Cycling on TV

Jan said:

From ProCycling

The BBC is marking the start of the Tour de France by having a themed Tour
de France night on its BBC4 channel on July 2.

This must be a late change. Digiguide says the Beeb have other stuff
on that night.

However I have found this on the BBC 4 site:

A SUNDAY IN HELL
Jorgen Leth, Denmark, 1976
Saturday 2 July 2005 11.15pm-1am

BELLEVILLE RENDEZ-VOUS
Sylvain Chomet, France, 2003
Sunday 3 July 2005 1am-2.15am (Saturday night)
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Jan said:

The documentary includes some new revelations about the death of the Briton
on Mont Ventoux during the 1967 Tour.

Here is the newsreel of the tragic events:

http://www.lequipe.fr/Xml/Cyclisme/Dossiers/Media/simpson.mpg

In Will Fotheringham's book he talked about claims that the helicopter
transportation had killed Simpson due to the height change but as you
can see from the footage the helico does a "rase le sol" manouvere
hugging the relief as it starts its descent down to the hospital in
Avignon. This is standard practise for rescue pilots.

You will notice the unusual RPR techniques which would have done little
to aid Simpson. In another photo I have there seems to be a trace of
Iodine or something on Simpson's leg - I assume this was the race doctor
administering a drug, possibly adrenalin although I would have thought
this would be injected closer to the heart. Fotheringham missed this in
his book and I would be interested if there is any further information
about this.

As for revalations, I doubt there is much more to say unless someone has
uncovered some of the missing reports in the Avignon prefecture archives.

Quoted message said:

In addition to the Simpson documentary, BBC4 will also be showing the
classic documentary about Paris-Roubaix, Sunday in Hell

Sunday in Hell is an excellent but rarely seen bike movie. Both Paris
and Roubaix are in France so the BBC's comments about it being a movie
about cycling over the cobbles of Belgium is a little off the mark. Not
sure why Les Triplettes de Belleville has been retitled Belleville
Rendez-vous for UK audiences?

Jan said:

From ProCycling

The BBC is marking the start of the Tour de France by having a themed Tour
de France night on its BBC4 channel on July 2, the day of the Tour's first
stage. The themed night includes a BBC Bristol documentary about the life of
Tom Simpson, Death on the Mountain - The Story of Tom Simpson.

The documentary includes some new revelations about the death of the Briton
on Mont Ventoux during the 1967 Tour. As well as rarely seen archive footage
and photos, the documentary also features interviews with some of Simpson's
team-mates on the race, as well as former procycling editor William
Fotheringham, who wrote a very well received biography about Simpson, Put
Me Back on My Bike.

In addition to the Simpson documentary, BBC4 will also be showing the
classic documentary about Paris-Roubaix, Sunday in Hell, and the brilliant
animation tribute to the sport, Belleville Rendezvous.

Thanks I'll have to move my dish for that!
All the Best
Dan Gregory

From ProCycling

The BBC is marking the start of the Tour de France by having a themed Tour
de France night on its BBC4 channel on July 2, the day of the Tour's first
stage. The themed night includes a BBC Bristol documentary about the life of
Tom Simpson, Death on the Mountain - The Story of Tom Simpson.

The documentary includes some new revelations about the death of the Briton
on Mont Ventoux during the 1967 Tour. As well as rarely seen archive footage
and photos, the documentary also features interviews with some of Simpson's
team-mates on the race, as well as former procycling editor William
Fotheringham, who wrote a very well received biography about Simpson, Put
Me Back on My Bike.

In addition to the Simpson documentary, BBC4 will also be showing the
classic documentary about Paris-Roubaix, Sunday in Hell, and the brilliant
animation tribute to the sport, Belleville Rendezvous.

Jan