Every-stage How The Race Was Won®-like videos have been on my wishlist since I first gave a CyclingTV screencap the Ginsu treatment back in 2009. But the practical considerations of working for a living, and HTRWW’s relatively monumental effort always stood in the way.
But this past Tour de France, I lucked out. CyclingTips had licensed footage, cash to spend, and need for short-form, social-ready video. I had a boatload of PTO stored up, new equipment, and an at least halfway-decent recording space. We missed the first couple stages (though we still kinda got them) but as Van Aert hammered clear across the cliffs of Brittany on Stage 4, I knew we were about to drop something great.
The result was the UPSTAGED Tour de France recaps—daily 90-second clips with a How The Race Was Won® vibe. They’re sharp, fast, funny, and ready-made for the digital landscape of 2022. They don’t, however, fit particularly well into the indexed web—so I’ve posted the full 2022 TdF collection here.