This documentary series is absolutely fantastic, terrific, thrilling, more than any movie or fiction stuff. It is incredible to watch, even for a sport buff as I am, and cycling in particular. Cycling is the most difficult and the most dangerous sport in the world. Skiing is dangerous too of course, especially in downhill - ha ha ha - as cycling, but admit there is less suffering too. Because in cycling you suffer during endless training, BUT ALSO DURING THE event - in uphill this time ha ha ha- especially TOUR DE FRANCE, three damn, f...weeks of suffering, with only two days rest- mondays - during those three weeks. You suffer on the competition even more than during the training period, which is exceptional, with marathon too. For any other sport, you suffer far less the day of the contest than BEFORE the contest. To win swimming 200 meters freestyle race for instance, you swim twenty kilometers per day, but on D Day, you don't swim twenty kilometers... On TOUR DE FRANCE or any big tour, you suffer hell, AND ALSO RISK YOUR LIFE in downhill runs at more than 90 kilometers per hour speed. So, to summarize, you have to fight against pain, endless torturous pain for UPHILL, but also against fear in DOWNHILL, fear to fall and kill yourself, or being paralyzed, or being unable to come back before months, months, without any compensation and the risk to lose everything you obtained over the years with your guts, your endless pain, your sweat. Your mind, your blood, your dedication, your endless sacrifices for yourself and your family and relatives. And you also have to endure pain whatever the temperature, one degree or on the contrary thirty degrees above zero, or rain, rain, with all the risks of falls that means. So, if you watch this awesome series, you'll understand what I mean. You will also sweat, weep, and maybe also feel the inhuman strength, rage that lead those gladiators to fight against the impossible, against themselves at the risk of their lives. They explain here so many things, including strategies, inner feelings, the fantastic pressure on those men. It is not only focused on favourites, the expected champions, but also the supporting cyclists, the "servants" in charge to carry water, bring trouble to the opponents. I hope I have been understood. I would have expected something related to doping, but it would have been a too delicate, sensitive subject to talk about anyway. For me, there is much much hypocrisy around it, so much. Authorities, federations, claim to fight against but without doping, ninety percent of those gladiators would never make it till the end, and in times.... From time to time, to give the illusion to do "something" against, they - authorities - find a scapegoat who pays for the others. Lance Armstrong affair is the best example. This is an ALIEN and INSANE sport, if you watch this series very carefully and then try to make the good analysis.
