Team Argos-Shimano is pleased to announce a new film project. The film profiling the WorldTour team will be produced as a Dutch teledocumentery funded by CoBO (Co-productiefonds Binnenlandse Omroep) and the Netherlands Film Fund in cooperation with public broadcaster NTR. The film will be broadcast at the beginning of the 2014 cycling season in several countries.
The 90-minute film will be produced by Pieter van Huystee Film (winner of the Nipkowschijf 2013, the most prestigious annual Dutch TV award, for the documentary series Het Nieuwe Rijksmuseum), with the screenplay by Dirk Jan Roeleven, Hans Dortmans and Pieter van Huystee.
The documentary makers have already been following the team for some time. They participated in a training camp and visited the riders and staff at their homes, and they will now follow the team throughout the Tour de France.
The concept of the film is to position Team Argos-Shimano within the larger cycling world, highlighting the team’s unique way of working and achieving success as an innovative new team in a traditional sport.
“This year, after all the troubles in the cycling peloton and the Armstrong affair, the time seemed ripe for the film,” said Roeleven. “The credibility of the sport was in doubt, and we wanted to take a close look at a team that stands for clean cycling. The current situation made the topic timely, relevant and even more interesting.
“The movie will transcend every ‘normal’ cycling film. We want to create a timeless document that addresses universal themes such as seduction, deception, honesty, friendship and loyalty – before, during and after the 100th edition of the Tour de France.
“Our goal for the Tour is to keep a cool head during all the chaos. We want to focus on the team’s way of working and supporting its athletes and show how it is possible to win clean. We would like to thank Team Argos-Shimano general manager Iwan Spekenbrink, the staff and the riders for the opportunity and for the trust they have placed in us.”
“We are glad to have the opportunity to produce a quality film around such a big event, especially now, at the 100th edition of the Tour,” said producer van Huystee. “Our passion is the same as the team’s passion: creating a film that competes for prizes in a transparent way.”
“This film represents a great chance to show the outside world our way of working from inside the team, something we are really proud of,” said Spekenbrink. “It’s a good opportunity to share this with the public, beyond when the TV coverage normally stops. It is our aim to provide a fair and honest depiction of the sport and of our team.”