Released
at Interbike last year, ‘PRO’ is the follow up to Jamie Paolinetti’s highly
acclaimed first movie, The Hard Road. Following a Division 3 team
throughout the season, The Hard Road told the story of a small team of riders,
experienced and neo-pro’s, trying to make their mark on the highly competitive
US pro race
circuit, struggling to pursue their dream. Whilst this movie was a break
through in terms of cycling films, the end product was left a little un-polished
and left us, the fans, wanting more.
PRO - The Movie. Photo copyright Roadcycling.com.
Two years
later and PRO sticks to a tighter agenda, focusing on one week of the year, and
primarily, one race, Philly and the 2004 US Pro Championship. Beginning at
the start of the Wachovia week, film director Jamie Paolinetti and his crew
infiltrate a host of the top US teams
and riders. Exclusive and often candid interviews with the Health Net,
Jelly Belly and Colavita teams take you right into the heart of the beast as the
riders prepare for their assault on the most coveted award on the
calendar. Henk Vogels, Bobby Julich, Chris Horner and Fred Rodriquez, to
name but a few, invite the cameras into their personal world to discuss pro
cycling and their place in it; the ups, the downs, the elation and the
pain. It is not just the US teams in
the action either; making the trip from Europe are the
US Postal team, CSC, Saeco, Prodir (Saunier Duval) and Aqua
Sapone.
Lap by
lap, the action in Philly is relayed back to your armchair. Exclusive footage
and insight commentary all contribute to a DVD offering an almost real time
experience. In fact, I defy anybody who watches this movie, bike fan or
not, to sit still in their chair whilst watching the riders wrestle their bikes
up the Manayunk wall. You legs will be twitching, heart beat thumping and
legs stomping every bit as much as if you were right there in the
peloton.
Not being
an American myself, I was eager to watch this movie and to see what I thought of
it as, rightly or wrongly, the US Pro scene is still seen as the poorer relation
to European racing. This is not a film about a race. It is about the
personalities and teams that make the race and that make the sport of cycling
what it is. It highlights the human struggle that is professional cycling
away from the top echelon of riders such as Armstrong, Cunego, etc. It is
about Fred finding his harmony, Henk’s return, Bobby J and his head, the Health
Net ‘Team’ and Eric Saunders “closing the door”. Bike fans the world over
will love this movie and the opportunity it presents them with to get right in
there with the riders.
Almost 2
hours of action, interviews and insights certainly make PRO: The Movie a worthy
addition to any bicycle racing enthusiast’s film collection. For more
information about the movie, log on to www.prothemovie.com.
