23 Days in July DVD
23 Days in July provides
a great insight
Photo ©: Paul Henderson-Kelly
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23 Days in July focuses on legendary Australian cyclist
Phil Anderson and his attempt to win the final yellow jersey of
the 1983 Tour de France. Anderson had won the Dutch classic Amstel
Gold event earlier in the season and briefly wore the maillot jaune
in the Pyrenees during the 1981 TdF, easily making him the country's
top contender and a genuine threat for the general classification
that year.
History tells us that the 'Kangaroo' would not go on to win the
1983 Tour, and in fact his best ever result was a fifth place overall.
However, the DVD provides insight to just how great an impact the
young Australian had in Europe, thus paving the way for many more
of his compatriots to ply their trade in the professional ranks
abroad, as well as how far the sport has evolved in the past 25
years.
The DVD also includes two bonus features: a photo gallery of Anderson's
career and a recap of Gerrie Knetemann's sole Amstel Gold victory
in 1985. Just what relevance the latter has to do with Anderson's
1983 TdF is unknown, but it is nice nonetheless to watch a former
Tour de France great win the only classic on Dutch soil.
Naturally, all commentary is by Phil Liggett, the voice of cycling
for the English speaking world. The 23 Days in July DVD can
be purchased from Cyclingnews' online store by clicking
here.
Price: AUS $79.95
The Official Treasures of le Tour de France
The book contains lots of
pull out memorabilia.
Photo ©: Paul Henderson-Kelly
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The Official Treasures of le Tour de France provides a unique
and well-researched history of the Tour as written by two experienced
journalists, Serge Laget and Luke Edwards, who between them have
over 50 years of experience covering cycling's greatest race. Laget
and Edwards document many of the great riders that have taken part
in the race's 104-year history and take a look at why this race
is so intriguing to so many.
In addition, the book includes over 275 rare images, forty removable
reproductions of several pieces of TdF-related memorabilia, as well
as the stories behind them. Among the artifacts is a letter written
by Tour founder Henri Desgrange and the contracts that the riders
had to sign in order to take part in the 1910 Tour.
The Official Treasures of le Tour de France can be purchased
at Amazon.com for Euorpean buyers by clicking
here.
Price: AUS $59
Detour de France DVD
Iffy's take on the Tour.
Photo ©: Paul Henderson-Kelly
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Detour de France is a documentary on the 2005 Tour de France
unlike any that has come before it. As the producers say, 'Lance
won his seventh Tour, but that was only half the story'. The film
offers a fascinating look inside the World's biggest annual sporting
event. It focuses on three Australians reporting on the World-famous
event: John Trevorrow (who is part of the Cyclingnews coverage
team at the TdF), another journalist and one of their mates who
is definitely not a journalist, but eats and drinks like one. Ironically,
he ends up snagging some of the best interviews of the film.
All three bring a larrikin humour to their antics, which makes
the film more than reportage and more akin to attending a sporting
event as one of 'the boys'. Taking a layman's approach, Detour
de France introduces the audience to the nuances of the event,
exploring the terminology, strategy and the mechanics of the race,
along the way interview riders like Armstrong, Bernard Hinault,
Robbie McEwen, Stuart O'Grady and personalities like Sheryl Crow
and US presidential candiate John Kerry.
The special 'Deluxe Edition' of this DVD - exclusive to Cyclingnews
and myflix.com.au - also includes a second DVD featuring
the original music from the film, plus a 16-page full-colour 'scrapbook',
packaged in an attractive hardcover fold-out case. And it also includes
one of the gold kangaroo pins that John 'Iffy' Trevorrow hands out
to the people he meets at the Tour. (Trevorrow is a former Australian
road cycling champion who raced in Europe at the highest level and
completed the Giro d'Italia. He clearly knows, understands and loves
the sport, as his sensitive handling of reporting the anniversary
of the death of Fabio Casartelli indicates.)
The Detour De France DVD is available from Cyclingnews'
online store by clicking
here.
Price: AUS $44.95
Tour de Life
The book on Saul Rasins recovery
from a nasty accident.
Photo ©: Paul Henderson-Kelly
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American professional cyclist Saul Raisin was preparing for his
Grand Tour debut at the 2006 Giro d'Italia, a major stepping stone
to his dream of contesting and maybe one day winning the Tour de
France. Then, on April 4, as the Crédit Agricole rider's
parents awaited his usual post-race 'OK' text message at home in
Dalton, Georgia, the 23 year-old lay in a coma at death's doorstep
in a French hospital following a crash at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
Tour de Life tells the frighteningly real tale of Saul's
parents' mad-dash to be at their son's side in the Centre Hospitalier
Unversitaire d'Angers' intensive care unit, followed by his rehabilitation
back in the United States of America. The 278-page book starts with
Jim and Yvonne Raisin's account of Saul's time in intensive care,
where they faced unfathomable language and cultural differences
while dealing with their emotions and their son's life and death
situation. Once returning to the United States in a medically-equipped
Learjet, Saul takes over the storytelling, providing a shameless,
eye-opening account of his rehabilitation process.
In addition to showing the remarkable strength of human sprit in
times of immense adversity, Raisin's story also offers an uncensored
view through the eyes of a recovering head-trauma victim.
Raisin's book, Tour de Life, can be purchased at Amazon.com
for European buyers by clicking
here, while Americans and buyers from the rest of the World
should click
here.
Price: US $29.95
PhotographyFor a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by
Paul Henderson-Kelly/Cyclingnews.com
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