WOOPEE! I have entered the world of no data cap internet

[TexasProgresive]

Any ideas of the best streaming services to watch domestic and international bicycle races? I don't care about live.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. How did you do that, I cant find such a thing.

[TexasProgresive]

2. Explain please, no data cap internet or bike racing streaming?

[Eliot Rosewater]

3. LOL no data cap

[RockRaven]

4. I don't know the exact site name, but the cycling aficionado in my family watches via NBC Sports

I cannot recall the precise subset of NBC Sports, but I imagine Google would find it. I don't know how much they cover domestic races, but they've got the grand tours and classics for sure.

[jberryhill]

5. Flobikes

Here’s the problem.

NBC covers the Tour de France and the Vuelta, but not the Giro.

NBC’s coverage of the one day classics is spotty

So, yes, the NBC sports gold cycling pass is, imho worth it.

Flobikes has coverage of every dang race EXCEPT those for which NBC has exclusive rights. For example, NBC will have Paris Roubaix, and Milan San Remo, but flobikes will have the Omloop het Nieuwsblad, the Ronde, the E3, Gent Wavelgem, Strade Bianchi, etc..

A lot of the NBC stuff will be on their regular sports channel, but delayed (except for the Tour)

Flobikes streams live, but then it takes a couple of hours sometimes for them to archive and post the stream. So, you can watch the Giro, for example, in the morning live, or in the evening, but not in between.

Flobikes is either 30 bucks a month or 120 a year.

If you want all of the classics and the Giro, then you could do three months of flobikes to get those in, but then you are close to an annual subscription anyway.

Oddly, I’ve gotten to really like cyclocross because they both do fairly good coverage of CX in the winter, with flobikes covering all of the races, and NBC doing the main telenet UCI series.

The commentary on flobikes is MOSTLY the English Eurosport feed, which is really good and usually features Sean Kelly and Robbie McEwan. McEwan might be making the jump to NBC now that Paul Sherwen is no longer with us. Robbie’s commentary is much less “introductory” than Paul’s. Of course we will all miss Paul dearly. Robbie will not be explaining echelons and lead out trains for an entire month.

[jberryhill]

6. That said...

...there are some dodgy malware-ridden pirate stream sites.

Sometimes you will find links to unrestricted streams on Steephill.tv.

Steephill.tv will also usually have links to the days’ highlight summaries of all of the classics and tours, and the final kms.

[jberryhill]

7. The other cool thing about streaming cyclocross on NBC...

Last edited Fri Mar 1, 2019, 09:27 AM - Edit history (1)

...is that the audience is so small that the commentator, Anthony McCrossan, takes questions via twitter. He also does some of the one day spring races...

[TexasProgresive]

8. Thanks, jberry, I am looking at my options and what doesn't bust the retiree's budget.

Do you know if NBC Gold requires a cable or satellite TV connection or can be strictly online? Also does NBCSN cover any cycling?

[jberryhill]

9. NBC gold is a standalone subscription I believe

NBCSN carries a subset of what NBC gold does, and will not have any events that are not on NBC Gold. To make the gold subscription marginally worthwhile to cable subscribers, NBCSN will usually be later in the day and with commercials if the event is on both.

Paris-Nice (NBC gold), incidentally, kicks off of March 10, and is the first event on the calendar for both (if you don’t count Tour Down Under).

The Belgian races, however, start this weekend, with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad tomorrow on Flobikes.

[jberryhill]

10. The other alternative

...is to wait a few days, since many of the races eventually make their way to YouTube. Some channels are worth subscribing (while they last)

Strade Bianchi:

Full broadcast:

Highlights:

Men

Women

Milan San Remo - which was awesome:

Full race:

Highlights:

[TexasProgresive]

11. Thanks, the first thing I watched

Was a youetube of Sagan winning Paris-Nice. I loved the attack in the velodrome sliding down the bank to victory. A classic move.

[jberryhill]

12. That was a fun Paris Roubaix

When he left the Gilbert / Van Avermaet group and they all just looked at one another, it was over.

This year's Paris Roubaix will be April 14.

Coming up Sunday is the Ronde van Vlaanderen / Tour of Flanders.

Although it is 250 km long, it really doesn't get started until....

Alas, Paul will not be with us this season.

[TexasProgresive]

13. That's what I meant.

I watched Paris-Nice later. That Roubaix is one rough ride.

[jberryhill]

14. You get your name on a shower stall if you win

[plimsoll]

16. Are they still using the old Roubaix velodrome?

I still watch my 2007 DVD because O'Grady.

[jberryhill]

17. Yes. April 14

They tried not using the velodrome for a while, but it is definitely there to stay now. The original point of the race was to publicize the Velodrome. The society that takes care of the cobbles made the decision to put in mortar between the cobbles of Arenberg, which will make it less muddy if it’s a wet one.

They used to burn out the growth, like this:

This article shows what they’ve done this year...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/work-begins-to-mortar-joints-of-arenberg-paris-roubaix-cobbles/

I hope it’s a safe race - as safe as this one can be. Last year there was one fatality, although due to heart failure and not some of the other hazards which have claimed racer’s lives in recent years. What is a tolerable level of carnage in road cycling really needs some more thought.

It will be live on NBC Sports Gold, starting at 4:55 AM and 2 PM on NBC Sports regular broadcast.

Tour of Flanders is tomorrow. Twitter will often have pirated links, and it will show up on YouTube later in the day. Alternatively Flobikes has a monthly or annual streaming plan with all the major races (except for ones covered by NBC) and not so major races, such as the Giro Di Sicilia which wrapped up today’s 4th and final stage at the top of Mount Aetna with 21 year old American Brandon McNulty of Rally Cycling holding the GC lead he took yesterday.

[jberryhill]

15. Paris-Nice was a heartbreaker this year

One second. Aaaaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh.