Netflix will premiere the documentary series in early 2023.
Quad and Box to Box Films are collaborating on the project. The latter is the creator of the critically acclaimed Netflix series Drive to Survive, which follows chosen Formula One teams throughout the racing season and recounts their inside tales.
The Tour de France’s organiser, ASO, has confirmed the production of a Netflix series about the 2022 event, as well as the teams that will compete.
Filming for the series will take place between March and July 2022, and will focus on eight teams’ preparations for the Tour and the event itself. Seven WorldTour teams and one ProTour team will be closely followed by camera crews, including AG2R Citroen Team, Alpecin-Fenix (ProTour), Bora-Hansgrohe, EF Education-EasyPost, Groupama-FDJ, Ineos Grenadiers, Jumbo-Visma, and Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl.
France Télévisions is also involved in the production, and a 52-minute documentary will be televised shortly before the start of the Tour de France in 2023. There will be eight episodes in total, each lasting 45 minutes on Netflix.
On the collaboration with Netflix, Yann Le Monner, ASO’s managing director, said:
““We are proud of this partnership with Netflix, France Télévisions and the Tour de France teams, which will offer fans a unique immersion behind the scenes. Through a narrative approach, which is additive to the competition itself, the public will be able to discover how the Tour de France represents the ultimate challenge for the competitors ; in particular in terms of suffering, pushing their limits and team spirit.”
“This project is part of our overall ambition to make our sport more accessible and meet an even wider audience.”
Before the documentary was formally confirmed, Jonathan Vaughters, the CEO of EF Education-EasyPost, voiced worry that the subtleties of cycling would present a greater difficulty to the filmmakers than F1, however he noted the arrangement for the teams to participate was “quite good.”
The most notable exclusion from the list of teams involved with the documentary is two-time winner and defending champion Tadej Pogaar, who chose not to participate with UAE Team Emirates.
The first season of Drive to Survive did not include two of the sport’s leading teams, Mercedes and Ferrari, but as the series grew in popularity, they were invited to participate. Since the series aired, broadcasters have reported a big increase in F1 viewership, which the Tour organiser and teams will hope can be reproduced in cycling.
“Cycling is going to prove more challenging for the directors and producers of the film because it’s a very subtle sport, the tactics and strategy and cycling are very subtle,” Vaughters told Cyclingnews
“It is a nuanced sport in a way that Formula One maybe isn’t… I think somebody coming in for the first time from a filmmaking perspective is going to struggle to see the critical moments inside a team, so it’ll be more challenging for the people making the films for sure.”
Contact Us
If you have any suggestions or advise, please feel free to reach us via our Contact Us here.
DIY Research
If you are a research nerd and interested in publishing research papers or articles, we highly recommend that treat Google as your best friend or contact us.