This article was originally published in Issue 114 of Rouleur magazine.
“Netflix are a real bunch of c***s, aren’t they?” So said the Formula One star Daniel Ricciardo during the 2019 run of the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive.
The affable Australian may have had his tongue firmly in his cheek – the statement was a joking provocation. But it’s not yet certain how any of the cyclists who will feature in the upcoming Netflix docuseries about the Tour de France felt as the cameras followed their every move.
The Box to Box Films crew who make Drive to Survive have become part of the furniture of Formula One, one of the world’s most prestigious sports. They are woven into the rich tapestry of the exclusive paddock, and widely accepted – and teased – by drivers, team principals, staff and fans alike.
Drive to Survive has become a Netflix sensation. It was ranked number one in 27 countries worldwide and F1 saw a huge increase in younger and more diverse fans, as well as exponential growth in the United States. With three American races now scheduled for 2023, including a spectacular night race in Las Vegas in November, F1 has truly broken America. And with the Tour de France set to get ‘Netflixed’, the potential impact for cycling – and the sponsors it could attract – is huge.
Cycling is about to find out if being ‘Netflixed’ will enable the sport to reach the fans other coverage cannot. The eight-part series has followed eight teams – Ag2r Citroën, Alpecin-Fenix, Bora-Hansgrohe, EF Education-EasyPost, Groupama-FDJ, Ineos Grenadiers, Jumbo-Visma and Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl (now Soudal-Quick-Step) – from the Classics in March to the climax of the Tour de France in Paris.
Jonas Vingegaard was last year’s Tour de France winner (SWPix.com)
On a commercial level, it is a no-brainer. The Tour de France is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. It captures the imagination of cycling fans, sports fans and casual fans alike during those hot, heady summer days in July. Days are routinely planned around the finish of each stage, and days of the week become stage numbers and a nod to the parcours: “It’s stage 16 in the high mountains today.”
Yet for the casual fan, a peek behind the curtain of this complicated, nuanced and chaotic world may entice them further into our beautiful sport. ASO’s ambitions were clear: to offer “unique immersion behind the scenes” and “to make the sport…