{"id":37846,"title":"Marty MacDonald: The man behind the Mic","description":"Love them or loathe them, commentators are a fundamental part of our TV cycling experience. They divide opinion. Eurosport commentator Carlton Kirby, for example, has Facebook groups that declare their love for him whilst others demand his removal from our screens.\nWhat\u2019s it really like being a TV cycling commentator? We spoke to Marty MacDonald who has established himself as Eurosport\u2019s number-one for cyclocross and women\u2019s cycle racing coverage.\nWe find out how Lizzie Deignan made him cry at Paris-Roubaix, how he stumbled into commentating and why Mathieu van der Poel has him reaching for his thesaurus.","content":"

Published in: <\/strong>CYCLOCROSS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

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Love them or loathe them, commentators are a fundamental part of our TV cycling experience. They divide opinion. Eurosport commentator Carlton Kirby, for example, has Facebook groups that declare their love for him, whilst others demand his removal from our screens.<\/p>

What\u2019s it really like being a TV cycling commentator? We spoke to Marty MacDonald, who has established himself as Eurosport\u2019s number-one for cyclocross and women\u2019s cycle racing coverage.<\/p>

\"CyclingMarty with fellow commentators Dani Rowe and Dani Christmas. Image: Marty Macdonald<\/em><\/p>

We find out how Lizzie Deignan made him cry at Paris-Roubaix, how he stumbled into commentating and why Mathieu van der Poel has him reaching for his thesaurus.<\/p>

Cycling is life<\/h3>

Although his Home Counties accent rarely betrays it, Marty is a native of Scotland. His family moved to southern England, where he first took up cycling, although it wasn't initially by choice.<\/p>

\"Unique<\/u><\/a>His older brother was the first to join the local Winchester-based VC Venta cycling club, followed soon after by his dad. With no one left to play football, he soon joined them. The club was small at the time, and they virtually doubled the membership.<\/p>

\u201cCycling isn\u2019t a part of life, it is life\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

He wasn\u2019t to know it, but it was the start of a lifelong love of cycling for the thirteen-year-old. A Claud Butler bike for Christmas just strengthened his passion. As Marty now describes it, cycling isn\u2019t part of life; it is life.<\/p>

\"MartyA youthful Marty notches up a road race victory. Image: Marty Macdonald<\/em><\/p>

Marty tried most of cycling\u2019s disciplines, riding the track at nearby Calshot, criteriums, road races, cyclocross and later mountain biking. Holidays were spent touring, enjoying companionship and freedom on two wheels.<\/p>

His strength lay in his sprint, and he proved successful on the track and in criteriums, but could force himself over climbs when needed. One of his most notable successes came in the junior version of the UK\u2019s amateur classic, the Archer Grand Prix.<\/p>

ABOUT RIJDEN<\/strong>: Rijden grew from a passion for Flemish-style cycle racing. We're a small UK independent that publishes a <\/em>free online cycling magazine<\/em><\/strong><\/a> and sustainable gifts for fans of cycling\u2019s classics and cyclocross. Read <\/em>more about Rijden<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>

He prised himself clear of the peloton despite a climb just before the finish, somewhat to the amazement of his supporters. Marty rode the national track championships at Leicester and Manchester and made the occasional return to his roots in Scotland to ride the track at Meadowbank.<\/p>

He\u2019s still riding today and says he would race if he had the time and it didn\u2019t conflict with his weekend commentating duties. Since he was hit by a car in 2015, he\u2019s tended to stick to the off-road, riding his mountain and gravel bikes near his East Sussex home on the south coast.<\/p>

\u201cthe gnarled scarp slopes of his beloved Southdowns\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

Marty may no longer be competing against a peloton of riders, but continues to challenge himself on the gnarled scarp slopes of his beloved Southdowns. The unique chalk uplands, which inspired poet Rudyard Kipling to describe them as the \u201cblunt, bow-headed, whale-backed downs\u201d.<\/span><\/p>

Trinidad & Tobago<\/h3>

Two chance encounters were instrumental in launching Marty\u2019s commentating career. It\u2019s no good having the gift of the gab<\/em> if you don\u2019t get that lucky break. Back in the early 2000s, Marty ran a now-defunct website dedicated to track cycling. As well as track features and news it sold t-shirts emblazoned with his cartoons.<\/p>

\"MartyMarty started out in front of the camera. Image: Marty Macdonald<\/em><\/p>

