Product Description
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LOVE LANCE? You'll love HELL ON WHEELS, the first film about
professional bike racing that anyone can appreciate, featuring
the world's best bike racers -- Lance Armstrong, Eric Zabel, Jan
Ullrich, Tyler Hamilton, Alexandre Vinokurov, Andreas Klöden--
and directed by Academy Award-winner Pepe Danquart!
Le Tour de France, one of the toughest and most prestigious
sporting events in the world. Year after year hundreds of
thousands of fans line the route, cheering on their heroes and
willing them to victory, while millions of viewers worldwide tune
in on their televisions. Academy Award-winning director Pepe
Danquart, fascinated by the spectacle of the three week race,
chose to focus on the courage, the pain and the fear of the
riders of the Tour.
Training his lens on German superstar sprinter Eric Zabel and his
loyal domestique Rolf Aldag, Danquart captures the thrill of the
race and the teamwork behind the stars of the peleton. He also
shines light on the Tour's supporting cast - the director
sportifs, masseurs, and, of course, the wildly enthusiastic fans.
Reveling in the stunning landscape - from the Alps to the
Pyrenees to the Massif Central to Paris - and with a nice dollop
of Le Tour's history, HELL ON WHEELS transcends the sport it
celebrates to reveal an astonishing human endeavor.
.com
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There may never be a better documentary about the Tour de France
bicycle race than Hell on Wheels. Directed by German filmmaker
Pepe Danquart (who won an O® for best live action short film
in 1994), this breathtaking documentary covers all aspects of the
2003 edition of the Tour de France (
/exec/obidos/ASIN/097439310X/${0} ), and it's likely to remain
the definitive record of the event from an immediate
you-are-there perspective. Outstanding cinematography,
award-winning editing, and the extreme challenge of the Tour make
this a truly unforgettable film, full of real-life drama and
fascinating competitors who bring a deeply human dimension to
cycling's annual extravaganza. This was the year that American
cycling legend Lance Armstrong won his fifth consecutive Tour de
France victory, but Danquart's film wisely avoids overemphasis on
Armstrong's dominance, focusing instead on German teammates Eric
Zabel and Rolf Aldag, whose 11-year history as Tour de France
roommates lends the film a more personal quality that gets you
right inside the Tour's physical and psychological endurance
test. The July 2003 event marked the Tour's centenary
celebration, and French scholar Serge Laget provides valuable
perspective on the race's cultural importance in France, with
vintage film clips to illustrate how the grueling 2,500-kilometer
Tour has evolved--and stayed the same--throughout its 100-year
history. Highlights are abundant (including Armstrong's nearly
devastating c late in the race), but Hell on Wheels goes
beyond basic sports reportage to achieve the dramatic impact of a
feature film. Danquart strikes a satisfying balance between
beautiful travelogue footage of the French countryside (including
the Tour's scenic stages in the Pyrenees ains) and the
veteran's perspective of Zabel, whose honest assessment of his
own cycling abilities makes you realize that even great cyclists
view the Tour with awe, fear, and inspiring courage. In capturing
the beauty, pain, and glory of cycling's most daunting
competition, Hell on Wheels caters to a specific audience while
retaining its universal appeal as a colorful and exhilarating
film that anyone can enjoy. --Jeff Shannon
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Review
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One of the very best documentaries I've ever seen! Tons of
behind the scenes footage that you never get to see. Excellent
action footage - see Lance ride through a wall of Basque noise!
If you love cycling, don t miss this film - 10 out of 10!
--London Cyclesport
A beautiful film that captures the Tour's defining moments.
Stunning Cinematography - High Drama - Essential Viewing!
--Cyclingnews.com
Lays bare the agony and the ecstasy of cycling's premier event.
Guaranteed to give noncyclists a greater appreciation of the
sport. --The Sunday Mail (Australia)
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