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Best Cycling Film or Documentary

I have watched a number of cycling films: 'The Road Uphill', 'The Ultimo Kilometre', 'American Flyer' and 'Ride the Divide'. There is also the film charting the Postal teams cycling exploits which is due out soon(ish).

There are not a lot of them. But I was wondering if people have a favourite? If so, why?

Does cycling make a good format for the silver screen, or goggle box?

What would you like to see more of?

Personally I would love a biopic of Gino Bartali made into a proper film and maybe a documentary based on 'The Death of Marco Pantani'.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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44 comments

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JaymesPayten | 7 years ago
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If you're going to watch a cycling film, the Leo De Haan's film Race Across America is a must-watch. 

My partner and I watched it last night and found this site by Googling Race Across America. 

Personally, cycling across the States is something I've always wanted to do and it's firmly on my bucket list.

Check it out here guys - http://amzn.to/1NHlYhb

Cheers,

Jaymes

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skull-collector... | 9 years ago
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The one with the dude doing rat races on fixed gear bikes xD

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OldRidgeback | 9 years ago
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Belleville Rendevous - lovely film, watch it and see what I mean.

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naffets | 9 years ago
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Hell on wheels great film with insight to aldag and zabel room sharing!

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Kapelmuur | 9 years ago
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I'm very fond of the short film, 'Vive Le Tour', by Louis Malle which is included as an extra on my DVD of 'Sunday In Hell'.

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pants | 9 years ago
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Jan Ulrich's guide to a healthy living.. or a sunday in hell and stars and water carriers.

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charlie29 | 9 years ago
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I liked the Pantani one 'Accidental death of a cyclist'. And the Team Sky documentary 'Road to Glory'.  1

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ianrobo | 9 years ago
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definitely Sunday in Hell for me with Slaying close behind. Thanks for the tip on the Giro one, will watch it at some time.

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paddyirish | 9 years ago
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+1 for A Sunday in Hell

Also Slaying the Badger. Makes Wiggins vs Froome 26 years later seem like Mickey Mouse...

+ Danny MacCaskill's the Ridge - only 7 mins long, but superb... Mrs Paddy had the pleasure of seeing it on the big screen at the weekend.

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gazza_d | 9 years ago
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If you like cheese, then American Flyers is not bad.

The title sequence though an american city is great as are some of the other cycling sections, including some good race footage.

The plot about one of the brothers being ill is crap though, but hey there's bikes in it.

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StraelGuy | 9 years ago
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'The Stars and the bottle carriers', a film about the 1973 Giro d'Italia. A mesmerising film  1 . Available here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUIr9LG1juw

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Leo DeHaan | 9 years ago
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The film Race Across America about a team of Brits trying to win the race.
It's cinematic and big- it looks beautiful and got a great score, but also intense and personal as it follows just one teams journey, including a rookie girl on the team.
Can be watched here www.raceacrossamerica.co.uk
Not many people know about the film. What do you think of it?

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ianrobo replied to Leo DeHaan | 9 years ago
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Leo DeHaan wrote:

The film Race Across America about a team of Brits trying to win the race.
It's cinematic and big- it looks beautiful and got a great score, but also intense and personal as it follows just one teams journey, including a rookie girl on the team.
Can be watched here www.raceacrossamerica.co.uk
Not many people know about the film. What do you think of it?

Watched on I think ITV a few months ago and thought it was fantastic to see what humans will put themselves through, highly recommend to watch it.

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Leo DeHaan replied to ianrobo | 9 years ago
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The documentary Race Across America is being played on British Eurosport quite a lot. Has anyone watched it yet on that channel?

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Kapelmuur | 10 years ago
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My daughter has a DVD of a drama series based around the Ronde van Vlaanderen which she bought in Belgium. It's in Flemish and sub titled in French, but she managed to learn Flemish from it.

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The _Kaner | 10 years ago
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The Flying Scotsman - Obree's biopic is quite an entertaining flick (IMO).
not so much about cycling in general, if you've read the book you'll know the background story....

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Jack Osbourne snr | 10 years ago
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Furious Cycling.

Shows the true grit and determination required to get to the top. Also features some fascinating insights into the R&D side of the sport.

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Jack Osbourne snr | 10 years ago
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Furious Cycling.

