BRITISH Tandem Put Their Spin On TOUR DE FRANCE

(From The USA Today -- By Michael Hiestand)

OUTDOOR LIFE NETWORK's live coverage of THE TOUR DE FRANCE often has costumed fans jumping inches from the world's elite cyclists. But it always delivers world-class quirkiness from idiosyncratic on-air BRITISH announcers PHIL LIGGETT and PAUL SHERWEN.

Too bad the pair couldn't be on U.S. TV more often. THE TOUR's overall race leader wears a yellow jersey. But to Liggett, "once you pull on that golden fleece, you become two men." But then, Liggett also can see riders "dancing on the pedals in a most immodest way." Or, note the race's pack is "riding like scalded cats." That would come after "the first pedal has been turned in anger."

Liggett, rasping by phone Thursday because he's in danger of losing his voice for the first time in 33 years of covering THE TOUR, says, "I really do make it all up on the spur. And like Paul, I don't remember what I said when I walk away." His reaction after having recently seen fan TODD CARRIER's WEB SITE OF LIGGETTISMS --"Did I really say all that?"

Sherwen, who tells viewers when he sees a rider "digging into his suitcase of courage," said by phone Thursday that he "can't keep lists of phrases. You just make them up." And while both have heard that OLN viewers actually play drinking games based on hearing their catchphrases, neither says they alter their commentary to case viewer inebriation. Says Sherwen, when asked what he knows of those games -- "I thought you were from a family newspaper."

OLN's 3-5 hours of daily live coverage average 0.6% of the network's 63 million households -- up 53% from last year. But then it's pretty entertaining stuff, given the costumed fans popping up onscreen dressed as, say, devils, angels or leprechauns.

Sherwen, who rode in seven TOURS and once finished third from last, says the fan this week dressed as SUPERMAN who ran by LANCE ARMSTRONG "could easily have fallen in front of him. It gets precarious, but spectators rarely provoke a crash. It looks like total craziness, but there's a certain amount of organization."

Sort of like Liggett's and Sherwen's commentary.