60 Cycles

ONF | NFB

Documentary
17 min     6.5     1965     Canada

Overview

On your marks. Follow cyclists from 13 countries as they cover 2.400 km of Gaspé countryside in 12 days-a course longer than those of Italy, Belgium or Spain. The long shots of curving landscape and open road are set to a mesmerizing soundtrack in this documentary, and the results are spellbinding.

Reviews

CinemaSerf wrote:
Though not quite as long as the Tour De France, this is still a tough 1,500 miles trip in all weathers for those taking part. The film has no narration, just a Doors-esque soundtrack to accompany some creatively shot race coverage that mixes up low angles with wide and distance photography. There are not a great many roads through much of this terrain, so it's quite fun at times to see the tailbacks these guys are causing, or the dust storms they are ploughing through caused by their own plentiful support vehicles. Into Montreal for the closed circuit stages in Lafontaine Park - an entirely more speedily sedate affair with few civilians paying the slightest attention to this invading swarm of cyclists. The bell rings: the end of is near - and we are reminded that this can be a dangerous sport. I could have been doing with some commentary, if only to describe the scenery a little and to tell me who was actually winning, but that said it's still worth a watch illustrating the considerable stamina of these athletes.

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