Tadej Pogaar’s UAE Team Emirates team has stated why it passed down the opportunity to be a part of the all-new Tour de France docu-series slated to show on Netflix, citing logistical challenges and a tepid need for further publicity at this moment.
Emirates Team was one of the initial eight teams shortlisted for the project.
Some questioned the narratives and probable missing gaps in the eight-part project because the winner of the past two Tour de France races would be absent from the series.
However, like with the Formula 1 “Drive to Survive” Netflix series, not all of the top teams competed in the debut race.
Andrea Agostini, the team’s chief operational officer, noted that while the idea had momentum and apparent benefits for the cycling industry as a whole, as well as some specific teams, it did not mesh with UAE’s present situation.
One issue was logistics, especially because Netflix film cameras will accompany the teams and get behind the scenes weeks before the race, throughout the grand tour, and again after the event.
“What I can say is that it’s a fantastic project.” It has the potential to offer a lot of benefits to the cycling industry, but it also adds a lot of complexities for us.”
We agreed with our owners that this was not a priority for us, but if Netflix keeps the door open for us in the future, we could step in. “However, it is not our priority at the moment.” It’s also a logistical issue. To have a cameraman following you throughout the Tour de France, including before the race, when every team is already filled. Because we have our own cameraman, photographer, and media representative, the space on the bus is limited.