55 minSeason 1 • Episode 9
LatestEaster Sunday, April 4, 2010. In Bruges, some 200 cyclists and their entourage are getting ready for the 94th Tour of Flanders. A sea of supporters awaits them along the route, while millions more follow Flanders' finest on radio or TV. With the race as a backdrop, De ronde tells the story of a number of people who, like the cyclists, have everything to gain or lose today. The series originally had nine episodes, but these were recut to seven episodes for the DVD.
Direction
Jan Eelen weaves nine stories like peloton crashes—inevitable, brutal, beautiful.
Acting
Ludo Dierckxsens plays himself with unnerving, sweaty authenticity.
Production
Real race footage merged with fiction—Flanders itself becomes a character.
Creator
Jan Eelen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The series was shot during the actual 2010 Tour of Flanders, with cast members mixing among real cyclists and crowds who had no idea they were in a drama.
De Ronde is practically religion in Flanders—this series treats the race like a pressure cooker for every unspoken class resentment and paternal disappointment in Belgian society.
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