Nat Bromhead
First Tommo, now Robbie.
In a shock announcement Robbie McEwen says he has been axed from the SBS Cycling Central commentary team. The news came late in the day, an hour after the conclusion of his co-commentary of the 2022 RoadNats in Ballarat.
McEwen took to Twitter to congratulate the winners and drop the bombshell news he would no longer be working with the broadcaster.
“Great #RoadNats22 National Champs road races,” McEwen wrote.
“Congrats to the riders who gave us the spectacle. You’ll no longer hear me on the comms on any SBS cycling broadcast. They have axed me from the team to “deliver their broadcast differently”,” he concluded.
The shock news comes just 3-months after the sudden sacking of Michael Tomalaris, a 30+year veteran of the network and the nation’s best-known and most respected cycling commentator.
An SBS spokesperson thanked the three time Tour de France Green Jersey winner for his work with SBS, but said the network was taking a “different approach” to their commentary this year.
“Robbie has been a valued member of our cycling commentary line-up for a number of events over the last six years,” the spokesperson said.
“But we’re exploring a different approach in 2022. While his contract has come to an end, we thank Robbie for all that he’s brought to the role during his time with us.”
Over To You
The cycling community are understandably shocked with the news with hundreds taking to social media to vent their outrage and pen comments such as –
“Robbie was so insightful – he simply knows the game like no other.”
“Very sad day indeed, looks like SBS are travelling the cultural diversity pathway like the ABC and discarding the people that matter the most.“
“Robbie has turned into one of the BEST cycling commentators! WTH”
“Poor form SBS. Very disappointing”
“Nooooooooooo! Seriously? They’re knowledge, insight, humour, professionalism, etc etc is second to none. Big mistake SBS. Bring Robbie and Tomo back!”
“Looks like GCN and VPN when SBS has exclusive Australian rights is the answer. Hope Robbie get’s snapped up by GCN. His depth of knowledge, analysis and insight from one of the sport’s all time greats is unmatched. This only makes sense if SBS is replacing Robbie with Cadell and don’t have the budget for both. WTAF SBS! Keeno’s constant stream of data is more palatable when broken up by Robbie’s amazing insight.”
We are keen to hear your thoughts – Have your say in the comments section below.
This just makes no sense. Why would SBS drop someone like Robbie McEwen from commentating? He has so much grand touring experience and knowledge and his sprinting insights are second to none. So, apparently the program director wants to take the coverage “in a different direction”. Does that mean they don’t want expert commentary any more? I was really enjoying the line-up of Keeno, Bridie and Robbie. I think they make a great team and each have different strengths. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! #NotHappyJan
Tuned in for the d’Huez stage tonight. Obviously missed the news, but why would you axe McKewen? One of the most most qualified and credentialed Aussie ex-pros. Now I am listening to Christophe Mallet. Who? So boring. Seriously bland team other than Bridie. Love her commentary, she and Robbie commentating made it enjoyable. Great ‘different direction’, thanks SBS.
SBS….No Robbie or Mike….what a dumb thing to do….SBS management a nuts move.
SBS are a bunch of Simps to get rid of Robbie & Tomalaris. Time for me to move on to another station…. One with balls.
Very disappointed that Tomalaris and McEwen have gone from SBS. Tomalaris’ enthusiasm and passion for the the sport and event are contagious, and McEwen is anything but bland but more importantly his tactical understanding is deep and well-communicated.
Unbelievable, first to go were Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen – huge mistakes. Then the cooking segment was cut down – another mistake. Then Gabriel Gateau went. Now it’s come to Mike Tomalaris and Robbie McEwen, the last two good people who were left. Unbelievable. Left with the boring voice Matthew Keenan who can’t pronounce words properly and the rest. Destroyed what was a great team that made an interesting program for all viewers apart from the cycling purists. The big dinner parties to watch have come to an end. You’ve lost us.
Robbie too fond of the sound of his own voice. Also insufficiently aware that a good proportion of the audience are not technical experts.
Maybe get rid of O’Donnell and MacKenzie … complete the trifecta of stupidity.
Robbie was a great pro and brought in-depth commentary with a touch of the larrikin. Then again why would you need flair and entertainment in your commentators? They got rid of Liggett and now Robbie. Last straw. Will not be tuning into SBS. Have the GCN+ sub.
Keeno is knowledgeable, but drones on. Robbie and Bridie brought humour and specialist insights. If the program director could not see value of that duo, he too should be axed. No probs, have a VPN and overseas coverage. By SBS.
Watched every year since cadel , no more ,stupid move sbs
I am a woman in her 60s who is not “into” cycling but my husband is. He has been an avid follower of anything “cycling” and SBS for years.
We were so disappointed to learn that Robbie (and Mike) would no longer be in the cycling commentary team for SBS. What a wealth of knowledge, experience (practical and otherwise) and utmost professionalism is going to gone!!!! We knew Robbie when he was a young lad, first going away to the AIS in the ’90s and he has made Australia (& his family/friends proud). He is going to be so sadly missed – a big loss for SBS.
WTH is happening with SBS management and/or their cycling producers. Robbie was the gem of their broadcast and the whole thing was just superb. Even the app was perfectly integrated.
I just inwardly cringe at what is going to happen now. Just such an absolute shame to take one of the best sports productions and butcher it, and for what?
