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 - a religeous eventReading the other comments, I agree they didnt do the best on the sound but in a way the background noise adds atmosphere to the whole event. Its still an awesome event, you get to see a lot more of the countryside nd amazing places they travel through than on the four hour, more uninterupted coverage of crucial stages especially the amazingly scenic mountain stages. its a riveting watch, probably the most action packed of Lances tours. Vinokourov has to be seen to be belived, that boy just doesnt give up attacking. This is a must for any fan of endurance sport. I don't cycle but that doesnt stop its appeal. It transcends beyond just being about cycling, like all endurance sport its about striving and suffering and overcoming Rating: - Great DVDThe audio is fine. It's the same quality of what we saw live on OLN. Sure it's spotty at times, but it's not as bad a some of the reviews make it sound like. Rating:  - Horrid AudioI cannot over emphasize how frustrating it is to attempt to hear the fine commentary while it is being almost totally obliterated by noise from helicoptors, bells, whistles, horns and other crowd noise. How could this product be released with such inept audio mixing? Didn't anyone listen to it before it was released? I often must turn off the audio as all I can hear is noise. Anyone who owns this DVD should be given a new one that is mixed correctly. Rating: - Dramatic video ruined by awful sound qualityI have pretty much every tour since the late 80's on dvd or vhs. After last year's dramatic race, I decided to spring for the 12 hour coverage, and I'm still kicking myself for not getting the cheaper disc. As others have said, the sound is awful. The commentary is buried deep in the corner of one speaker and often overwhelmed by background noise. WCP normally does a decent job with their videos, but this is so bad that it's difficult to watch it. Rating:  - WCP Can Do BetterCycling enthusiasts will value this set, because it chronicles the final triumph by Lance Armstrong, who has dominated cycling's "World Series" in an unprecedented manner. However, as someone who watched OLN's coverage of the event live this year, the set was disappointing because of the inept sound mixing. There is also some questionable editing decisions in including some analyst's features, which detract from the flow of the race. Ned Boulting again has some fine interviews, but the debut of former British cycling champion Chris Boardman is largely wasted. He just isn't given the opportunity to say much of interest, and one suspects that he could contribute more of substance. Don't get me wrong, Boardman and Boulting are fine replacements for the Yanks (Bob Roll and Al Trautwig) who were added to the OLN commentary line-up, but WCP has the best two announcers in sport in Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, and most time away from their call of the live race is time wasted. The box promises "12 hours of action," instead, we get 10 hours of action, and 2 hours of filler. Boardman or Boulting may someday make a decent replacement for Paul Sherwen's second chair when Phil Liggett can no longer go, and Sherwen is the main announcer, but Gary Imlach's stand-up comments on racing and local color in years past were less obtrusive, and, frankly, better written. Liggett is in very bad voice during the Alpes stages, suffering from a cold of some sort. He recovers for the Pyrannes stages, and his voice, at its best, is a mixture of precise British diction and almost Gallic charm delivered in a rich, hypnotic baritone. No one calls a sprint for the finish better, in any sport, than Phil Liggett. It will be a real loss for cycling when he retires. There were a few inspired special features that were a welcome addition to this DVD set: First among these would be the interview with the poised and clever father of Aussie sprinter Robbie McEwen, who managed brilliantly the damage control for his talented but volatile son, caught just a few days earlier head- butting his rivals at the finishing line. Armstrong makes winning the Tour de France look easy - too easy, really. His success has had many positive effects - for American cylcing, cancer research, and Sheryl Crow's resurgent career - but it will be fun to see other cyclists emerge from his huge shadow next year, and to see how his former teammates perform, unburdened by the need to support their captain. [I have edited this review after watching this dvd again in early 2006. My earlier comments were too harsh regarding Ned Boulting and Chris Boardman. The major problem is the sound quality - one hopes that WCP could fix this and rerelease this set.]
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