He bumped into Trinidadian cycling promoter Michael Philips at the Maindy cycling track in Wales. Philips reprimanded Marty for not having covered his West Indies versus the World track series on the website. Marty retorted that he\u2019d never received the results. The outcome was an invitation to Trinidad and Tobago to report on the upcoming World Series.<\/p>

Explainer<\/strong>: Michael Philips is a former top track rider, bike shop owner, and track promoter and has previously been the President of the Trinidad & Tobago Cycling Federation.<\/em><\/p>

Not long after this, Marty met Pete Kyle, owner of Crank Films. Over what must have been a jolly good lunch, they discussed the potential to film the World Series in Trinidad. By the end of lunch, Pete casually asked Marty, \u201cYou\u2019re OK to present it, aren\u2019t you?\u201d.<\/p>

This came as something of a surprise, but within a short period, he found himself at a grass track meeting in the sunshine of the Caribbean, standing in front of a camera. His brief was simple: keep talking and never ever take his eyes off the camera lens.<\/p>

\u201cnever ever take his eyes off the camera lens\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

Over the next three weeks, Pete Kyle taught Marty everything he knew. It was his first big break, and he\u2019s extremely grateful to Pete Kyle for trusting him and Michael Philips for the opportunity and the warm welcome from the people of Trinidad and Tobago.<\/p>

Women\u2019s Cycling & cyclocross<\/h3>

Through word of mouth and recommendation, Marty started to build his commentating career alongside his work as an illustrator. There\u2019s a limited pool of commentators, so they tend to recommend one another if they have to decline work.<\/p>

\"CartoonNext to one of his portraits of racing cyclists. Image: Marty Macdonald<\/em><\/p>

For over twenty years, he travelled the world commentating on-site for diverse events such as the Tour of Langkawi, British National Track Championships and Tour of Azerbaijan.<\/p>

When cycling.tv closed, he was taken on board in 2017 by the newly founded GCN, which had the rights to the cyclocross coverage.<\/p>

READ MORE<\/strong>: Discover what the life of a professional cyclocross rider is really like<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. Ian Field set off for Belgium with his mum\u2019s advice in his mind - \u201ccome home when you\u2019re broke\u201d. He soon discovered that Belgian fans were like seagulls, and why even top riders like Sven Nys employed comics as pit crew.<\/em><\/p>

\"Read<\/u><\/a>Initially, GCN ran as a free service on YouTube before it became the fee-based GCN+ app. Marty became the lead commentator for cyclocross and women\u2019s road racing. He moved seamlessly on to continue the role for Eurosport once owners Warner Bros. Discovery disbanded GCN+.<\/p>

He\u2019s happy working within his niche, which, although he\u2019s freelance, effectively provides regular work throughout the year. His current contract with Eurosport runs through the women\u2019s road race season until August, when it\u2019s almost time for cyclocross.<\/p>

\u201chis second Olympic call-up\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

Marty\u2019s also received his second Olympic call-up. Not that he\u2019ll be donning his skinsuit, but he will be behind the microphone for the women\u2019s road race and time trial events.<\/p>

Although he\u2019s offered work in other sports, he\u2019s rarely taken it. He has enough cycling work to keep him busy and fears that he wouldn\u2019t be able to do justice to other sports.<\/p>

Just keeping track of all the latest news and developments in women\u2019s cycling and cyclocross keeps him busy enough without trying to \u2018learn\u2019 a new sport.<\/p>

Remote working<\/h3>

When Marty started his working life as a commentator, he was on-site and quite often in front of the camera. New technology and Covid have dramatically changed the role. He often works remotely from the event, either from Eurosport\u2019s offices in Chiswick, London or from his office at home.<\/p>

\"CyclingCycling TV commentators have embraced remote working. Image: Marty Macdonald<\/em><\/p>

Even without the restrictions of Covid, limited space and the wide variety of sports that Eurosport covers, means there\u2019s not enough studio space in Chiswick. A studio often just means a booth with a screen and a headset.<\/p>

The utilisation of new technology and remote working has had its benefits as well as its drawbacks. It\u2019s reduced the need for commentators to travel around the world and has enabled cross-world commentating.<\/p>

Eurosport cyclocross regulars will be familiar with the enthusiastic voice of former professional rider Jeremy Powers, who is a regular co-commentator. Jeremy commentates from the USA, Marty from the UK, and both will be watching live pictures from somewhere in Europe.<\/p>

