As much as this tournament disinterests me personally I can't deny that it has been a fantastic and very welcome distraction to the whole covid thing. So from that perspective alone Englands, so far, successful run has been great for the nation, it's give the vast majority a much needed boost.
When I was younger the cycling coverage on TV was sparse. We didn't have the amount of channels we have now and on the rare occasions it was on, like you said, it was on at stupid o'clock. It wasn't until the emergence of a cocky American in the peloton, who went by the name of Lance Armstrong, that I became really interested in watching the sport on TV. His attitude, his ability, his recovery from cancer all played a part in me becoming attached to this guy, I loved him.
And then of course, over the years, everything unravelled, and his super human ability on the bike was exposed. But I still love him, a legend of the sport, but of course, to most, for all the wrong reasons, lol.