Written by on Jul 25, 2014. Posted in Production News

Chris Froome cycles the Eurotunnel filming new spot with Jaguar and Team Sky

Cyclist Chris Froome, winner of the 2013 Tour de France with Team Sky, has become the first person to cycle the Eurotunnel. In a stunt organised by Jaguar – who provides Team Sky’s support vehicles – Froome cycled through a service tunnel between Folkestone and Calais.

The shoot was six months in the planning and involved close discussions with the Eurotunnel authorities. Filming had to be planned around Team Sky’s training and racing schedule, while the Eurotunnel authorities needed to approve the shooting storyboards and evaluate the safety aspects. Equipment testing also needed to be done on everything from microphones and camera mounts through to the tyres used on Froome’s bike.

“Nothing like this has ever been filmed in the Tunnel before,” explains Eurotunnel’s John Keefe: “Having so many cameras and using all 50 kilometres for one film with such a large crew was also a first.”

Froome’s ride was in fact filmed twice. On the first run the rider wore cameras mounted on his helmet and bike for close-up angles and then a full-route ride was filmed with cameras positioned at the start, the middle and the end of the tunnel, all of which produced a fuller shot list for the edit.

“Keeping the transport operation running was also critical, so filming schedules had to fit in with the timetable and not disturb traffic flows. Organising such a large crew in such a confined space, with all these constraints meant that we had only one shot. If the slot had been missed, the film wouldn't have happened.” Keefe adds.

Credits:
Client: Jaguar
Production Company: Inc Content
Creative Director/Executive Producer: Jeremy Hart
Content Director: Will Gray
Director: Adam Kaleta

(Image: Inc Content)