The idea is so devilishly simple, that it just might work. With racing coverage in the US starting to ebb because the good ship Armstrong sailed, there was an opportunity to fill in the coverage gaps. So why not just stream the TV coverage of European races on the internet? It gives those TV networks another media outlet for their broadcasts, and it gives shut out cycling fans a chance to see the races they only read about in the pages of cycling magazines, in that little tiny print.

Simon Brydon, CEO of Cycling.tv, would have you believe that he started cyling.tv to see more races himself, but I suspect he’s a super-genius bent on world-wide domination of cycling media. Well, that may be a slight exaggeration. I interviewed Simon and Anthony McCrossan, Cycling.tv’s Commentator, to see whether they intended to turn us into Euro stream hungry drones or as they claim, give us an opportunity to see more cycling. In the interest of full disclosure, we are a Cycling.tv affiliate. So click on the banner at the top and sign up already! Not only have we drank the Cycling.tv Kool Aid here, we also are mixing a big barrel full for everyone in the New York area.

Schmalz: How difficult is it to negotiate the rights to stream video of the races from different countries? It obtaining the rights your greatest challenge?

Simon: To start with, rights were difficult but we gained the trust of rights owners very quickly and as we were adding new value – no strings attached we were able to work with them.

Schmalz: You must go to sleep tossing and turning about bandwidth challenges.

Simon: The odd terabyte or ten has given me some concern!

Schmalz: Are you going to start creating original content? Do you need shows produced by a category 3 New York racer?

Simon: We do produce original content: we filmed with team CSC earlier this year and we also make news and documentary features. We produce the British Premier Calendar road racing series for Eurosport and we are always looking for interesting features from category 3’s or anyone!

Cycling.tv has also partnered with OLN to stream the Giro coverage, but instead of just streaming the race this year, they are showing the races with commentary also.

I got yer cat 3 original feature riiiiight heah!

Schmalz: Describe your relationship with OLN and how it came about.

Simon: We knew that OLN watched Cycling.tv and we had so many people complaining about the lack of cycling and we knew that last year OLN web streamed it without commentary and we thought that our users would appreciate the Giro on cycling.tv so we sat down with OLN in January to work out a suitable agreement.

Schmalz: Any thoughts about streaming other endurance sports to expand your viewer base? In the winter I think it would be a logical cross over to do Nordic (or cross-country as it’s known in the US) skiing events, even speed skating would be a good winter fill in also. Maybe even a triathlon channel on your site. Man – those people spend a lot of money! Every bike shop owner I know does a little dance when a triathlon guy comes through the door.

Simon: We’re going to build our triathlon channel as a priority and also more leisure cycling material.

Schmalz: Do you get sick of people offering broadcast ideas? Like the ideas I just offered?

Simon: We get a few; we’re always looking for producers who know how to make a deal work. They have to take control of their own financial destiny on productions and we’ll help them in any way.

I then turned my attention to Anthony, the Cycling.tv commentator. Who, I’m sure has taken more shots than Mike Tyson’s speed bag. The internet is such a loving place. Have you ever tried to talk for 3 hours? Have you? I didn’t think so.

Schmalz: What does the commentary booth look like? Is it your living room? C’mon you can be honest? I work at home, so I’m usually dressed like “the Dude” from “The Big Lebowski”. I shave about once a week or so.

Anthony: I wish it was my living room! As with all commentary booths I have ever been in, it is small, homely, hot, full of velo books, paper, maps, bottles of water, Brian’s notes etc. However, where would you rather be! Watching cycling in a darkened room, or behind a desk at work!!

Schmalz: People on the internet can be brutal – just look at the comments sections on our site. Do you get a lot of heat from know-it-alls when you mispronounce something or slip up? If I had a quarter for every time I’ve been called a knuckle head…

Anthony: If you can’t take the criticism, never be a commentator! At least I provoke discussion which is not a bad thing. This sport is colorful, exciting, and glamorous and everyone has an opinion. I am lucky enough to be able to voice it.

Schmalz: How did you get into commentary? Other sports seem to have schools of broadcasting, etc., but cycling seems to attract commentators who are fans first, broadcasters second – which I prefer by the way.

Anthony: I rode as a junior and senior after watching the World champs in 1982, but was a real fan. My first commentary was a city criterium in England. I just got asked to do more and more after that. I have commentated to one man and his dog in the rain! Bit by bit I got asked to do national champs, televised races, tours such as Tour of Britain, Eurosport and now Cycling.tv.

Schmalz: Are those pro guys really emailing you?

Anthony: The pro teams do phone and email. Brian has good contact with lots of teams so he must be credited with that!

Schmalz: It has to be nuts trying to spot riders in the sprints and during the races via a TV monitor. What’s your secret?

Anthony: It is hard to spot riders. I am not sure there is a secret! I find it better to have a go than not to mention anything. 9 times out of 10 you are right. Spanish TV pictures are hardest to spot riders in. In the finale, I watch the moves from above with the helicopter and have a number of riders that I think may win. I generally note the top 6 riders. In the strings. If Brian is with me, he is normally pointing at the winning move on the screen!

Schmalz: Do you have a favorite racer? I don’t think I could even pretend to be objective about the racers. Personally I would giggle every time Salvatore Commesso showed up on camera, but I’m half a wingnut…

Anthony: Favorite rider, this is difficult. I enjoy seeing the classics riders. Paris Roubaix is my favorite race by far. This season I have been impressed by Frank Schleck, Samuel Sanchez and I think Thomas Dekker is a huge talent for the future.

Anthony then politely excused himself from any more inane questioning, so I could return my focus back to Simon.

Schmalz: I know you are doing both on demand and streaming video now. Where do you predict internet cycling broadcasting going in the future? Will it be more of a streaming model or a itunes on demand type situation? Does it matter? Do you want to make the jump to traditional TV?

Simon: We’re going to be delivering straight to TV in the UK soon via a dual internet/gigital model and we’re launching our own download model very soon. I see it going wireless. One million people on the side of Alp d’Huez watching the Tour on their handhelds! It will be everything…Mobile, TVs, on demand, download…

Schmalz: Could you foresee doing a channel where you show classic races from the past? Races with Merckx, Coppi, and all of the legends? Or is it just too difficult to get access to those race videos?

Simon: We’re working at developing rights for owners archives.

Schmalz: That’s a model of world domination for sure! It would be relentlessly addictive. I can just imagine the roadside spectators knocking into the racers as they are watching their mobile screens instead of watching where they are going.

Simon: The plan would be that for those 15 minutes they at least watch the live racing! But as you can imagine if there is one sport made for wireless it’s cycling! Wait hours for 30 seconds!

There you have it, you will soon be able to see races wherever you go: roadside at the Tour, in the Velodrome at Roubaix, even at religious services. How can this be a bad thing?