‘Ride to Survive’? Proven Netflix documentarians partner up to produce a 2022 Tour de France docuseries.
From many angles, professional cycling looks like a rich docudrama environment — scandal, secrecy, excruciating performance standards, and money.
That’s what Box to Box Films (makers of the Formula 1 docuseries “Drive to Survive”) will be banking on as it produces its new Tour de France Netflix documentary series. Not yet named, the project is currently funded for eight 45-minute episodes.
Tour de France race organizer Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) helped orchestrate the agreement.
Yann Le Moënner, director-general of ASO, said the partnership “will offer fans a unique immersion behind the scenes” and make the “sport more accessible and meet an even wider audience.”
Box to Box and QUAD partner as Quadbox to produce the series. In it, their cameras will trace eight high-profile teams from their inner workings to the 2022 Tour de France finish line.
Teams include the AG2R Citroën Team, Alpecin-Fenix, BORA-Hansgrohe, EF Education-EasyPost, Groupama-FDJ cycling Team, Ineos Grenadiers, Team Jumbo-Visma, and Team Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl.
Pogačar, UAE Team Emirates Bow Out of Tour de France Docuseries
One notable absence from the list is UAE Team Emirates, home of reigning Tour champion Tadej Pogačar. Months of reported animosity between the show’s proponents and various teams defined the run-up to the show’s announcement.
UAE Team Emirates and Pogačar, it appears, opted against participating. “Drive to Survive” fans will be familiar with the absence of the sport’s best athlete from the show — 2021 Formula 1 winner Max Verstappen opted out of the show before this season.
Verstappen justified his decision with similar complaints as those that swirled around the upcoming Tour de France series. Concerns over editorial control, privacy, and polemics (verbal attacks) kept Emirates and Pogacar out. Verstappen, who did appear in the previous “Drive to Survive” season, complained more candidly along the same tack.
Filming on the new series will take place from March to July for a Netflix release in the first quarter of 2023. France Télévisions will broadcast a 52-minute documentary a few days before the gun sounds at the 2022 TdF on July 1.
The Tour finishes on July 24 and, as usual, will broadcast far and wide, airing in 190 countries and territories.
