Smoothie & Ziggurat - thanks fellas! I really should get around to sending my copy back to Excelsports and getting one that runs all the wayr through.

Pro is a slicker effort, IMO, than The Hard Road - but the production quality on The Hard Road is still very good; Pro is slicker in terms of the editing and how it flows I think. The Hard Road is more about the members of the Net Zero team and their trials and tribulations - not the directors or coaches; the riders themselves. It's definitely enjoyable but covers so much in such a short time that you feel as if certain aspects have barely touched the surface. Having said that, it give a glimpse of cyclists at various levels trying to make it. There are the two proven veterans in the twilight of their years (Paolinetti had actually retired once already), a couple of rookies who clearly have potential that will easily outshine their other team members (veterans aside), and the rest will suffer just to stay at that level (was Net Zero D3?). Enjoyable but it doesn't get you pumped in the way Pro does - but maybe that's because I know even getting onto a D3 team is impossible and so you tend to get more worked up by watching the big guys. I don't think Pro actually does what it bills itself as doing - I don't think it gives a huge insight into the Pro ranks, per se. What I do think it does is give a great insight into The US PRO Road Race itself. Sure, you learn a bit about some of the pros themselves, but the star of the show is Philly week itself.

Lucky for me, my wife has a friend who lives in Philly. And I'll be there for 2005!