When you’re grinding through one of ROUVY’s workouts or pushing through cold, wind and fatigue outdoors, sometimes what your legs really need is a story. The best cycling documentaries are more than entertainment – they’re windows into the struggles, triumphs and inner lives of cyclists across disciplines. They help you remember that every watt has a context, every drop of sweat has meaning, and that the road – whether paved, gravel, remote or virtual – holds stories worth telling.
For road cyclists, gravel riders, triathletes, endurance fans and especially indoor cyclists training on ROUVY, cycling films offer emotional fuel when your legs are shot.
Here, we’re taking a look at classic favourites, 2025 releases, hidden gems and free YouTube finds – all suited to stoking your passion, deepening your perspective, and providing indoor cycling motivation.
So carb-load with some popcorn, and let’s get started.
Top cycling documentaries of all time
Some films never lose their magic – they’re the ones cyclists return to again and again for goosebumps, grit and perspective. From cobbled chaos to Grand Tour drama, these classics remind us that cycling isn’t just a sport, but a theatre of suffering, triumph and unforgettable characters.
A Sunday In Hell
One of the definitive portraits of classic road racing, this doc captures the chaos, mud, team tactics and heroism of the Paris-Roubaix. It remains a reference point in virtually every list of the best cycling documentaries. Currently, its Popcornmeter rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which represents the percentage of verified users who have given the film at least 3.5 stars, is 74 percent.
The Armstrong Lie
Alex Gibney’s probing 2013 documentary originally set out to chronicle Lance Armstrong’s comeback, but it evolves into a narrative of exposure, power, lies and complicity. Currently, its Popcornmeter rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 82 percent.
Icarus
What begins as a personal inquiry into performance enhancement becomes a geopolitical thriller involving doping, whistleblowing, Russia and global sport. Icarus came out in 2017 and currently, has a Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter rating of 92 percent.
Slaying The Badger
Produced by ESPN as part of its acclaimed 30 For 30 series, Slaying The Badger tells the story of the intense rivalry between Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault around the 1986 Tour de France. This one’s an exciting deep dive. Released in 2014, it was adapted from “Slaying the Badger: LeMond, Hinault and the Greatest Ever Tour de France,” a book by Richard Moore that was published in 2014.
Bicycle Dreams
An iconic ultracycling film (often cited as one of the best in the endurance genre) that follows the Race Across America, exposing the raw mental and physical toll of extreme-distance racing. Released in 2009, Bicycle Dreams currently has a stunning 100-percent Popcornmeter rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Hell On Wheels
Originally released in Germany as Höllentour, Hell on Wheels follows Team Telekom during the 2003 Tour de France. This documentary blends racing coverage and personal perspectives to bring cycling’s most epic race to life.
New & must-watch cycling documentaries in 2025
The cycling world doesn’t stand still and neither do its stories. 2025 brings a fresh wave of must-see documentaries, with Netflix and independents delivering inside access, larger-than-life characters and jaw-dropping feats. Whether you’re chasing Tour de France documentaries or modern endurance legends, this year’s releases will keep you glued to the screen.
Chasing Cobbles: Mads Pedersen
This Apple TV+ documentary series follows Lidl-Trek team member cyclist Mads Pedersen through the drama of the Spring Classics, including Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. Combining intense race footage, behind-the-scenes insight and personal reflection, Chasing Cobbles: Mads Pedersen captures the grit, strategy and heart of a true cobblestone specialist.
Lael Rides Around The World
Chronicling American ultra-endurance racer Lael Wilcox’s record-breaking circumnavigation (nearly 30,000 kilometres in 108 days), Lael Rides Around The World is equal parts odyssey and inner journey – a standout endurance cycling film in 2025.
Tour de France: Unchained – Season 3
Though not brand new in concept, this latest season (released in mid-2025) continues to offer unmatched access to teams, riders and race strategy. It remains one of the go-to Tour de France documentaries for fans wanting backstage insight.
Gravel, bikepacking & adventure stories
Not every great cycling story happens in the peloton. Some unfold on dusty gravel tracks, forgotten backroads and remote mountain passes, where self sufficiency and sheer determination matter most. These films capture the spirit of exploration, the beauty of hardship, and the joy of getting lost – perfect for dreamers and dirt-seekers alike.
Europe Or Bust
Released in 2020, Europe Or Bust follows British endurance adventurer Sean Conway as he rides unsupported from Portugal to Russia in just 24 days. Battling sleep deprivation, brutal weather and endless logistics, he pushes body and mind to extraordinary limits across a continent.
All The Roads – The Ride To Rome
A spiritually tinted adventure, this 2018 film follows cyclists converging on Rome along pilgrimage routes, weaving history, motivation and personal quest.
