Tour de France: Unchained Series 3 review - A dramatic look back at the 2024 race in the final Netflix series

Season 3 consists of eight episodes of around 40 minutes that recall the story of the 21 stages of the 2024 Tour de France. Netflix and series producer QuadBox again weave together television race footage, on-bike videos, team car conversations, body-cam footage and rider interviews to create a concentrated, dramatic and often over-the-top look at the Tour de France.

Former French rider Yoann Offredo and TNT presenter and journalist Orla Chennaoui present the narrative with carefully scripted comments interspersed among the action. Rider interviews are also revealing, even if many are shot post-race during the off-season.

There is again a focus on crashes and injuries but Tour de France: Unchained also captures the real tension in the teams and the tears and emotions of defeat.

The tactics and racing are sometimes simplified for a wider audience but despite that, the documentary is addictive and entertaining to watch, whatever your level of understanding of the sport, showing moments that are rarely seen on television or video.

For many cycling fans, Tour de France: Unchained will be fascinating, entertaining and addictive. We may know the narrative of the 2024 Tour and who won the individual stages and overall but the episodes add more details and complete the picture.

Several major teams have released or promoted their own documentary videos recently but they only highlight the quality of the Tour de France: Unchained series. In comparison the more traditional, and perhaps more censored, team documentaries can appear stale and boring.

Sadly it is the final series, even while the Formula 1 series Drive to Survive and other Netflix sports documentaries continue to attract new and younger audiences. Some have suggested that this is due to Tour de France: Unchained being scripted for Netflix France and a French audience but whatever the reason, pro cycling has again lost out to rival sports.

The first two seasons of Tour de France: Unchained were released in early June but this year riders will already be in Lille for the 2025 Tour when the series becomes available. Some have criticised the later date but the benefit is that it makes Tour de France: Unchained a great way to look back to the 2024 race and get excited for 2025.

The 2024 Tour was a battle between Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and 2025 is expected to be the same, with Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and the rest of the peloton playing a supporting role.

Details of the eight episodes

The opening episode of eight sets the scene for the Pogačar-Vingegaard duel over the three weeks of racing and sets up the rest of the series.

The French bias is clear in episode 1 called David v Goliath, as Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale directeur sportif Julien Jurdie says "money is the name of the game" as minor teams lament the difference in team budgets.

However, the episode then recalls Romain Bardet's win and first yellow jersey in Rimini on stage 1 and how Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) won in Bologna from the breakaway.

Episode 2 presents Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič as 'disruptors' to the Pogačar-Vingegaard dual and focuses on Evenepoel's first Tour stage win in the stage 7 time trial.

Episode 3 tells the story of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale's early struggles as Felix Gall loses time and Sam Bennett struggles in the sprints.

New team manager Dominique Serieys tries to lift his riders but only seems out of touch with his riders and staff. It shows the pain of defeat and disappointment at the Tour and shines light on why Serieys subsequently shook up the team and brutally removed team founder and long-time manager Vincent Lavenu.

Episode 4 covers the gravel stage to Troyes before the first rest day. It reveals the full emotions at TotalEnergies as Anthony Turgis beats Tom Pidcock in the sprint. It also reveals new details and tension when Vingegaard refuses to work with Pogačar and Evenepoel to gain time on Roglič.

"I'm not allowed eh? C'mon," Vingegaard shouted when the three were on the attack, suggesting he had been told not to work by his directeur sportif.

Pogačar can be heard replying: "fuck you!" Evenepoel later suggested that "sometimes you need balls to race, unfortunately, Jonas didn't have them today."

Pogačar suggested he was scared but the Dane said: "If I'd worked, I'm pretty sure I would have lost the Tour de France that day."

It was a glimpse of the real intensity of the Pogačar-Vingegaard rivalry that will be on show again this year. There are often handshakes and smiles but both Pogačar and Vingegaard and their UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike teams desperately want to win and are incredibly competitive.

Episode 5 tells the story of Vingegaard's terrible crash at the Itzulia Basque Country and the mental and physical consequences. The Dane's tears and fears of dying were real as were his hesitation on the mountain descents. Netflix loves a fairytale ending and also shows Vingegaard's tears after he wins stage 11 in Le Lioran.

The episode follows Roglič's move from Visma to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and how the arrival of Red Bull as the title sponsor raises the pressure on the Slovenian. The episode ends with Rogič quitting the Tour before stage 13 and returning home once again to lick his wounds with his family, eventually promising to return to the Tour in 2025.

"The dream to win the Tour keeps you going," Roglič says.

Tour de France: Unchained Netflix is not afraid to edit the Tour narrative to fit their telling. Episode 6 is called 'History Makers' and covers Mark Cavendish's emotional farewell and recording breaking 35th stage win on day 5, which dominates the episode, while also telling the story of Biniam Girmay's historic three wins and how he stops Jasper Philipsen from winning another green points jersey.

Episode 7 focuses on EF Education-EasyPost as Richard Carapaz fights for a stage victory and eventually wins on stage 17 to Superdévoluy. It also reveals the frustration of rival teams as Pogačar dominates yet again.

"Trying to beat Tadej Pogačar is like throwing yourself against a brick wall but we have to keep trying," team manager Jonathan Vaughters says.

The final episodes logically focus on the GC battle between Pogačar and Vingegaard, Evenepoel's fight for the podium and Pogačar's eventual three consecutive stage wins in the Alps and ultimate victory in Nice.

Unfortunately, Tour de France: Unchained ends very much like the 2024 Tour de France. Everyone knew who was going to win and many people lost interest. The series editors tried to spark some life into the final episode but everyone just wanted it to be over.

The only emotional moment was when Vingegaard apologised to his team for struggling in the Alps, as Pogačar won again and again to extend his winning margin to 6:17.

It was left to Mark Cavendish to some how wrap up the last ever moment of Tour de France: Unchained.

"There'll always be a rider in a generation that comes around and it's him, it's wicked and beautiful to share time in the peloton with him and see it first hand," Cavendish says in admiration before the final credits begin to roll.

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