8/10 will not recommend. What a fantastic movie. This is exactly what I was craving in Yowamushi Pedal Season 2. There's no need to create superpower artificial emotion since the sport by nature is such a rollercoaster of hope, despair, and fortunes that change within seconds. Road bike racing is such a dramatic event because so many people are vying for victory, bargaining back and forth in game theory. It doesn't take much to explain these transactions and how they can conform to the strengths of each rider and team. This movie is easily able to introduce the riders Bezal, Zamenhoff, Ciocci, Benengeli, and Gilmore aspotential victory hunters and how their ideal strategies clash with one another as the finish line grows closer and closer. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about general cycling layout and strategy. They do not explain the strategy of peloton vs breakaway, winds/echelon formation, team sponsor politics, and stage vs overall victory. Thus it's made for already existing cycling fans and is quite unwelcoming to newbies.

Pros

- In 45 min it fits a full cycling story and a family story
- Does a great job at showcasing the drama and unpredictability of racing

Cons

- Doesn't explain shit to newcomers to the sport (should have been a TV series not a shortish movie)
- Very classic presentation. It's from 2003 but feels like from the 90s. Would prefer the hype and voice acting of modern anime.