\u201cone of the cardinal sins\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

It\u2019s harder to avoid one of the cardinal sins whilst commentating remotely - talking over your fellow commentator. Famous commentary pair Phil Ligget and Paul Sherwen would sit side by side with their hands on one another\u2019s thighs so they could communicate silently through a gentle squeeze.<\/p>

Marty reflects that it\u2019s a different dynamic working together in a studio. The emotions and reactions of his fellow commentators were more obvious when physically together, and it was easier to communicate.<\/p>

\u201cMagnus Backstedt\u2019s arm punches\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

I get the impression that it was a more passionate atmosphere being in the same room - high-fiving when they\u2019d correctly called out the riders from the lead group or suffering Magnus Backstedt\u2019s arm punches when the Swede became over-enthusiastic.<\/p>

Like swans<\/h3>

We\u2019ve all found the urge to shout at the commentator when they make mistakes. Wrongly identifying riders, mispronouncing names and places, going off on a tangent and repeatedly using annoying catchphrases.<\/p>

\"MartyIn GCN days, racing mountain bikes. Image: Marty Macdonald<\/em><\/p>

But what\u2019s it really like as a commentator? Is the criticism fair? First up, there\u2019s calling out the wrong riders. If you imagined the commentary team had super deluxe monitors, you\u2019d be disappointed to discover that what they see is much the same as the end viewer. They work from a screen that\u2019s no bigger than an average-sized computer monitor.<\/p>

Marty\u2019s quite proud of his ability to spot riders within a bunch. A task that\u2019s become harder in an era of sunglasses and standardisation. It helped that one of his early roles was as a graphics spotter. His job was literally to name riders who\u2019d attacked or were in a break so the graphics person could display them on screen.<\/p>

I\u2019m amazed that on occasion, commentators will name a rider from a distant helicopter shot when they just look to me like a fuzzy blur. Marty explains that it\u2019s all about studying riders and observing how they sit on the bike, move, get out of the saddle and their body shape.<\/p>

What complicates matters is having to commentate whilst trying to tune in to two, three or even more sources of information. In one ear, a commentator will have the producer feeding them information - \u201cHey guys, we\u2019re going to a break now\u201d, in another race radio, then WhatsApp chat or video with a remote commentator and text messages from on-site friends with the latest updates.<\/p>

\u201cfrantically waving\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

Above all, the commentator must present a calm exterior and professional presentation whilst he might be frantically waving at our messaging his fellow commentator. Marty likens it to swans. Serenity above the water but beneath the surface, desperately paddling against the current.<\/p>

Those mid-race interviews that just seem to pop up at what can be critical moments? If they\u2019re recorded by Eurosport\u2019s own on-site crew, then the producer will provide advance warning. But if they\u2019re provided by the host broadcaster, which is often the case with cyclocross, then they come as unexpectedly to the commentator as to the viewer.<\/p>

And that\u2019s when it goes well. The day I interviewed Marty, I\u2019d been trying to watch a race where the commentators were Jez Cox and Robbie McEwen. McEwen\u2019s commentary just kept cutting in and out, and he eventually disappeared altogether. Jez carried on in his commentary version of a solo break until the live pictures died.<\/p>

\u201che imagined what was happening in the race\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

Eventually, he was left with a short loop of overhead footage of Brugge where the race had started. He did his best to provide an interesting commentary whilst he imagined what was happening in the race.<\/p>

\"RapportRapport with fellow commentators is critical. Image: Marty Macdonald<\/em><\/p>

We all have phrases that we overuse, but for commentators, they can hang like albatrosses around their necks. Audiences are critical and often unforgiving. Repeat a phrase too many times and it\u2019s soon appearing on forums in less than flattering terms.<\/p>

Marty is very conscious of this and has post-it notes stuck above his monitor of words to avoid or at least not repeat too often. Mathieu van der Poel, in particular, has had him thumbing his thesaurus to find new words to describe the World Champion\u2019s superlative performances.<\/p>

However, in the heat of the moment and particularly when he\u2019s desperately paddling beneath the water, Marty recognises that he falls back to his favourite expressions.<\/p>

Not that he very often listens to the playback of his commentary. Like most people, he can\u2019t abide the sound of his own voice, and he instinctively knows whether he\u2019s had a good or bad day.<\/p>

Fellow commentators<\/h3>

Building up a rapport with your fellow commentator is essential to ensure you get the best out of one another.<\/p>

