In anticipation of tomorrow’s Tour of Flanders, I finally got around to watching the appetizer — De Ronde, the documentary film of the 100th edition of race on youtube.
De Ronde presents the high intensity action of the 2016 Ronde van Vlaanderen, but more than that, its real focus in on the absolute chaos behind the scenes.
And it’s quite a scene back there behind the bike racers. De Ronde captures the real-time, moment-to-moment drama in the team cars, on the race motos, the TV camera and radio crews, the journalists, roadside fans, helicopters pilots, race officials and mechanics all trying to manage the sprawling confusion and fog-of-war whiplash unfolding out on the race course.
The documentary gives you a true, honest picture about what it takes to run an event like the Ronde and what it’s like for teams trying to put their rider in position to win the second Monument on the cycling calendar.
All through the film, you discover the other side of this classic. You get a visceral and physical sense of the narrowness of the Flandrien back roads, the high speed, obstacle course driving of the team cars, the constant danger the riders face as they weave through cars and motorcycles. After watching De Ronde, I really can’t believe several riders and fans aren’t run down and killed by race vehicles every year.
And finally, as if all that drama isn’t enough, the 2016 race pitted two cycling giants in their prime — Peter Sagan in the rainbow jersey of World Champion and Fabian Cancellara in his final attempt to win Flanders for the fourth time.
Beautifully shot and well-produced, De Ronde is must-see for any fan of the classics. It’s the perfect set-up for Sunday’s clash. Watch it here on youtube.
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