Le Ride: DVD Review
Le Ride sees Phil Keoghan take on his own Amazing Race.
Shorn of the majority of the glamorous trappings of the TV show, Keoghan’s desire to demonstrate a little known Kiwi’s achievements of the world stage is admirable in its intent.
For many, the name Harry Watson means nothing; but after Le Ride, Keoghan’s hope of restoring his name to the annals of history may have taken a large leap. Mixing the Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman ethos of the Long Way Round with a road trip in France, Keoghan and his mate Ben Cornell are determind to follow Watson’s path from the 1928 Tour De France.
| Le Ride |
With a bike that was from the 1928 ride (ie no real gears).
While some of those roads are long gone, this doesn’t stop the duo from instigating “the story that has to be told” and setting out on the trail. Mixing archive footage, present day suffering (Keoghan even insisted on keeping to the 1928 diet of bread, cheese and wine) and plenty of lashings of camaraderie and good nature, Le Ride is a journey well worth taking.
With the typical Keoghan charm in the face of growing adversity (from cracks on the bikes to being outbiked by someone in their 60s who took part in the original race), this is never less than genial – and while less is known about Kiwi Harry Watson than any other of any of our more prolific sports exports on the world stage, Keoghan and Cornell ensure that his profile is raised considerably in this piece that quietly salutes his achievements.
Le Ride’s greatest achievement has come from being on the NZIFF circuit – granted, Keoghan’s high profile should see many more through the doors than simply those within the biking community, but a wider audience will leave feeling they’ve had access to a story they would normally have never glimpsed into.
