Free DVDs

[Andrew G]

Overcoming - The CSC film. Don't think it's very good, not a patch on Hollentour - now that's a great film.
Lance Armstrong - 7 in a row - 2 DVDs came free with this month's Cycle Sport. I have no interest in this or him, nothing to do with drugs I have a multitude of other reasons why I've never liked him but now is not the time for a rant .

First come first served, just post here and we can sort out a delivery on a CR or something (think you can probably get a DVD in the middle pocket of a jersey).

[Ivor]

ooh. I'll snaffle the armstrong dvd's in exchange for a slice of cake.

[quote="Andrew G"]Overcoming - The CSC film. Don't think it's very good, not a patch on Hollentour - now that's a great film.

[Andrew G]

Ivor the Armstrong one is yours(it's a twin DVD thingie), I'll deliver it with the tyres .

Adam (brace yourself, get a cuppa etc ) - It's not the Basso thing with the CSC film, Hollentour is following T-Mobile through the 2003 Tour specifically Zabel and Aldag (but the also have Vino and Kloden in the team). I just found Overcoming very antiseptic in feel and atmosphere, a bit like Riis himself. It came across like a management training film at times to me. Hollentour is by a German film maker (Hollentour meaning Hell on Wheels which is what it is sold as in the UK, I have the German original but you need the subtitles switched on anyway so it makes no difference). The quality of the film making is superb cinematically, but I think it also a very good film the way the action and behind the scenes (team and tour itself) pieces are interwoven. By following two of the older racers it has a lot more power to it as they say what hurts, how much it hurts, how bad they feel, whether they thought they were going to miss the cut etc. I think with younger riders there is still a lot of bravado which masks the truth and doesn't make the film as good.

My dislike for Armstrong has always stemmed from the way he handled himself and his team, and the way he and they treated others. The best thing about cycling is its personal touch, the closeness to the fans etc. His very American way of being "bigger than you" upset a lot of people and rather than being approachable him and the team seemed to try and piss off as many people as possible. The way they locked themselves up in their coaches until the last minute and treated the fans almost with disdain when requesting autographs when the others are far more relaxed. That has nothing to do with leading a race and all to do with arrogance and a complete lack of manners and class. I'm sure the problem he has with the French press isn't because he kept winning their race but the way he behaved towards them. Indurain, as far as I can remember, never had the same problem (certainly not to the same extent) with the French yet he was a foreigner dominating their race in what could be argued a boring manner. I appreciate that he has got a lot of people in to cycling who weren't aware of it before but the attitude he brought to it is appalling. The way he treated other races (the vast majority of the time) also showed a lack of respect to them and their history.

I'm hoping that things are changing around a bit which seemed to be happening last year, where teams have realised that putting all your eggs in one basket is a risky strategy and were starting to move back towards having 2 or 3 options on the team, a sprinter, a climber, a GC rather than just one GC man and 8 robots who aren't allowed to think or show any imagination or initiative.

Apologies to anyone who's been dragged in to my spleen venting .

[Stu Merckx Man]

hey andrew,

are there any left? if so ill take one please

[-Adam-]

Ok fair do's... May I borrow the Hollentour DVD one day then? Possibly at the ACC road race if your there and able to carry it?

I think Overcoming has quite a good balance between older and younger riders. Voight and Scarponi for example.

Re Armstrong, I agree his lack of personal touch etc did him no favours. Personally I think the way he rode tours '99-'04 was entralling stuff. '05 was dreadful, but there you go. I think his manner towards other races is negligable, perhaps thats what it really takes to win the tour 7 times? The whole team was very different to the other more traditional teams, hence the scruitiny that they opened themselves up to. So in a way it's understandable why they became so closed. Obviously they did themselves no favours there. Anyhow, over all, I liked him on a bike, but to a certain extent agree that he was a bit of an arsehole off it. But I guess it was a vicious circle, he didn't like the attention, so he tryed to keep away from it, which just intensified intrest/suspicion. Thus making him even more defensive. C'est la vie. He's gone now anyway, so like Christian Prudhomme wanted we can move on. Just look at the last two years, havn't they gone swimmingly without him

I mean lets face it, just look at what he did for Trek sales! I was conned! The thing that amazes me is that they still continue to sell millions of essentially mediocre bikes off the back of his success!

I think the whole grand tour tactic is changing as teams become cleaner. Now things are becoming more 'natural', its much harder to see who's going to be on form when. I mean what odds would you have gotten on Contador on the 6th July last year!? (regardless of alleged drugs etc)

Here's to an exciting, scandal free Tour '08...

[quote="Stu Merckx Man"]hey andrew,

are there any left? if so ill take one please

[Stu Merckx Man]

cheers andrew, overcoming is fine.

yeh ill be at the club RR

and dont worry, i will obey the freeie rules

[-Adam-]

Thanks Andrew...

My Trek is ok, the worst thing about it is that it's really a little on the large side for me. But at the time I thought it was great, that was 3 years ago mind.

[MJ_1993]

Whatl Addiscombe RR?

[Marek]

They mean the ACC promotion for 2/3 cats on the 29 March.

[MJ_1993]

k, thanks Marek.

[Roy Green]

Should rename this thread 'Our resident film critic writes...'

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Damn