The arrival of free and paid streaming services has changed the way we view entertainment, but is it worth looking for cycling movies and documentaries in the vast sea of content? The following are a few of the best to check out.
Sean Conway’s ‘Europe or Bust’ – Amazon Prime Video
This 2022 documentary takes the viewer on an adventure across Europe, as endurance athlete Sean Conway looks to set a world record by cycling alone from Portugal all the way to Russia. It’s not easy for him, as the weather and poor road conditions make this a real test of his commitment to ultracycling.
The whole thing runs for just over an hour, as we watch Sean travel 6,000 km across eight countries on this ambitious world record attempt. There’s no shortage of spectacular views along the way, but the overwhelming feeling it provokes is curiosity as to whether Sean reached his goal or not. Is this type of cycling movie likely to push the discipline up near the popularity of other sports that fans stream regularly?
Cycling streaming has become big news in recent times, with the 2022 edition of the Tour de France achieving record online viewing figures across Europe and ARD’s Sportschau streaming platform doubling last year’s numbers to reach 11 million viewers.
Yet, the latest details on sports streaming in the USA lists football, basketball, and soccer as the top three sports that Americans search for. While cycling isn’t yet on the list, the fact that UFC fights and F1 races have gained more popularity in recent times suggests that it’s possible for niche sports to become more popular streaming options in the near future.
The Least Expected Day – Netflix
We get to see Enric Mas and the rest of the Movistar team as they compete in some of the world’s biggest cycling events. The Least Expected Day has been described as being like a cycling soap opera and it certainly provides plenty of drama. Viewers also discover tactical issues such as why having co-leaders taking part in a Grand Tour doesn’t really work.
The release in 2022 of the third season of this look behind the scenes of the Movistar cycling team helped to revive interest in it. This new season introduces Colombian cyclist Miguel Ángel López, known as Superman, and he helps to keep the excitement and tension bubbling along thanks to his explosive temper tantrums.
De Ronde 100 – Behind the scenes – You Tube
This series of videos available on YouTube gives us a fascinating glimpse of life during one of the biggest and best pro cycling events. The De Ronde is also known as the Tour of Flanders and this video looks at the 2016 event, which was the 100th running of the race.
What makes De Ronde 100 stand out is the fact that it lets us see all the problems and challenges that the people organizing the event and reporting it need to overcome. It’s a great way to get an insight into the pro cycling circuit and if you like it there are other videos that show the behind-the scene-action from this event in other years.
As our streaming options grow, expect to see more chances to see interesting documentaries like those we’ve looked at here. Fans can already look forward to the Tour de France Netflix documentary, expected to be released next spring. It will both feature racing moments and the backstages of the world’s most famous cycling tour.
