2 classic cycling videos on one DVD!

105 MINUTE RUNNING TIME

La Course En Tete This outstanding film follows Belgian cycling star Eddy Merckx at the peak of his career through Europe's best races. "A glorious study of a rider who dominated an entire cycling generation... A must-see for cyclists of all ages. It's inspirational - a study in determination for some viewers and much needed classroom instruction for others. Overall, it's a fine piece of alternative entertainment." -- Bicycle Guide.

The Greatest Show on Earth: The Story of the 1974 Giro d'Italia Made more than 20 years ago, this brilliant documentary shows the majestic beauty that is the Giro d'Italia. It's said that Eddy Merckx's Molteni boss wept like a child in the arms of his beaming star, who later on in the year went on to win cycling's magical triple crown when he won the Tour de France and the World Championships. Experience the riders' anguish and joy; the organizers' difficulties; and the adoring tifosi's passion.

With stunning cinematography, this epic film goes inside the Giro's heart and soul, from its opening sequence of the Pope blessing the riders through to the majestic power of Merckx. Be amazed by his awesome battle with Gimondi to win his fifth Giro by a mere 12 seconds to equal the record held by Alfredo Binda and Fausto Coppi. This cinematic masterpiece might be the greatest ever made on bicycle racing.

------------------------------------------------------------------- From Holly Ordway's DVDTalk.com review: -------------------------------------------------------------------

La Course en Tete and The Greatest Show on Earth are two of World Cycling Productions' historical cycling films, now presented on one DVD. Both films focus on the career of Belgian cycling champion Eddy Merckx: La Course en Tete in a general sense, showing a slice of Merckx' life, and The Greatest Show on Earth in a more focused sense, following the course of the 1974 Giro d'italia.

The first of the two films on this DVD, La Course en Tete, is an odd film that has interest, but most definitely only for seasoned racing fans. Basically, it' a 105-minute montage of footage of Eddy Merckx, with no particular sequence or story guiding it; we see Merckx racing, Merckx winning, Merckx training, Merckx at home with his family, but there's nothing to make the whole piece fit together. Unlike the other WCP films such as The Greatest Show on Earth, there' no voiceover talking about the events on-screen. Occasionally there are snippets of various people speaking, such as Merckx's wife; occasionally (but not consistently) these snippets are subtitled. But by and large, it's basically racing and behind-the-scenes footage of Merckx.

If you're already familiar with bicycle racing and the professional cycling scene in the 1970s, then you'll find elements of interest, such as spotting stars like Gimondi and Fuente in the pack, or analyzing Merckx's position on the bicycle during the scenes that show him racing. My favorite part of the film was seeing Merckx's chubby-faced baby son Axel, who is currently a full-grown professional cyclist in his own right. However, La Course en T?te is emphatically not recommended for someone who has just developed an interest in cycling, or who knows a little bit and wants to know more. For that, you should watch WCP's other historical DVDs (especially Stars and Watercarriers), and only then take a look at La Course en Tete.

It's a shame that there isn't a well-done narrative voiceover for La Course en T?te, because a commentary could make all the difference in the world, informing the viewer about the highly interesting career of Eddy Merckx, one of cycling's true legends. It does look like WCP has added a few captions indicating where the footage is taking place (such as at the World Championships or at the Giro d'Italia), but while this is certainly helpful, it doesn't take the place of commentary.

The companion piece The Greatest Show on Earth is much more entertaining. This 75-minute film covers the 1974 Giro d'Italia, which was an exciting edition of an exciting race. The contenders included Belgian champion Merckx, the reigning world champion Gimondi, and the Columbian climber Fuente, locked together in a race for victory that went neck-and-neck to the end. In making the combination DVD with La Course en Tte, World Cycling Productions has made a sensible decision, since many of the same characters appear in both films.

While The Greatest Show on Earth tends to be a little too heavy-handed with the montages of images set to music, it does have a reasonably good narrator as well, who provides insight into what\' going on strategically in the race. Overall, this film has a much more polished feel to it than La Course en Tete, and while it's the shorter of the two pieces on this DVD, I would consider it to be the main reason to pick up this disc.

This DVD is Region Free - it will play anywhere in the world.

Regional Code: 0 (Will play worldwide).
Languages: English.
Picture Format: Full-Screen.
Length: 105 Minutes