Ridge To River: The Arkansas Traverse
This recently released documentary trails nine cyclists over a 760-kilometre mixed route across Arkansas, much of it on gravel and dirt backroads. It’s gaining traction among the bikepacking crowd. The film premiered at a film festival in Bentonville, Arkansas, home to the annual Life Time UNBOUND Gravel race.
Blood Road
The acclaimed 2017 Blood Road documentary follows endurance cyclist Rebecca Rusch as she pedals the Ho Chi Minh Trail in search of the site where father – a U.S. Air Force pilot – was shot down during the Vietnam War. Blending adventure, history and grief, it’s a powerful exploration of cycling’s ability to heal and connect.
Ultracycling & endurance films
Endurance cycling pushes the limits of mind and body, and its documentaries pull no punches. They show hallucinations, tears, triumphs and the brutal beauty of riding far beyond comfort. If you’ve ever wondered just how deep the rabbit hole of human performance goes, these ultracycling films will show you.
Bicycle Dreams
Already mentioned in the section on all-time classics above, Bicycle Dreams also stands as one of the defining ultracycling films, capturing the intensity, emotion, and psychological depth of the Race Across America in unforgettable detail.
Ride The Divide
This gripping film follows cyclists racing 4,350 kilometres from Banff, Canada to the Mexican border. The rides must cope with broken bikes, isolation, fatigue and inner doubts. It’s a raw portrait of perseverance and the sheer will to finish despite overwhelming obstacles. Ride The Divide won the "Best Adventure Film" award at the Vail Film Festival in 2010.
Pamir To Karakoram: Cycling The World’s Highest Roads
This breathtaking 2020 documentary follows cyclists across the legendary Pamir and Karakoram mountain ranges, where thin air, soaring peaks and unforgiving conditions test endurance and spirit. It’s a vivid portrait of human resilience on some of the planet’s most challenging roads.
It’s All About…An Ultracycling Movie
This film dives into the world of ultracycling by following athletes in the grueling Race Across America. Combining sweeping landscapes, personal interviews and moments of raw struggle, it captures both the physical suffering and the emotional resilience needed to finish.
Lael Rides Around The World
Also here as an endurance epic in addition to the list of newer releases above, Wilcox’s circumnavigation is the human frontier in cycling.
Female-led cycling documentaries
These documentaries shine a light on female athletes breaking barriers, redefining endurance and carving their space in the sport. These films inspire not just female cyclists but anyone who wants to hear tales of resilience, equality and raw passion.
Breakaway Femmes
Breakaway Femmes tells the story of pioneering women who raced in the first editions of the Tour de France Femmes. It highlights their struggles for recognition, the camaraderie that sustained them, and the determination that helped shape the future of women’s competitive cycling.
I Just Want To Ride – Lael Wilcox And The 2019 Tour Divide
This powerful 2019 doc captures Wilcox’s dramatic attempt to win the Tour Divide, a 4,418-kilometre, self-supported race from Canada to Mexico. Unlike Lael Rides Around The World, this one focuses on a single ultra-endurance event, exploring both fierce competition and the emotional challenges of riding day after day.
Lael Rides Around The World
Following Lael Wilcox’s record-breaking circumnavigation in 2024, this film is more than a tale of numbers, it’s an intimate portrayal of courage, resilience and the pursuit of extraordinary endurance goals.
Cycling documentaries on YouTube
Sometimes the best ride companions don’t cost a penny. YouTube is full of hidden gems – race retrospectives, behind-the-scenes exclusives and grassroots adventures – that bring the cycling world right into your living room. Free, immediate and endlessly entertaining, these films are perfect fuel for your turbo sessions.
Gravel – A Love Letter
This 30-minute film celebrates the spirit of gravel cycling through the experiences of PEARL iZUMi athletes Crystal Anthony, Payson McElveen and Hannah Shell. It explores community, challenge and joy.
#RondeTreasures: De Ronde 100 – Behind the Scenes
This documentary takes a rare look at the organization, logistics and riders involved in the 100th Tour of Flanders. With intimate access and historical context, it captures the atmosphere, pressure and cultural importance of the most celebrated event in Belgian cycling.
Conclusion: Watch – then get ready to ride!
Whether you’re in a recovery spin, a long tempo block or simply lounging after a hard outdoor ride, the best cycling documentaries give your mind a ride of its own.
From classics like A Sunday In Hell and Bicycle Dreams, to modern narratives including Icarus, The Armstrong Lie, and fresh 2025 titles like Chasing Cobbles: Mads Pedersen and Lael Rides Around The World, you’ll find inspirational cycling movies across style, distance, terrain and perspective.
For ROUVY users, these films can act as mental supplements – when your legs are screaming, your brain can ride through far places, meet cyclists across the decades, and catch a second wind in your imagination. Use them between epic mountain climbs, on recovery days, or even pause interval sets to remind yourself why you ride.
So cue up a classic or a new discovery, let the story transport you, set new goals, or plot your next cycling adventure. Then, as we always say at ROUVY, keep going!