One of Marty\u2019s key duties as the lead commentator is to ensure that there\u2019s a strong balance between the needs of the dedicated cycling enthusiast and the casual viewer. It came as a surprise to me to discover how many non-cyclocross enthusiasts tune in and watch.<\/p>

That\u2019s because Eurosport is still broadcast as a linear channel on TV, where one programme runs into the next one. Someone who\u2019s been watching cross-country skiing might then stay tuned in and discover cyclocross for the first time.<\/p>

Explainer<\/strong>: Linear TV is the traditional television medium with content delivered via satellite or cable. The term \u201clinear\u201d comes from the linear content delivery method. In other words, content streams according to a predetermined schedule, and all viewers watch it at the same time.<\/em><\/p>

Working with fellow commentators such as Ian Field, Helen Wyman and Jeremy Powers, he\u2019s aware of their different views and backgrounds, which he tries to weave into the broadcast seamlessly.<\/p>

He knows which types of questions will work best with different commentators so that their overall output is both informative and interesting without alienating different audiences.<\/p>

\u201cbecome hooked\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

It seems to work too, attracting and growing a new viewer base. Marty has received quite a few messages from people who stumbled across cyclocross on Eurosport and have become hooked. They write to tell him about their first trip to watch cyclocross in Flanders or at a local league race.<\/p>

It offsets the more negative comments that are an inevitable component of a commentator's life.<\/p>

Motion graphics - Marty\u2019s other job<\/h3>

In between grappling with a microphone and prepping himself for his next gig, Marty works as an independent motion graphics animator. Unsurprisingly, many of the clients for his Creative Buzzmedia<\/strong><\/a> company are cycling-related.<\/p>

It\u2019s a small outfit consisting of Marty and his singer-songwriter daughter, Darcey Hope<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>

Clients include Eurosport, Cycling Weekly and the Tour of Britain. He\u2019s currently working for the Caledonian Gladiators basketball team, creating animated basketball-playing mooses. In his spare time, he\u2019s working on animated graphics to show how cyclocross tyres behave at different pressures.<\/p>

\u201chis legacy remains\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

Originally an illustrator, Marty retrained during Covid, attending the University of the Arts London via the internet and spending hours online every day learning his new craft. Not that he\u2019s completely left his old job as an illustrator behind, and his legacy remains.<\/p>

The walls and corridors of London\u2019s Olympic Velodrome are bedecked with his cycling cartoons. He enjoys the contrast between the frenetic atmosphere and noise of commentating and the quiet, almost lonesome studiousness of motion graphics. Balancing the two jobs can be, he says, \u201ca bit bonkers\u201d, but he loves them both.<\/p>

Lizzie Deignan made him cry<\/h3>

I asked Marty if he only had limited time left on earth, what his dream commentating job would be. He replied that he\u2019s already done it. For him, commentating at the inaugural women\u2019s Paris-Roubaix in 2021 was the highest honour.<\/p>

Paris-Roubaix is Marty\u2019s favourite road race. It\u2019s as if the emotion and tension of the entire Tour de France are condensed into a single day. He unusually felt that pressure on Saturday, 2 October 2021, when the competitors in the first Paris-Roubaix Femmes rolled across the start line.<\/p>

\u201ctears ran down Marty\u2019s cheeks\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

He was acutely aware of the occasion's significance and felt under intense strain to get it just right. When fellow Briton Lizzie Deignan rode solo into Roubaix in a victory described as one of the greatest, tears ran down Marty\u2019s cheeks.<\/p>

Not, he hopes, that the listening audience would have noticed. He thinks he\u2019s perfected the art of staying verbally solid, whilst in reality, a quivering wreck. His emotional outbursts are something that fellow commentators Dani Christmas and Danni Rowe frequently tease him about.<\/p>

\"Read<\/u><\/a>He cites many instances where happy and sad sentiments have overcome him: Zoe Backstedt\u2019s win at the Junior World Championships, the return of Wout van Aert after a serious crash at the Tour de France and the deaths of cyclocross rider Jolien Verschueren and road professional Gino M\u00e4der.<\/p>

Next time you listen to Marty calmly hand the commentary baton over to Helen Wyman with a question about tyres, you might wonder whether he's paddling furiously behind his mic.<\/p>

Our thanks to Marty for his time.<\/p>

15 April 2024, Tim Costello<\/em><\/p>

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