Shows the true grit and determination required to get to the top. Also features some fascinating insights into the R&D side of the sport.

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northstar | 10 years ago
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Quicksilver ; )

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antonio | 10 years ago
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I video taped the beeb's Boardman v O'Bree documentary, I find it just as fascinating today as I did then. The homespun v the science, a real insight to men and their machines. Greatest moment came when O'Bree apologised to Chris after beating him in a pursuit semi final, magic.

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richard85 | 10 years ago
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Chasing Legends is an amazing doc. the footage and music are incredible

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBNSNaDwmUg

Youtube link

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millhouse | 10 years ago
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I watched Tom Simpson Death on the Mountain around a year ago, and many times since. I have even used it once while on a turbo trainer and found it really motivating. I find the 50/60/70's eras really interesting and I had heard stories about what happened when Tom Simpson sadly died in the Tour, so it was fascinating to see the footage and interviews with his team mates, ex Tour winners and journalists.
It is a real eye-opener when you see brandy being carried by riders, only four water bottles allowed per stage, much longer stages than they are today.
You can watch it on Youtube. They keep showing the approach to Mont Ventoux which is a bit annoying but it lets you experience the apprehension that the riders must have felt knowing that the climb was getting nearer and nearer.
Great documentary!

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DonnyCampo | 10 years ago
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Big big big fan of Chasing Legends which covers HTC's 2009 Tour. Great cinematography and music, fantastic "cast"; Aldag & Holm-the old married couple, Cav, Eisel, Voigt (the year of his big crash). I'll admit there is a little too much of Phil & Paul though (typically anything over 10 minutes is too much...)

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ragtimecyclist replied to DonnyCampo | 10 years ago
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DonnyCampo wrote:

Big big big fan of Chasing Legends which covers HTC's 2009 Tour. Great cinematography and music, fantastic "cast"; Aldag & Holm-the old married couple, Cav, Eisel, Voigt (the year of his big crash). I'll admit there is a little too much of Phil & Paul though (typically anything over 10 minutes is too much...)

I'd go along with that - looks great and the soundtrack works beautifully. I saw it at a cinema as part of a cycling film festival and on the big screen it was completely immersive. You probably have to go for the whole Cav-Eisel-Renshaw brothers-in-arms routine to really appreciate it!

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karlowen | 10 years ago
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The greatest show on earth about the '74 giro is fantastic. Mainly for shots of cyclist raiding cafes, restaurants, delivery trucks, fan's coolboxes and anywhere else for refreshments.

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Neil753 | 10 years ago
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I've recently watched Robert Millar's "The High Life" - fantastic stuff!

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Tony Farrelly | 10 years ago
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Bicycle Dreams, it's about the 2005 Race Across America and it's a simply stunning film about cycling. It's Dramatic, gripping and very poignant and you don't need to be a cyclist to enjoy it, although if you're not it will give you an idea of why people do it and become so obsessive.

Here's a link to our review.
http://road.cc/content/review/4879-auerfilms-bicycle-dreams-dvd

By the looks of the film website it's still available too

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Colin Peyresourde replied to Tony Farrelly | 10 years ago
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I think I would like to see that. I have 'Hell on two wheels' as an audio book. It too is about the Race Across America (RAAM) and sounded pretty amazing.

My only gripe about the audiobook was that it was narrated by some American's grandmother pepped up on Valium. It sort of took some of the competitive drama out of it. She had the sort of voice which suggested apple pie, self-help books and child development issues, not the raw aggression and steeliness of semi-professional athletes.

Sometimes I wonder why they get certain people to narrate these books - the guy who did Tyler Hamilton's sounded like he was in his late 50s, and seemed like a slightly odd choice.

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Cheesyclimber | 10 years ago
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Totally recommend Premium Rush. It's cheesy and stupid and very 1980s, but the cinematography (they used GoPros for some shots) and editing really captures the thrills of urban cycling.

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Colin Peyresourde replied to Cheesyclimber | 10 years ago
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thelimopit wrote:

Totally recommend Premium Rush. It's cheesy and stupid and very 1980s, but the cinematography (they used GoPros for some shots) and editing really captures the thrills of urban cycling.

I thought that Premium Rush was pretty good. It seems a bit harsh to label it 1980s style since it was only in the last year or two.

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