Over his incredible 54-year career, Liggett has entrenched himself as cycling’s most authoritative voice. He will join two Australian cycling greats Anna Meares and Scott McGrory to cover all the action on the road and the track racing at the Olympic velodrome. He won’t be sitting side-by-side with them, however. He’ll be based in a studio, west of London near Heathrow Airport. “I’ll be driving to work watching all the planes take off and wishing I was on them,” Liggett said, adding he feels a bit like a caged lion given he hasn’t been on a plane since Covid shut down the world.“Hopefully next year, which would be my 50th year on the Tour de France – should I make it – then that would be lovely to actually be on the ground.”Liggett assured viewers they won’t notice the difference. “I do still feel that same excitement – it’s like the viewer, you are also watching it on television and you’ve got to project that excitement despite not being in the actual arena to feel it,” he said.“Having said that, I’m just a (cycling) enthusiast who happens to be a commentator. I know how the athletes are feeling and I can generate that excitement from the quietness of a tiny studio with no windows and no atmosphere.”Liggett honed his skills broadcasting remotely for last year’s Tour de France and will do the same again in a few weeks for the prestigious race.“People couldn’t believe I wasn’t actually at the Tour de France last year,” Liggett said. “Three days in the head of NBC Sport telephoned me. I thought I had done something wrong because he never phones anybody. “He said ‘hey, are you sure you’re not there?’ I said ‘What?’ he said ‘This is just so good’. I was so flattered.” He’s counting down the days to the start of the Tokyo games – his 16th Olympics and he’s hoping it’s not his last.“Tokyo 2020 has been a long time coming and I’m over the moon to be part of Seven’s team again,” Liggett said. “Of the Olympic Games I’ve worked on, this shapes as the most challenging of them all but cyclists are the toughest people in the world and I expect them to rise to the occasion.” He expects it will be another great battle between the cycling powerhouses Great Britain and Australia. “The competition will be fiercer than ever, but there’s so much to look forward to for the Aussies,” Liggett said.“On the track, there’s obviously the team pursuit, and we’re also expecting big things for Matt Glaetzer, as we are for stars like Richie Porte and Rohan Dennis on the road.”Liggett’s signing bolsters Seven’s already strong commentary team led by Bruce McAvaney. The line-up also includes Olympic gold medallists Ian Thorpe, Nick Green, Giaan Rooney, Russell Mark, Debbie Watson and Kerri Pottharst. As the countdown continues to the Olympic Games opening ceremony on 23 July, fans canlook forward to the country’s biggest-ever broadcast and digital event. For the first time in Australian free-to-air television history, there will be 45 dedicated Olympic channels across Seven and 7plus, all live, free and in HD.
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