It’s almost here folks, the year long wait for the 2022 Tour is almost over, with the race starting on July first, as the grande circus gets ready to shock and awe once again. To whet your appetite, take a look at this, one of the best films to feature the Tour.

French director Louis Malle was a master of his art, winning the Palme d’Or in 1956 and the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1957, and here he turns his considerable talents to the 1962 Tour de France.

The film, entitled Vive le Tour, deals issues such as providing riders raiding cafes for booze – yes booze! – dealing with injuries and doping too. At the time, the New York Times described the film as containing “ebullience, whimsy, jet black humor, awe and unspeakable tragedy” and as “a worshipful documentary of a sport made by a man who knew it intimately and loved it.”

The film is narrated by Jean Bobet a cyclist himself and brother of the great Louison Bobet.

Enjoy!