2023 Pro thread

[Stendhal]

Another topic, I think it fits in Pro Racing. Is anyone else watching the new Netflix series on last year's Tour? I watched the first 2 of 8 episodes and the editorial choices are ... interesting. Episode 1 focused a lot on Quick Step's controversial selection of Jakobsen without mentioning Mark Cavendish (rather it was suggested that Jakobsen was picked over Alaphillipe). Episode 2 skipped over Stage 3 other than a passing mention that van Aert was in yellow after it, and didn't say who won Stage 5 just ahead of Pogacar because the story line was all about Jumbo-Visma losing the Roglic card but keeping Vingegaard alive thanks to van Aert's tow. Oh, and they translated the French title "Coeur au Peleton" to "Unchained". The pictures are stunning, though.

[Lina]

Another topic, I think it fits in Pro Racing. Is anyone else watching the new Netflix series on last year's Tour? I watched the first 2 of 8 episodes and the editorial choices are ... interesting. Episode 1 focused a lot on Quick Step's controversial selection of Jakobsen without mentioning Mark Cavendish (rather it was suggested that Jakobsen was picked over Alaphillipe). Episode 2 skipped over Stage 3 other than a passing mention that van Aert was in yellow after it, and didn't say who won Stage 5 just ahead of Pogacar because the story line was all about Jumbo-Visma losing the Roglic card but keeping Vingegaard alive thanks to van Aert's tow. Oh, and they translated the French title "Coeur au Peleton" to "Unchained". The pictures are stunning, though.

Because it's made by the same company as Drive to Survive F1 "documentaries". They don't care about what really happened. They'll build their own stories using the images and video they have. The goal is to make dramatic storylines with great footage, not to tell what happened during the race.

[ichobi]

Watched episode 1 i think it’s fairly well told. Capturing the vibe of pro racing very well. As with Drive to Survive, the writer will take liberty in their storytelling to make the most gripping storyline for the general public. It will definitely miss or distort event just as in F1. Hope they dont do too much of that.

[maquisard]

I watched the first episode with my wife last night. She is less of a follower of pro-cycling than I am but still knows who all the big players are in the sport. She found it gripping in the same way she enjoys drive to survive despite not really being a fan of F1 racing.

Looking forward to the rest of the episodes and hope they film it again this year.

[robeambro]

Also watched it (EP1 only for now, gotta take it slow) with my SO who knows only very little of pro cycling and she got so into it that she cheered loudly when Jakobsen won the sprint. So yeah, it definitely does the job and I also found it entertaining.

I think anyone looking for a factually-accurate news bulletin rather than a "movie-style documentary" may be disappointed.

[spartacus]

Another topic, I think it fits in Pro Racing. Is anyone else watching the new Netflix series on last year's Tour? I watched the first 2 of 8 episodes and the editorial choices are ... interesting. Episode 1 focused a lot on Quick Step's controversial selection of Jakobsen without mentioning Mark Cavendish (rather it was suggested that Jakobsen was picked over Alaphillipe). Episode 2 skipped over Stage 3 other than a passing mention that van Aert was in yellow after it, and didn't say who won Stage 5 just ahead of Pogacar because the story line was all about Jumbo-Visma losing the Roglic card but keeping Vingegaard alive thanks to van Aert's tow. Oh, and they translated the French title "Coeur au Peleton" to "Unchained". The pictures are stunning, though.

I've found it a bit hard to follow, they don't explain much, and IDK who the french narrator guy they found is but he's annoying. But overall not bad, only on ep 3.

[robbosmans]

Also Thibau Nys won his 2 race this year already in his first year Pro

[AJS914]

I've watched half of the first episode. I'm having a hard time with certain aspects of it as someone who has followed cycling for decades. The French narrator is annoying as hell as he explains bike racing. Do they have to focus on all the crashes? In the first episode I was finding Jakobsen kind of annoying. He has nothing deep to say. I thought Le Fevre would be a big ahole but he's coming across as likeable.

Funny that they show Lampaert being blatantly motorpaced by the team car after the crash. He would have clearly lost the yellow jersey without the team car assist. Also, it was cool to see how much winning the yellow jersey in the Prologue meant to him.

I love Drive to Survive but I didn't know anything about F1 before I started watching. I do think it's easier for them to tell that story with only 20 drivers. It may be harder to focus the narrative on 200 bike riders.

[Stendhal]

I've watched half of the first episode. I'm having a hard time with certain aspects of it as someone who has followed cycling for decades. The French narrator is annoying as hell as he explains bike racing.

I love Drive to Survive but I didn't know anything about F1 before I started watching. I do think it's easier for them to tell that story with only 20 drivers. It may be harder to focus the narrative on 200 bike riders.

These comments are spot on, and David Millar (commentator introduced later) also is annoying. One thing I like about sports is the heterogeneity and large number of athlete stories, and it's hard to cover that.

All of this being said. the comments about the series showing an interesting behind the scenes view are true, and I love to see the French (and Swiss) scenery. And structurally, starting in Episode 3, the series loops back to earlier stages at times and gives a different team's perspective on those stages from how they were first presented. This is very effective and clever, almost like Rashomon, it greatly improves the series.

[CrankAddictsRich]

Just like Drive to Survive, if you're an avid follower of the sport already, then Unchained may seem to just give a "100 mile view" of cycling. They don't cover the fine details of the actual racing. There's little to no mention of power, watts, etc... It DOES do a good job of showing us more of the rider's personalities and the people behind the scenes. As cyclists, we geek out on the details because we understand them... this show is not geared to us. It is geared to the general public, to get them interested in the human interest side of the riders and the sport.

I'm up to episode 6 and I'm enjoying it.

[tymon_tm]

i'm halfway through the series and i pretty much love it. at first i was reluctant towards it - i know what had happened, why rewatch it again? but the very first episodes provides some really interesting perspective, "from the heart of peloton" that we just don't get watching races. Vin's face after that stage Wout went solo, the tension in Jumbo bus (the way they don't even face each other or DS while he speaks to them) adds another layer, a very interesting one I'd say, that makes even blunt stages cracking.

i wish these episodes were longer and even more packed with these inside shots, but my understanding is the film crew was only allowed so much. either way this series is the best warm up before the actual racing and i bet it's gonna attract many people who'd normally say cycling's boring.

great marketing tool for whole pro cycling, and a treat even for long time cycling fans. IMHO it's a solid 8/10 and i'd recommend it to anyone, even those totally not into pro sport.

[C36]

How long before the UCI fix their “broken from the start” regulation on minimal width?

[TobinHatesYou]

As of now the minimum bar width rule is measured outside-to-outside from the drops, right? How long until some brand goes even more extreme than the AeroCoach Ornix with like 24cm c-c hoods and massive flare to comply with UCI regulations. Of course Shimano or SRAM could also make a novel hood shape to allow for even narrower positions.

[DanW]

Really unusual damage to an ARC8 after the crash before the start line of the Junior XCO today...

It does look an unusually thin area around the BB. I would be devastated to have a minor crash and see the bike in that state!

[C36]

As of now the minimum bar width rule is measured outside-to-outside from the drops, right? How long until some brand goes even more extreme than the AeroCoach Ornix with like 24cm c-c hoods and massive flare to comply with UCI regulations. Of course Shimano or SRAM could also make a novel hood shape to allow for even narrower positions.

Exactly, min width is measured externally so open to any extreme shape... even when the UCI has a good idea, they manage to do a terrible job. How difficult to say "nothing should be narrower than xx cm, bar, hoods, anything".
When you think the UCI banned the original Mavic Mektronic hoods design for not allowing accessing brakes levers fast enough.