UKC

Anyone seen this? Or planning to see it?

Getting in to the mood for the TdF weekend, I'm heading over to Hebden Bridge tonight to watch it.

Girlfriend is a huge Pantani fan, I see him as a messed up doper.

In reply to The New NickB:

Going to see it in Bradford next week. Very much looking forward to it.

In reply to The New NickB:

Is it on general release? I can't find it round here.... Pantani was my hero as a kid.

Fondly remember years of watching tdf with my old man, and I always backed the Pirate.

A very tragic life in the end.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Seems to be on very limited release. Just a few nights at maybe 20 screens.

In reply to The New NickB:

saw it on Monday at our local cinema. Thought it was very well done and very interesting to hear interviews with his friends and mother. It gave a good idea of the doping culture and the pressure cyclists were under

In reply to The New NickB:

I saw it a few weeks ago coupled with a Q&A with the writer/director. I enjoyed it, though had little preconceptions about him.

It had some good footage and interviews with those close to him. I don't think it's meant to be a full profile, but a limited picture of who the director obviously sees largely as a tragic and naive figure. There are some interesting conspiracy theories, but they're a minor factor.

I think it's worth seeing irrespective of your thoughts on him.

In reply to The New NickB:

I think he was a messed up doper, but I was also a huge fan. It is a very sad story. I'd like to see the fillum.

In reply to The New NickB:

I saw it a month ago or so. It was well done and gripping. The pathos towards the end of the film built up to a point where it was quite moving.

Ultimately a sad film, but definitely not disappointing.

(I know they were all doping, but wasn't racing exiting in the 80s & 90s!!)

In reply to Bob_the_Builder:

I liked him at the time - the way he would attack in the mountains was very exciting. However the realisation that it was all chemically induced left a sour taste. Would we get all dewy eyed if Armstrong were to kill himself next week ?

Nonetheless I would still like to see the film

In reply to Chris the Tall:
But they were all doping right? Obviously it is cheating but there is still a lot of hard work going in. I think you have to accept the past doping to a certain extent, otherwise practically all cycle racing history is irrelevant.

The characters and the battles were real even if they were cheating.

I'd much prefer to know the new heroes are racing clean though!

In reply to Bob_the_Builder:

Can't wait to see this later in the month. A sad tale all round, let us not judge the dead too harshly. I think it was Coppi who when asked how often they took amphetamines, answered "only when strictly necessary". "And how often was that?" he followed with "all of the time!"

In reply to Chris the Tall:

my sentiments exactly

In reply to danm:

Drugs have been in cycling from the beginning, but their effect was nowhere near as dramatic as it was with EPO. The effects of amphetamines were largely negated by the brandy they washed it down with. The level playing field is a myth, some people reacted better, some people used far more and took a far greater health risk. Pantani was able to dance his way up the hills simply because he had blood like treacle. He had been doping since his was a junior. I find it very hard to celebrate that

In reply to The New NickB:

Watched it this evening, it is good and has some good talking heads, but I would suggest you read the book it is based on. The book is excellent and goes into great detail about his rise, fall and eventual demise, with lots of facts (rather than speculation).

Whatever ones view on doping and cycling it is a sad story of a vulnerable individual.