Really sad news to hear that both Robbie and Mike T are no longer commentators for SBS Cycling.
No doubt we will now be subjected to dim people who just have the right look on tv , Botox and filler brigade !! with no actual knowledge of the sport at all .
Shame on you SBS . J😔😔
That is a bad decision by management.
First Mike now Robbie. SBS started going down hill with cycling commentary when there was no longer Phil and Paul. Mike and Robbie were the only two bright sparks left on the team. Listening to Mathew Keenan is so boring. Like watching grass grow.
I don’t agree. Mr. Keenan has real and intelligent discussions on the race and the racerd as it goes along. Phil and the gang just overreact to everything like it’s amazing and half the time the comments make no sense.
Very poor decision by SBS by axing Robbie and Mike both very popular with cycling fans. It’s about time we are told what is behind these decisions.
Matthew Keenan is SO excruciatingly cringeworthy, he’s an embarrassment to commentators everywhere. I could feel Robbie’s eyeballs roll upward many times a night. Even Robbie, the ONLY worthwhile member of the team, couldn’t save the SBS Tour broadcast when for the sake of, y’know, ‘equality’ or something, they added that embarrassingly bland, banal woman! That was the end for me. I’m actually grateful SBS gave me the push I needed because it prompted me to look for alternatives online, and it turns out that even for Australians, there are FAR better options available. So NO more SBS fo
I agree – that woman is so annoying – bring back Robbie!
Thanks to the below for letting us all know about GCN: I think I’ll sign up. Losing Robbie and Thommo will be terminal for the SBS coverage: it’s great to know where we can still spend our winter nights watching credible cycling coverage. Man: this is going to cost the network a hell of a lot of viewing hours…
I totally support SBS in updating their programming delivery when things are going badly however I do not believe this to be the case with the original cycling team. It amazes and saddens me that we have now been denied the insights that Robbie used to bring to our screens and his analysis of sprint finishes were incredible. With Thommo and now Robbie gone SBS had big shoes to fill to keep viewers loyal!! Very disappointing SBS. The report card will read ” Could have done better!”
Good bye SBS. You have definitely lost the plot big time. Eurosport here I come.
Totally disappointed in SBS’s handling of Robbie McEwen, what ever direction they are taking it should be by using the best commentators and Robbie is one of the best commentators on cycling. (Tomalaris and now McEwen)
As it is we don’t get enough coverage of world class cycling event on free to air!
I’m not happy SBS.
Robbie was a world class champion rider and world class commentator. Not sure the producers of the show are in the same league!
Don’t quite understand this at all. It is their call but when you give bland statments like “we want a different approach” just doesn’t cut it with most of us. Did they ever say to Mike and Robbie “this is what we want from now on” did Mike and Robbie refuse to adapt. I have nothing against the new brigade but to be fair would they have cut Sherwin and told him we need a new approach.
I’m not a cycling desperate, and I wasn’t a great fan of Robbie.
In fact I stopped watching SBS Tour de France after he came onto the commentary team.
Like many cycling enthusiasts, I enjoyed the original travelogue aspect of the TDF coverage, which faded a little with the modern team.
The in-depth analysis was over the top, and to me there seemed to be some aggression in the commentary, with a fair bit of an ‘I know’ and ‘I was right’ trumpeting on display.
I particularly disliked the interruptions to other commentators’ talking points when some obscure tactic or incident happened.
It’s a cycling race, but you don’t like it when they talk about cycling?! WHY are you even commenting on a cycling website?!
Do you race bikes?
That is just so sad, bad move SBS, no Tommo, now Robbie, what are you thinking? I don’t know who you are now trying to cater to, but it ain’t gonna work! Bring back Tommo and Robbie!
It was a terrible decision by SBS. Robbie was the shining light in the commentary box. Thankfully I have GCN and a VPN.
I’m so glad I have GCN+ so I can access Eurosport.
SBS lost the plot many years ago by continuing to interrupt races with a ‘panel’ discussion that was boring and unhelpful.
Now getting rid of McEwen is the last straw. Good bye SBS
Ridiculous and so disappointing. Robbie was the main reason to watch SBS coverage. Over to GCN now. Such stupidity must not go unpunished.
Not a logical decision this one, he’s a cycling legend who is both informative and has a sense of humour.
An absurd decision. Robbie McEwan and Matt Keenan are such a brilliant team and I am bemused – to put it politely – at this decision. What the heck is going on with SBS?!?!
C’mon, seriously?! McEwan and Keenan shared the same commentary box, but they were hardly a ‘team’. Keenan is hopeless, and clearly outclassed by McEwan. Sometimes the embarrassment level was palpable, and I’m surprised Robbie’s still got a tongue left, with all they biting he must have done over the years every time Keenan said something excruciatingly cringeworthy, awkwardly irrelevant, or desperately clueless. I must admit though, the pained silences from Robbie all the times Keenan failed at saying something funny were ironically amusing.
Unbelievable news! First Thommo then Robbie. Who next? What are SBS thinking?
My wife and I have been religiously watching SBS cycling since the Commonwealth Bank Classic days from the early 1990s. Robbie was a young up and coming racing cyclist then and Thommo starting his commentary. They have too much experience to be lost to us fans. Hope they are snapped up other Networks! A big mistake SBS!
Let’s not forget Phil Liggett.
Will be interesting to see who the replacement is.