Year after year hundreds of thousands of fans line the route of the Tour de France, cheering on their heroes and willing them to victory, while millions of viewers worldwide tune in on their televisions. Academy Award-winning director Pepe Danquart, fascinated by the spectacle of the three week race, chose to focus on the courage, the pain and the fear of the riders of the Tour. Training his lens on German superstar sprinter Eric Zabel and his loyal domestique Rolf Aldag, Danquart captures the thrill of the race and the teamwork behind the stars of the peleton. He also shines light on the Tour's supporting cast - the director sportifs, masseurs, and, of course, the wildly enthusiastic fans. Reveling in the stunning landscape - from the Alps to the Pyrenees to the Massif Central to Paris - and with a nice dollop of Le Tour's history, HELL ON WHEELS transcends the sport it celebrates to reveal an astonishing human endeavor.

By adding his name to the list of Tour winners in 1999, Lance Armstrong had overcome adversity and earned the admiration of all. By winning again in 2000, the champion took on a whole new dimension. This time, all the greats were there. Like the others, Ullrich, winner in 1997, and Pantani, winner in 1998, had to admit the superiority of the American, who won one of the most spectacular Tours in recent years. An exceptional winner, a race full of action... All the ingredients were there to write some of the most beautiful pages in the history of the Tour...

The 1998 edition will occupy a special place in the history of the Tour. Not only because it was marred by doping scandals, but also because it reached new heights in sporting terms. The Deux Alpes stage and the rise to power of Marco Pantani, the winged climber, will remain one of the greatest moments in the sport. Impressive in his victory in 1997, Jan Ullrich went on to show admirable spirit in defeat by winning two more stages. This passing of the torch between two great champions made the 1998 Tour so memorable and provided us with some exceptional images.