But isn’t that exactly what cycling is these days? 
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Series to end after this season (the 2024 race).
Disappointed, but not surprised. Don’t think the series ever really hit its stride and the dual language aspect was always going to limit its potential.
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Bummer, hopefully someone else takes Netflix’s place.
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Really big shame. Between this and the massive price increase in UK subscriptions to watch races, cycling will struggle to attract new fans.
As a cycling fan who watches / follows every race, Unchained didn’t really offer much, but was still interesting viewing to see a few clips from behind the scenes etc and see a bit of the riders personalities.
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Same happened to the Six Nations rugby series on Netflix. I think it’s simply a bit of a case of diminishing returns from trying to apply the Drive to Survive formula to so many different sports.
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That sucks. I loved it. I didn’t mind the dubbing that much.
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Agree it’s worked so well for Formula 1 but doesn’t seem to translate to other sports so well.
Kind of saw thew writing on the wall last season with the drug accusations from the media circulating regarding JV’s “super-human” performances. Maybe it is just me… but I didn’t get the feeling teams liked talking about it and having cameras around.
I don’t think the doping arc really had anything to do with the cancellation. I think it was just low reviews relative to costs:
According to a report in Le Parisien on Thursday morning, the viewing figures for the most recent season of the series were 'judged to be average" across the board, and “a little disappointing” in France.
Production costs and payments to teams and Tour organiser ASO are also cited as factors in the decision to end the programme.
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Is anyone watching Season 3 that dropped recently?
We all know who wins but I enjoy the inside view of the team and listening to DSes we hardly ever hear utter a word speak.
I’m on Ep 3 right now with AG2R dealing with their new CEO who think he can apply team sport and race car strategies to cycling.
You can’t will a rider to be better than they are. Sam Bennett is feeling a lot of pressure but he’s got nobody on the team that can help him stay in position in the last few km nor does he have a leadout man. Jasper Phillipsen, on the other hand has one of the greatest cyclists ever (MVDP) as his leadout man.
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Thanks! I hadn’t seen it was out.
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I find it hilarious that the AG2R CEO/GM you mention, Dominique Serieys, is faring worse in 2025 than in 2024. He fired team founder and long time GM/CEO Vincent Lavenu after the 2024 tour; wonder if Serieys will resign this year. Felix Gall was 14th GC GC last year… and currently in 32nd this year. Serieys came across as an arrogant cycling ignoramus in the Netflix show (though maybe they edited to amplify that for entertainment purposes - I’m sure there was some truth to it).
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The stuff he’s saying in this series is ridiculous. Bennett got a 4th, a 6th, and a 9th with no leadout support from the team in his first tour back after 4 years away. I’d call that a success.
I miracle for Bennett would have been great for the team but you can’t expect miracles on the low budget that AG2R has.
Maybe all the talk of the sponsors putting pressure on team management is just Netflix made up BS?
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Problem in this case is that Lavenu sold the team to AG2R in 2022 so they’re the owner not just the sponsor. Though Decathlon have just bought the team off AG2R and committed to significantly increasing the budget next year. So maybe Serieys will go as well since presumably he was an AG2R appointee.