I don’t know when it was that I first became aware of the Netflix documentary, Tour de France: Unchained, was in process, but I for sure remember feeling excited about it. The history of cycling documentaries is a mix of lovable old classics, depressing doping stuff, and head-scratchers. If the pinnacle of the sport’s filmography is “inside Movistar,” then surely there was an opportunity for more. And this time around, unlike the Movistar moment that IIRC involved some teams bailing on the project, the top teams were going to participate and really let us behind the scenes of a recent, relevant, Tour de France. What could go wrong?
[Plenty, but if you want a list of nitpicky complaints, Twitter is your best bet.]
Anyway, I am not here to analyze the series in any serious way — it’s a documentary, watch it and enjoy as you see fit. The only bit of content I can think to add is to just give you my running thoughts and impressions… TO THE LIVEBLOG MOBILE!
[Actual impressions based on late evening notes; timestamps are vague approximations for dramatic purposes only.]
EPISODE 1: The Grand Départ
[2 minutes]
Just watched the intro and am completely spent. If anyone is wondering why the Tour has to play out over three weeks’ worth of five-hour segments, the answer is, for our collective health and sanity.
[3:15]
Steve Chainel!! I saw something on Twitter about how he’s a prominent commentator in French cycling media, but am still a bit taken aback. Kind of prominent ears, probably cost him 3-4 watts per km. But whatever, he’s the star of my only (truly unqualified) appearance in a Belgian cycling photographers’ well.
Really nailed the shot of the 25-meter mark.
[3:30] Patrick Lefevre could be an American sports mini-hero by the end of episode 8. That sort of straight-talking, salty-sounding old guy wisdom is GOLD.
[3:45] Charismatic world champion Julian Alaphilippe will be a character of this documentary!!
[4:30] At home with Fabio Jakobsen, where he is cleaning his own bike. Clearly he is going to feature prominently. Equally clearly, the show is going to feature lots and lots of crashes, in painfully slow motion. Note to self: keep the controller handy.
[5:00] Super Bowl-style rider intros. Ladieeeezzz and Gentlemennnn… Floriaaaaannn Sénéchal…chal…chal [wild applause]
[5:22] Charismatic world champion Julian Alaphilippe has been effectively fired from…
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