‘I managed not to jump a single red light or drive down a footpath’ – Royal Parks Police slammed for ‘deaf’ tweet; The Tour de France docu-series on the way? ; ‘I will park where I like’; Sivakov moves from Russia to France + more on the live blog

If, like me, you thought Movistar’s ‘The Least Expected Day’ series was the greatest TV play ever made, then you’re in luck – according to the Telegraph, Netflix is ​​set to strike a deal for a large-scale delay. -the behind-the-scenes docu-series of this year’s Tour de France.

The streaming giant is currently in discussions with Tour organizers ASO and the eight teams it hopes to focus the series on, including Ineos Grenadiers, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, Movistar (so expect more destroyed footage and crises of anger) and Jumbo-Visma.

The Dutch team have also reportedly struck a deal with Amazon to be the center of their ‘All or Nothing’ series, following in the footsteps of Manchester City, New Zealand rugby team, and a gruesome acting performance from the Spurs manager at the time, José Mourinho. .

Box to Box Films, the producers of the hugely popular Formula 1 series ‘Drive to Survive’, have been lined up to do the show for Netflix. Apparently, there are still issues over the teams’ television rights and financial compensation, although a source described the deal as a “no-brainer” and the teams are close to signing it.

If the mainstream success of ‘Drive to Survive’ is anything to see (F1 viewership figures increased by 53% after the show’s first season), the series could be instrumental in bringing a a bunch of new fans to the sport, who may soon be addicted to the intricacies of sprint trains, en echelon riding and team leadership struggles.

I, for one, can’t wait to find out who Jim, driving an Audi, prefers in the great Pog vs. Rog debate…

Wow.. that could be absolutely huge for the industry as a whole. look how much #DriveToSurvive boosted the popularity of Formula 1… and our sport is a thousand times better!

https://t.co/7WDbs0O9Fy

—George Poole (@GeorgePuddle) March 3, 2022

The fly-on-the-wall series, like the Movistar, Jumbo-Visma and Tour of Flanders documentaries before it, could also give existing fans a tantalizing glimpse into what’s really going on at the breakfast table and behind the tables. team tinted windows. bus (beyond some pre-approved images for Eurosport).

The current proposal’s sole focus on the Tour has raised some concerns that the Netflix series will simply serve to make the world’s most powerful race even more powerful, but if the show is successful it could potentially lead to a season-long documentary, introducing more casual observers to the wonderful world of classics and other great rides.

Fingers crossed this brings more eyes to cycling, I wonder if sports medicine fatigue will strike at some point with the casual spectator picking and choosing more rigorously. Be interesting to know how any payout will be split between the teams…if any. https://t.co/ORB7rymCXD

— Paul Knott (@P_Knott) March 3, 2022

I’m already imagining a scenario where Netflix’s “Tour de France” series would evolve into a seasonal documentary and season 2 would be like

Ep. 1 – The Primavera
Ep. 2 – Round
Ep. 3 – The Hell of the North
Ep. 4 – The Dean
Ep. 5 – La classica delle foglie morte https://t.co/DK6ZUm8NXb

— Eemeli (@LosBrolin) March 3, 2022

However, some on Twitter fear that the producers are trying to concoct the kind of fabricated drama that spoiled the Formula 1 championship final last year:

After seeing how Netflix, F1 and the FIA ​​fabricated the outcome of the F1 World Championship last season, this will be a tough one for me.

Squinzi’s phone call to Paris-Roubaix to dictate the order of finish will look like child’s play. https://t.co/9ytFFB7vwb

— alden (@aldentanaka) March 3, 2022

Isn’t anyone else excited about Netflix news?

It works for F1 partly because the sport has always been drama-driven and populated by big, pompous personalities…

The cycling is great because it’s so local. It is little. Approachable. The Flanders documents show this perfectly.

— Always bet the break (@BreakAlways) March 4, 2022

While some worry that a glitzy, scandal-filled Netflix documentary could eradicate some of the sport’s charm, it’s worth remembering that much of cycling’s mythology is based on journalists exploring – and exaggerating – the personalities of riders. , great rivalries and drama. on the road. Rather, Netflix may well be tapping into the very foundations the Tour de France was built on, but packaged for a 2022 audience.

Either way, if the streak continues, let’s just hope the UAE picks Marc Soler for the Tour, huh?