Open Your Eyes to Eyes Wide Open

Eyes Wide Open - DVD front cover

A few weeks back I was sent a DVD to review from filmmaker Markus Neuert aka Cyclefilm. This was a project he worked on in 2010 and it continues to receive a lot of press attention. Eyes Wide Open – the making of Cyclepassion 2011 – is the behind scenes footage from the calendar series that everyone in the world of cycling is talking about.

Reading the synopsis on the back of the DVD:

Once a year, a select group of elite women cyclists leave behind their world of mud, sweat, blood and pain to slip into something a little more comfortable. See what happens when eight professional cyclists trade in their lycra for latex, lace and leather in the sixth annual production of the ever popular Cyclepassion Calendar. Take an intimate look behind the scenes of each photo shoot and find out what life off the bike is like for each rider. Eyes Wide Open also tells the story of the calendar origins with its founder Anke Wilken, and renowned photographer Daniel Geiger.

The girls featured in the DVD are:

• Fabienne Heinzmann
• Hanka Kupfernagel
• Heather Irmiger
• Julie Krasniak
• Liz Hatch
• Mona Eiberweiser
• Veronica Andreasson
• Willow Koerber

It’s a slick production from Markus! Interesting angles and views, as well as great close-up camera work, showing off the pure beauty of the girls while they pose for the photographer.

The added bonus is that you get an insight into the lives of these professional racers. Who they are and why they got involved in making the calendar. There’s no doubt about it. These are some seriously stunning women. And they race bikes!

Here are two sneak previews from the DVD:

The supporting footage within the DVD shows the girls doing what they do best – racing – and at times, leaves you wanting to see some more of it. All cyclists love racing and this DVD gives us an opportunity to meet some incredibly talented and beautiful women that are involved at the highest level in the sport.

Now as for the DVD, the main elements of it are:

• Run time: 75 minutes
• Full colour
• PAL/NTSC
• Zonefree

Not forgetting it has a wicked sound track and the DVD comes in some super cool packaging designed by the folks at Jakebox.

Cool packaging

Now, there are those that have a problem with what the girls are doing here. To be honest, personally, I don’t. These women are the top of their game and if this helps raise interest in them, then all the better for the sport.

Call it the Marmite affect – either “you love it or you hate it!” One thing is for sure, the Cyclepassion calendar has helped raise the interest in women’s cycling.

To get your hands on a copy of the DVD for the uber cool (now reduced) price of £9.99, then point your browser here at the Cyclefilm shop. And see what all the fuss is about!

Eyes Wide Open - DVD back cover

Cyclepassion 2011 calendar for xmas

Fabienne Heinzmann on the cover of Cyclepassion 2011

For those of you who are still wondering about what to get for xmas, or if you are the girlfriend of a cyclist and not sure what to get him, then look no further. The 2011 Cyclepassion calendar is by far the best cycling calendar in the time it has been around. Very tasetfully done, while showing off the top road and mountain biking women racers in a way we’ve never seen them before.

Well, here are some video trailers for the calendar, tastefully put together by  Markus Neuert of Cyclefilm:

Calendar / DVD – 1 of 3

Calendar / DVD – 2 of 3

Calendar / DVD – 3 of 3

The 2011 Cyclepassion Athletes:

Willow Koerber (USA) – Trek/Subaru – MTB
Heather Irmiger (USA) – Trek/Subaru – MTB
Liz Hatch (USA) – Lotto Ladies Team – Road
Veronica Andreasson (Sweden) – Lotto Ladies Team – Road
Julie Krasniak – (France) Look – Road
Fabienne Heinzmann – (Switzerland) BMC – MTB
Mona Eiberweiser (Germany) – CentralPro – MTB
Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) Road/Cross

So, what are you waiting for?!

CyclePassion – The DVD!

Lene Byberg

You’ve all heard about or seen the CyclePassion calendar series. Well, production of the 2011 version is well under way and here is a sneak peak of what we can expect in next year’s version.

But here’s an added bonus from the CyclePassion crew  – they have produced a documentary DVD about the elite women cyclists of Cyclepassion 2011.

The blurb they’ve put together for this as is follows:

How boring would life be without a bit of ‘over-the-top(less)ness’ from time to time See the revealing story behind the Calendar. The Cyclepassion crew has given us exclusive access to their photo shoots to produce a documentary DVD about the elite women cyclists of Cyclepassion 2011. The first shoot was with Willow Koerber and Heather Irmiger of the Subaru Gary Fisher/Trek MTB Team after the Offenburg UCI World Cup.

So here it is:

Make sure you get the 2011 calendar on your xmas wish list. It looks like it’s going to be a good one!

Gunn Rita Dahle-Flesja