Phil Keoghan, host of CBS’s ten-time Emmy Award-winning show The Amazing Race, is just about to release his all new documentary, Le Ride – about an amazing bike ride! Le Ride is an epic recreation of the first English-speaking team to take on the toughest sporting event on Earth, The Tour de France. The critically acclaimed documentary feature film, Le Ride, will hit all major VOD platforms in the USA, Canada, UK and Ireland on June 25th. Here is a trailer of the amazing bike ride movie:
In Le Ride, The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan retraces the 1928 Tour de France, riding an original vintage bicycle, to tell the story of the first English-speaking team to take on the toughest sporting event on earth. In 1928 a small under-resourced, untested team of four men from New Zealand and Australia lined up in Paris next to Europe’s best riders. It was an extremely tough bike race: although 168 riders started, only 41 finished.
Phil Keoghan rode an original 1928 steel bike with no gears!
Riding an original 1928 steel bike with no gears, Phil Keoghan brought this remarkable underdog story back to life. He retraced the exact route and schedule, circumnavigating France in just 26 days, for a total of 3,338 miles. Phil rode an average of 150 miles a day. He took almost 24 hours to complete the “death stage.”
Phil Keoghan with fellow cyclist. Photo by Doug JensenPhil Keoghan comments:
“It’s the most brutal challenge I’ve ever faced, insane distances over the world’s toughest mountains, but this is a story I really felt I had to bring back to life. Many experts considered the Australasian team to be a complete joke. More riders failed to finish the 1928 tour than any other in history. This was a hell-on-wheels race of attrition that was designed to eliminate as many riders as possible; most of the roads were unpaved; the course was almost twice as long as today’s Tour de France and the bikes weighed twice as much as a modern racing bike.”
A Love Letter to France
Le Ride is the first 4K (equivalent to Super 35mm film) documentary feature shot with Sony’s F55 camera and supported with Angenieux Optimo Lens, delivering a true love letter to France, featuring stunning cinematic aerial shots in the Pyrenees and French Alps.
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Le Ride features stunning cinematic aerial shots in the Pyrenees and French Alps. Photo by Doug JensenCritical Acclaim for Le Ride
- Le Ride recently screened at SXSW.
- Le Ride was the second highest grossing film at the New Zealand Film Festival.
- Le Ride was the opening night film at the Louisville International Film Festival where it won the Festival Favorite Award.
Phil Keoghan started his nationwide tour at the American Documentary Film Festival in Palm Springs on March 31st and has promoted the film across America benefiting charities.
Le Ride features stunning cinematic shots. Photo by Doug Jensen
Phil KeoghanDirector’s Note from Phil Keoghan
“I’ve always had a fascination with stories about underdogs. I found this great book about the history of cycling in New Zealand and they wrote about a guy called Harry Watson who was from my hometown of Christchurch. I’m a huge cycling fan and I thought how is it that I’ve never heard of this guy who was a New Zealand champion seven times and who was a phenomenal athlete? So I started reading and realized he was the first New Zealander to ride in the Tour de France and a member of the first English-speaking team to ride in the Tour.
I wanted to bring this story to life so I decided the best way to tell the story was to literally bring it back to life by pedaling every mile and retrace the exact route – the same mountains, the same towns. The more I started to think about it, I thought wouldn’t it also be good if I actually rode the same kind of bicycle? That became the journey and we took me 3 years to find the exact kind of bicycle and about 5 years of research to work out the exact route.
In 2013, we retraced 3,338 miles over 22 stages, 150 miles a day average on an old single-speed bicycle with terrible brakes and literally retraced every mile. Seven stages were over 200 miles. The dreaded Death Stage took us 23 and a half hours … with cameras rolling the entire time.
Le Ride was, without doubt, the toughest shoot I’ve ever attempted.”
Phil Keoghan with fellow cyclist. Photo by Doug JensenIn this video, Phil Keoghan talks about his inspiration for his Amazing Bike Race movie:
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About Le Ride:
Le Ride was produced by Phil Keoghan and Louise Keoghan. It is a No Opportunity Wasted LLC Production.
You can find Phil Keoghan’s website here.
You can find the Amazing Race website here.
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Coline says
Coincidence? I have just this moment finished Butcher, Blacksmith, Acrobat, Sweep, the tale of the first tour de France. Now that was brutal! I shall be looking out for this film, thanks.
Average Joe Cyclist says
Interesting coincidence! I am really looking forward to this film too!