"Having raced as an amateur, as well as spending most of my adult life on the road as a musician, I can say that 'The Hard Road' captures the true spirit of suffering for what you love. A great film." -- Michael Ward   formerly of the Wallflowers


Their world is raw and tough and those who embrace it understand that they will always be a few inches away from hitting the pavement at 40 miles per hour. “TheHard Road” from Jamie Paolinettitakes you inside the world of professional cycling like no film ever has. -- Bob Babbitt   Publisher, Competitor Magazine


wow!
what a treat it was to come see your screening. your film was truly wonderful --- educational, engaging and universal in it's theme about pursuing one's passion against all odds. -- Anne Wilde


Hey Jamie,
Im sure you will have lots of these kinds of e-mail's in your in-box but all I can say is WOW! What a great movie. So cool for me to see footage like that from domestic races. The writing was awesome. You should be really proud. Greg also did an amazing job. -- Keith Michaels Aussie Clothing


Two thumbs up! Five stars! Bring your Mum, she will finally understand!
The Hard Road is a movie that succeeds at many levels. Out of the gate it communicates not only how and what professional cycling is but imparts the essence of the passion, not only for the sport, but of the riders and fans as well.

You may have heard it is a documentary; it is. The highest compliment I can give is that five minutes into the film you will forget you ever heard that label. Bring a seat belt and strap yourself in for almost two hours of racing the pro circuit with a two veteran pro riders guiding their neopro team in its first season in the pro ranks. Follow the team from the first spring classic to the last race in fall. Come along on a season of suffering, disappointments, trials and victories. This is the real stuff, the deep down grit that moves every rider to work harder, dig deeper and reach for the ultimate performance: this is pro racing!

On another level, the movie not only explains, but also demonstrates, that cycling is a team sport, second to none in tactics, excitement and speed. More than just a look at one team, it is an inside look at what drives the peloton and the day to day sacrifices the riders and their families make to train, travel and race for a full professional season. What Jamie Paolinetti does best with this film is communicate. He communicates his own passion for pro cycling, to devotees of cycling and novices alike, with a movie that entertains and enlightens. Best of all, his passion may be contagious!

Two thumbs up! Five stars! Bring your Mum, she will finally understand! -- Vaughn Trevi


Here it is!
In the five months since I viewed the rough cut of this film at the San Francisco Grand Prix, Jamie Paolinetti has turned it from a meandering but endearing view of the lives of Division III professional cyclists into an extremely tight documentary about the nature of the sport itself. This film is unique: it introduces neophytes to the world of professional cycling through explaining simple cycling concepts, but contains enough gritty, behind-the-scenes detail to please even the most elitist and experienced cycling aficionado. The narrative covers a year in the life of the 2001 NetZero cycling team, but it also serves as an exploration of the economics and politics of the American cycling scene. Through his depiction of the family trauma, the physical pain, and the good humor of his subjects, Paolinetti gives us the first truly accurate filmic portrait of life as an American cyclist.

The first segment of the film is a bit jarring: the early Spring season flies by with a series of voice-overs, ellipses, and fast edits that left my head spinning. At first I was worried that perhaps Paolinetti had cut too much from the rough version, and that the heart of the film—the portraits of the Division III riders themselves—had been sacrificed for the sake of a more fast-paced narrative. As the rapid-fire sequence came to a close, however, I realized that Paolinetti had achieved a very calculated effect: he had reproduced in the audience the sense of vertigo, pressure, and moderate frustration that the cyclists themselves were experiencing as they got shelled by bigger teams in their early races. As the riders start to find success, the narrative slows down and allows the audience members to get oriented through a more careful look at the lives of the riders themselves.

This is the true strength of this film: once it hits its stride, it manages to blend the drama of the races and the drama of the riders' personal lives into a seamless and powerful whole. As the riders progress through the race calendar, the race footage is intercut with their personal stories such that it is clear what is at stake for each of them when they hit the road. With interviews from young pros like Jason Bausch to grizzled veterans like Graeme Millar and Frankie Andreu, Paolinetti manages to give a complete picture of the sport that is still struggling for acceptance in the United States. If this film receives the distribution and the publicity that it deserves, it could serve as a major force in advancing the cause of cycling in America. While I hope to see it in theaters and on television, I can't wait until this film comes out on video so that I can give copies to my family and non-cycling friends. Maybe then they'll understand why I get up at 6 am for weeks on end just to watch races half a world away, and why I can sit and watch grown men and women ride their bikes in a big circle all day long. -- Dr. Patrick B. Sharp Assistant Professor California State University at Los Angeles


Outstanding!!!
Thanks for the invite. You did a remarkable job with the film. Glad the MBGP could be a "backdrop" for some of some film. Can't wait to get my hands on the DVD. -- Eric Smith Race Director Manhattan Beach Grand Prix


Saturday March 8 was the premiere of "The Hard Road", a documentary about the fledgling pro cycling team, NetZero, of which I was lucky enough to be a part. The premiere was held at the Oakley "Interplanetary Headquarters", which is like a cross between the "Bat Cave" and "Dr. Evil's Lair"; pretty much the coolest building I've ever been in. The night began with a lot of schmoozing at the pre-movie party, and it was great to catch up with some people I'd been out of touch with. From there, we were filed into the theatre,(Yeah, Oakley has it's own theatre with seating for 450 people. Pretty cool, huh?), and the show started. The movie takes an in-depth look at the struggles and sacrifices of each member of the team throughout the course of the season. I won't go into too much detail about the film, but if you are interested in bike racing, (and since you're reading www.dailypeloton.com, I assume you are) you should see it. Actually, it's about a lot more than bike racing. It is definitely the most accurate depiction of what life is like for a struggling cyclist I have seen, but also gives the perspectives of the family members of NetZero racers, which is probably my favorite part. Watching the film brought back a lot of the emotion from that year, especially given my recent decision to put pro bike racing on the back-burner to pursue a "real job". The film was written, directed, and edited by NetZero team captain Jamie Paolinetti. If that sounds like a lot of work for one guy, I can vouch for the fact that he pretty much didn't sleep throughout the process of making the movie. -- Ryan Barrett has ridden for the NetZero and Schroeder Iron Pro Cycling Teams, as well as the US National Team.


Jamie,
Thank you so much for the opportunity to see your film. I enjoyed it so much that I had to let you know. As I told you, I knew nothing about bike racing before seeing your film. I have to tell you I had no idea how committed and disciplined you have to be.
All pro sports have an element of commitment and discipline, but along with it comes the fame and the money if your good enough. What your film showed me is that there are people who are passionate about what they are doing, and are willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to achieve their goal. I admire anyone who has a passion in life, and the fact that they are doing something they absolutely love not for the fame and glory but for the sake of being able to do it, and that in its self is your reward !
I didn’t expect to feel the way I do about your film, but what you achieved ( with me anyway ) is that I will never look at athletes the same way, and most certainly I have a new found respect for pro bike racers !! I also didn’t expect to have the emotion I had as you showed each race, or the compassion I felt for your team mates.
Thank you again for the evening, not only did I enjoy it tremendously, but I learned something. -- Vickie Obriant newcomer to cycling


The Hard Road is an interesting collection of micro stories bound together by performance road cycling. Cycling is one of the most participated forms of recreation in the world but few understand road bicycle racing and all of its intricacies. The Hard Road brings a hard to understand sport to the main stream viewer and does a masterful job of it. -- Gerald Lee