Mark Cavendish to Star in Second Series of Netflix's Tour de France: Mark Cavendish will appear in the second series of Netflix's documentary "Tour de France: Unchained". However, according to Cyclingnews, Tadej Pogachar and UAE Team Emirates will not be involved again, despite the producers' desire to include new characters and new angles in series 2.

Eight teams will participate in season 2 of the Tour de France: Jumbo-Visma, EF Education-Easy Post, Soudal-Quick Step, Ineos-Grenadier, Groupama-FDJ, Alpecin-Desseuninck, Bora-Hansgrohe, AG2R Citroen.

Video and sound crews are already present and filming this year's races and have access to all eight teams involved in all areas. The second series will be available in the summer of 2024.

According to Cyclingnews, series producer Quadbox has signed a deal with Astana Kazakstan, Mark Cavendish's Astana team, for the second series to capture his last Tour de France impression and the 34 he holds with Eddy Merckx. He will now be able to film his attempt to break the record for stage victories.

The Cavendish documentary, which will be released on Netflix on August 2, is not part of the more prestigious Netflix Originals Tour de France documentary, but a separate film.

According to Cycling News, Lidl-Trek and Jayco Alura were eager to participate in the second series, but signed with the same team again to balance the peloton.

UAE Team Emirates and Pogachar will not be directly involved, but will appear in the race footage as they did in Series 1. Quadbox has not ruled out the eventual participation of UAE Team Emirates in order to focus on the best storytelling of the Tour de France It seems.

Netflix provided €8 million in production costs to produce the first series. Tour de France organizer ASO and host broadcaster France Television each received €250,000; the eight teams split the remaining €500,000, with each team receiving €62,000 (about $67,000).

Series 1 of the Tour de France: Unchained was released on June 8. Initial reviews were mixed, with expert cycling fans pleased with the rarely seen behind-the-scenes look, but critical of the carefully edited narrative that focused on the teams involved and ignored key moments of the 2022 Tour de France.

Netflix says satisfied with early viewership of "Tour de France" series 1: Netflix was pleased with the early viewership of "Tour de France: Unchained" series 1 and decided on series 2 just before this year's race began in Bilbao

The series is also being shown in the US and Europe.

The series is designed to entertain and attract new cycling fans, much as the "Drive to Survive" series did successfully with formula motor racing.

Netflix video crews have filmed inside team buses, hotel rooms, team meetings, and even private moments between riders and their families.

Other teams have fully embraced the series, and Marc Madio has become the series' unexpected star.

"It is important that we allow filming and provide clear information before the race, otherwise we would not allow it," Patrick Lefebvre, team manager of Soudal-Quickstep, told Cycling News.

Lefebvre said that there is still no interest from new sponsors who have seen the Tour de France: however, he gave two examples of the impact of this series.

"I had an American guest of a sponsor at the Tour Grand Départ in Bilbao, and they saw me on Netflix and noticed. They said, 'Oh, you're the tough guy of the Tour. This shows some sort of "Netflix effect," Lefebvre suggested.

"I also went to the premiere in Paris with my wife. She never watches cycling on TV, but she was impressed by what she saw. We have to show cycling to new people who know nothing about the sport. That's the goal of the Netflix series."

"It's like a new deal to broadcast the race radio conversation on TV. For now, they are thinly paid, but we are foolish dreamers, hoping that the little fish will become the big fish.