7 Cycling Documentaries to Tune Up Before the Tour de France

Excitement for the Tour de France is at its highest point, with less than a month until the biggest stage race of the year begins. But the last few weeks before the Tour can also be the most painful to wait. If you’re looking for some fresh content to pass the time in between, check out these cycling documentaries.

Photo from Mollie Sivaram (via Unsplash)

“Hey, what’s so great about cycling documentaries?”

Picture this: you sit down in front of your TV, remote control in hand, and turn on the set. Pro cyclists appear on the screen, but what’s this? That’s not this year’s peloton — that’s Marco Pantani winning the Giro-Tour double in 1998?! But you’re hooked, and you can’t get enough of the exciting historical narratives playing out before your eyes on the screen. Now you’ve discovered the magic of cycling documentaries!

Cycling documentaries give fans of the sport a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges, strategies, and teamwork within the peloton. Documentaries offer insight into the race strategies and physical/mental fortitude required to compete at the highest level. These aspects, which are so often lost on casual viewers tuning in for a single stage of a Grand Tour, are part of what makes cycling so special.

This year’s Tour de France is already shaping up to be special as well. With the Itzulia crash hampering Jonas Vingegaard’s chances to defend his general classification title, the field is wide open for new competitors to take the overall win. And that’s not even to mention the many stage winners, breakaways, and other stories that will grace the roads of France this July. With so many narratives coming to fruition, now is the perfect time to get geared up on all the stories the sport has to offer.

These seven spectacular cycling documentaries each have unique stories to tell.

But how do you choose the best documentary to get you hyped up? Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of seven of the best cycling documentaries out there this year to set you up for a fantastic Tour de France. Many of these were released recently, including some new productions for 2024. Even if you’ve watched some of the older documentaries, you’re sure to spot something new here.

Ready to get watching? Let’s jump right in!

1. Tour de France: Unchained

This Netflix documentary series isn’t without its faults, but there’s no competition: it is a peerless introduction to cycling for those on the outside looking in. Got a friend or family member who’s interested in jumping into cycling? Tune up the first season of this show, which covers Vingegaard’s first win in the 2022 Tour de France. Through this show, you’ll celebrate all the highs and lows, remembering what makes the Tour de France unlike any other race in the world.

There are many things the producers get right with this show. One is the care and attention paid to the individual riders. The Netflix-associated filming crew spent countless hours before the Tour filming segments with the peloton’s stars to make their stories come to life on the screen. However, the show isn’t without its manufactured drama, as well. Fans of the earlier Netflix series Drive to Survive, which focuses on Formula 1 racing, know that fake storylines are part and parcel of the show’s formula. Thankfully, Tour de France: Unchained manages to dodge most of the ridiculousness and deliver narratives that feel earnest and interesting, albeit a little surface-level to deeply engaged cycling fans.

Season 1 of Tour de France: Unchained is available on Netflix. Season 2 releases on June 11th. You can watch the trailer below.

2. Mark Cavendish: Never Enough

On a Netflix kick? For those looking for a shorter, more focused watch, a documentary focusing on Mark Cavendish has also been recently released. It’s a perfect choice for those wanting to go deeper into the career of a specific rider.

Originally from the Isle of Man in the UK, Mark Cavendish is a modern cycling legend, dominating the sport as a powerful sprinter. He started his career in track cycling and transitioned to road racing, amassing a staggering 164 professional wins as of May 2024. His most iconic achievement is tying the record for most Tour de France stage wins (34) with cycling great Eddy Merckx. Cavendish has also won the points classification in all three Grand Tours, proving that he is an all-time legend of the sprint. Despite facing many personal and professional challenges, including struggles with mental health and bouts of injury, he remains a force on the cycling scene. This summer, Cavendish will return to France to try to pass Merckx’s record. This narrative is sure to be one of the standouts of the 2024 Tour de France.

Get ready for it by checking out his film, which is available on Netflix at this link.

3. Descent

Sure, films about the top-level pros are great, especially for the Tour de France leadup. But do they really capture the spirit of cycling — that indomitable spirit that makes the sport special? This next recommendation is sure to tug at your heartstrings and leave you feeling inspired by the strength of one woman who came back from a would-be career-ending injury to find her cycling potential.

“Rapha Films Presents: Descent” tells the story of Ana Orenz, an ultra-distance cyclist who sustained life-threatening injuries after colliding with a wild boar during the 3,500km Transiberica race in 2021. The German-born rider fell on the descent, suffering severe head trauma and damage to her neck and spine. The cycling gear brand Rapha sponsored this film about her experience and recovery process. Although the film is only one hour in length, the directors Rufus Exton and Steve Bliss manage to tell such a touching and inspiring story. Through every step of her recovery until she gets back on the bike to conquer the Transiberica again, you’ll be rooting for Ana.

“Descent” can be watched on YouTube at the link below:

4. The Café Ride with Matt Stephens

Maybe you’ve already guessed from this list, but I find the best stories focus on people — the riders, coaches and staff that make the sport of cycling a reality. That is the reason my next recommendation is one of my favorites!

Matt Stephens is a prominent figure in the cycling world, both on and off the bike. After a successful professional cycling career, he transitioned to journalism, bringing his insider knowledge to fans. He’s known for his insightful commentary on Eurosport and GCN, while also engaging audiences with his writing and informative podcasts. His YouTube series “The Cafe Ride” hosted by Sigma Sports shows him meeting up with pros to ride for a coffee. Along the way, he finds out about their experiences, likes, dislikes, dreams, and career journey — everything that makes them who they are not just as athletes, but people. Past episodes feature men’s and women’s racing stars such as Tom Pidcock, Elynor Backstedt, Mark Cavendish, and Tadej Pogačar.

