Louis Talpe stars in The Racer. For him it is his first leading role in an international film. Talpe is also very sporty in real life and has a heart for the race. In the film he is the super servant for his Italian leader, played by Matteo Simoni.
“My character can be compared to someone like Iljo Keisse or some other super servant. I don’t think any characters are really a direct reference to real riders like Pantani or Ullrich. Our cycling jerseys are reminiscent of Telekom’s in the past.”
“The film in itself is not an ode to the race or the servant. Dom, my character, is someone who is very much attached to the life he knows: the life of training, being on the road and getting along well with his caretaker. He is nearing the end of his career. And it is every rider’s dream to shine himself. Dom’s too. “
The film is set during the 1998 Tour, better known as the “Festina-Tour”. “Doping and cheating are open and naked in the film, but we do not judge. There were teams in the peloton that used doping, but that was hardly seen as a bad thing at the time. Nowadays it is condemned much harder.”
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Nico Mattan went to watch The Racer: “Think 80 percent is truthful”
