While I was at Interbike, I was invited to attend the showing of the Danish movie about the CSC team, called “Overcoming”. It is an excellent, top-notch documentary about the CSC team, filmed the year that Ivan Basso was signed on. It’s a true, behind the scenes look at the making of a top team. I recommend it highly - I was just glued to the screen - it is a must-see. You gotta have the DVD.

This Danish film crew spent days and days getting to know the team, and reaching a complete comfort level so that the CSC guys hardly knew that the video cameras were rolling. Bjarne Riis allows us to look into his head and hear his thoughts: his dilemmas and concerns about the riders on his team. It clearly shows Bjarne’s total caring and commitment to his guys, and, in turn, their trust in him, and commitment to him and their teammates.

There are some funny scenes with then-newcomer Ivan Basso trying to speak English, and flailing along in the water, learning how to swim at the training boot camp. Also some very touching moments when Ivan learns that his mother has cancer. They video Ivan speaking on the phone with Lance about helping Mrs. Basso, and thanking Lance for everything he has done to help.

The camera crew rides along with the team, and cameras are rolling on Bobby Julich’s fall when trying to take water bottles from Bjarne. One second you see Bobby riding beside the car window, reaching for the bottle from Bjarne and in an instant, he disappears from sight, and you hear the sounds of the crash.

You see Carlos Sastre torn by his dilemma of wanting to be with his family, wife and newborn daughter. The suffering, the anguish, the frustrations, as well as the joking and bonding of these guys - their triumphs and tragedies - are recorded with the unflinching eye of the video cameras. You see their sweat, tears, laughter, and road rash up close.... This is a real-deal cycling movie...

I took this photo of Bjarne and Ivan (under the glare of yellow lights) at the 2005 BGI sponsor dinner in SF. Click the Link to go to the Danish Overcoming movie website.