You can find all of the episodes in a Youtube playlist linked here. Pogačar’s episode, which garnered 1.1 million views at the time of this article, can also be seen below.

5. Team-produced documentaries

Focusing on individual riders is great, but what about team dynamics? One of the most important parts of cycling is team strategy — in this way, races are not won by the individual rider who crosses the finish line first, but also by the domestiques and other support riders who brought them there. To this effect, major teams have created documentaries focusing on their riders and strategies throughout the season, giving fans an inside look into their planning and day-to-day operations. Okay, this list item is a cop-out, because it actually includes multiple series! But these are some shows you might want to check out:

“All-in Jumbo Visma”

“All-in Jumbo Visma” dives most recently into the 2023 season of the Jumbo-Visma cycling team. This documentary goes beyond the races, offering an intimate look at the team’s strategy, training, and rider relationships. The story unfolds as Jumbo-Visma aims for cycling domination, with each of their three star riders – Primoz Roglič, Jonas Vingegaard, and Sepp Kuss – vying to win one of the grueling three-week Grand Tours: the Giro, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.

The first two seasons of this series are available on Amazon Prime in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxemborg.

Located outside of BeNeLux but still want your fill of Jumbo-Visma? Never fear! For the 2024 season, the newly-renamed Visma Lease-a-Bike is also posting short documentary movies on YouTube under a series called “Inside the Beehive.” Linked below is the first installment, which focuses on the spring classics.

“The Wolfpack”

For nearly a decade, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl has reigned supreme in one-day classics, feared for their ruthless “Wolfpack” tactics. But a new chapter unfolds in the docuseries “Wolfpack,” also on Amazon Prime in BeNeLux. Led by the fiery Patrick Lefevere, the team with its signature blue jerseys now sets its sights on conquering the grueling Grand Tours. Young prodigy Remco Evenepoel and veteran Julian Alaphilippe headline the charge, aiming to rewrite the team’s legacy.

You can watch this series on Amazon Prime located here.

Other Team YouTube Pages

Many other teams are posting documentary shorts to their YouTube channels these days. That includes Tadej Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates, as well as Team Bahrain Victorious and INEOS Grenadiers. While these offerings aren’t full length movies or series, they may be worth a watch if you like the content that goes more into the inner workings and logistics of a given team or covers your favorite riders!

Check out the first installment of a short series of videos about Pogačar’s Giro d’Italia win this year below:

6. Ronde Treasures

These documentaries may be several years old, but they still remain the best look at the spring classics of cycling. For those who aren’t in the loop yet, the spring classics are a collection of prestigious one-day cycling races held across Europe, typically in March and April. These races mark the true beginning of the competitive cycling season after the winter break. They’re known for their brutal terrain, rich history, and unpredictable weather conditions. Some classics, like Milan-Sanremo, favor sprinters, while others, like the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix, demand exceptional power and endurance to win.

The Ronde van Vlaanderen, also known as the Tour of Flanders, is a prestigious one-day cycling race held annually on the first Sunday of April in Belgium. Nicknamed “De Ronde” (”the round”), its punishing climbs and treacherous cobblestones are a true test of any rider’s strength, skill, and tactical prowess.

Want to see Mathieu van der Poel and other stars of the spring classics in action? Ronde Treasures dives into past editions of De Ronde, highlighting all the ups and downs. More than anything, it creates a spectacular narrative that draws the reader in. These documentaries are far from outdated — they pull the viewer in like no other, especially if you haven’t watched the spring classics before.

Watch the 2020 film below:

7. “The Divide” with Lachlan Morton

Rounding out this list, I wanted to step away from true road cycling for a moment and recapture that spirit of adventure that makes cycling special.

The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) is a legendary off-road cycling odyssey traversing the spine of North America. It spans over 3,000 miles following the continental divide, starting out in Jasper, Canada and going all the way to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Along the way, riders can see epic mountain vistas and terrain, as well as tackle challenging climbs and descents, or long stretches on dirt roads and single-track trails without another soul in sight. Completing this ride demands both physical and mental fortitude, but is a dream ride for many mountain bikers seeking a true wilderness cycling experience.

In 2023, Lachlan Morton broke the record for the fastest solo journey along this route, clocking in at twelve days and twelve hours. He faced many challenges along the way, which are chronicled in this movie, produced by Wahoo. By the time he reaches the end of the route, viewers will feel as though they experienced all the highs and lows right there with him. For that reason, I personally found this film really moving and a must-watch for those wishing to capture the spirit of cycling. It is also never more timely, as Morton recently won Unbound Gravel, the pre-eminent gravel race in the United States, which takes place in similarly bleak and unforgiving landscapes. Whatever the case, Morton is a hero for those who would love to just ride their bike off into the unknown, which is the true spirit of cycling in my opinion.

You can watch the film here:

Closing thoughts.

And that’s it! These cycling documentaries are sure to rev you up for more exciting racing to come. They’ve chronicled the hard work, smarts, and never-give-up spirit it takes to compete at the highest level. We hope they’ve taught you new things, touched your heart, inspired you to ride your own bike, and armed you with a better understanding of cycling’s history and the drama that can unfold on the road.

Now, in July, it’s finally time to clear your calendar, pull up your favorite streaming service, and prepare to be blown away by the biggest spectacle in the cycling year: the Tour de France!

Have you enjoyed any great cycling documentaries lately? From the oldies-but-goodies to the newest releases, we want to hear them all! Let us know in the comments below. Happy watching! ★