You may remember Eros Poli as Mario Cipollini’s leadout man, but now, he’s the star of his own documentary.
At inGamba, we’ve always known that cycling legend and now inGamba guide Eros Poli had star power. And now, in partnership with Adjacent Lab Media, Eros’ story is coming to life. We’re thrilled to share GRINTA!, a short documentary recounting Eros Poli’s unlikely win in the 1994 Tour de France. The film premiered the day before the Mont Ventoux stage of this year’s Tour, and is now being shown at film festivals including the legendary Banff Film Festival on November 1.
Part action, part romance, and all heart, GRINTA! is a little known, underdog story. The film portrays how Eros Poli, a towering professional cyclist who typically was last on climbs, defied all odds to ascend legendary Mont Ventoux to a solo breakaway stage victory on a brutally hot day in the 1994 Tour de France.
GRINTA!—named for the Italian word for ‘grit’—is a thrilling, nostalgic and endearing film that explores what it means to have the grit and determination to not just persevere, but to endure. It follows Poli to France and Italy thirty years after his win as he finds his way back up the mountain and retells the story of his iconic feat.
As with all the best things in life, the idea for GRINTA! was formed over a glass of wine. Knowing Eros, it was probably a prosecco, especially if it happened right after a ride. “We had the idea to film this story after sitting across the table from Eros and hearing him tell it over a glass of wine.” said Director and Producer, Donna Crain. “We found it charming and inspiring and knew a lot of other people would too.”
“It just goes down as one of the great exploits in cycling history … in Tour de France history,” Bicycling Editorial Director, Bill Strickland said. He added, “The way he won against one of the best Tour de France champions ever, against one of the best climbers ever, I would place it in the pantheon of great sporting achievements.”
GRINTA! will be premiering at the legendary Banff Film on Saturday, November 1. More information is available here.
Want to hear about Eros’ climb from the man himself? Join inGamba for a tour where Eros will be your guide, and not only will he regale you with stories, you may catch him reliving that moment as he pulls you up a climb. “I can’t remember the name but it was the song playing when I won the Mont Ventoux stage in the Tour,” he says. “But it has become my song. Now, when I’m going up a climb and my leg start to yell and I feel like piranhas are biting my muscles, I start singing that song by my head. And sometimes out loud. On tours, everyone can hear me on the climbs!”
Learn more and watch the trailer at: GRINTAfilm.com
