management in rewilding plan
Owners plans to sell island produce, including venison and seaweed. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A Scottish island is to see robust deer management under new plans to rewild the 1,500 islet. The island of Ronay, located off the south-east coast of North Uist in the southern part of the Outer Hebrides, is home to the remains of ancient settlements and saw communities living off seaweed harvesting in times gone by. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It was bought in 2023 by Edinburgh-based brand company Carlowrie Group, which has plans to 'increase biodiversity and revitalise the natural environment' of the island. Ronay island is set for rewilding plan | Supplied The team behind the rewilding initiative claim Ronay has limited seed sources, has been overgrazed by herbivores and shows minimal signs of 'natural regeneration' - the growth of vegetation without human interference. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A 'robust' deer management plan is part of the plans, the company said, to 'aid in the restoration of natural habitats.' Some conservationists believe deer, which are sometimes spotted swimming between Ronay and other nearby islands, hinder rewilding projects because they eat young trees among other types of vegetation. In the future, the company plans to make a range of Ronay Island products, including seaweed and venison. Already, this year's Scottish Chef of the Year David Millar, who works at the company's Carlowrie Castle, a luxury events venue near Edinburgh, serves Ronay venison to guests. Meanwhile, the castle's head gardener Alex Knubley has been exploring the benefits of the nutrient-rich Ronay seaweed as fertiliser on the estate. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Carlowrie Group said it has the support for the rewilding move from the Uist community. Partners in the project include Northwoods Rewilding Network, RePlanet, and a purposely-formed steering committee of local stakeholders which includes the owners of local accommodation and tourism business Langass Lodge, the operators of local wildlife tour company Lady Anne Wildlife Cruises and the founder of Love Gaelic language courses. Andrew Marshall, co-owner of Ronay Island and founder of Carlowrie Group, said: 'We're taking a multi-generational approach to caring for the land and have partnered with a range of organisations and individuals to support our mission. We know this is not a matter of 'winding back the clock', but is an opportunity to create a resilient, species-rich island that will benefit all, long past our own lifetimes.' Andrew Marshall, co-owner of Ronay Island and founder of Carlowrie Group | Supplied He said this summer, the team will undergo extensive surveys to gain a comprehensive understanding of the island's current state of biodiversity. Mr Marshall added: 'There is a lot of potential to increase the existing biodiversity on Ronay Island, and we can already see nature attempting to make a comeback despite many years of extensive grazing, but it will need human intervention to help these natural processes thrive.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The name Ronay is Norse in origin (hraun-ey) meaning 'rough island.' According to a field survey of the island, carried out between 2015 and 2018 by Grimsay resident David Newman, who wrote a short book about the island, Ronay is home to 'exceptional wildlife.' Mr Newman said Ronay's name is presumably because of the island's rugged appearance in relation to the comparatively low lying and smooth terrain of the surrounding areas.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Douglas County will open new continuous flow intersections to help with congestion
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (KDVR) — Growth in Douglas County is placing a burden on many roads and highways. County engineers told FOX31 more than 45,000 people travel near U.S. 85 and C-470 each day and that number will double in the next 25 years. The U.S. 85 Widening and Reconstruction Project will alleviate back-ups and improve safety for drivers on a roadway that serves as a National Defense Highway, major trucking lane and alternate route for ambulances when there are accidents on Interstate 25. Wheat Ridge combats traffic congestion with new continuous flow intersections 'There's really not a good grid system of road in this area because we have Chatfield Reservoir and we have development of Highlands Ranch' said engineer Art Griffith. If the weather permits, commuters will begin using the first of three Continuous Flow Intersections at U.S. 85 and Highland's Ranch Parkway on Wednesday, March 19. The county tells FOX31 the need is immediate. 'We had significant traffic congestion previously it would've gotten exponentially worse' said David Millar. CFI'S shift left turn traffic into a special lane that moves toward the next intersection to keep things moving, similar to the diverging diamond interchange located at U.S. 36 and McCaslin Boulevard near Superior. A CFI is also being constructed on Wadsworth Boulevard in Wheat Ridge. Engineers say drivers will receive guidance along the way. 'You follow the signs: You go when the light's green, you stop when the light's red,' said $130 million dollar project is supported by $29 million in federal funding and includes a sales and use tax designated for transportation equaling less than one cent per dollar, a $3.5 million dollar contribution from the Colorado Department of Transportation and a $35 million dollar reimbursement from Chatfield developers. Woman who hit pedestrian, left scene, then returned now facing charges: police Engineers said the project's design saved the county $30 million. Another CFI is scheduled to open on Town Center Drive on March 26. No opening date has been set for the C-470 intersection but final completion should take place in July. The three-year project started in October, 2022. Contractors are 78 days ahead of schedule. County engineers strongly emphasize that weather may delay scheduled intersection openings due to the impact on striping the pavement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
