THE 2016 Tour de Yorkshire has whizzed by but cycling fever spreads unabated with Thursday's arrival of the Tour de France play Ventoux at Hull Truck Theatre.

Mont Ventoux, the tour's most fearsome mountain climb, is the setting for Nottingham company 2Magpies Theatre’s re-staging of the epic battle between Lance Armstrong and Marco Pantani in 2000.

Each had overcome adversity to return to cycling and win the Tour de France, but both were guilty of doping too. While the American Armstrong denied and bullied, the Italian Pantani was caught and fell out of love with cycling; Armstrong won seven tour titles and Pantani committed suicide in a hotel room on Valentine’s Day 2004.

Devised by 2Magpies and actor Andy Routledge, Ventoux charts the lives of these champions and asks how far will we go to succeed? The 2Magpies production also combines footage filmed on Mont Ventoux in September 2014 by Mad Adam Films with original commentary and a Kraftwerk-inspired soundtrack.

“We’re thrilled to bring Ventoux to Hull Truck Theatre, particularly just after the Tour de Yorkshire," says 2 Magpies' artistic director Tom Barnes, who will play Pantani, opposite Routledge's Armstrong. "The cycling community have really taken to the concept of the show, which has been fantastic, while for non-cycling fans Ventoux tells a very human story of heroism and cheating. We’ve even inspired a few of them to cycle home after the show.”

Directed by Matt Wilks, Ventoux can be seen at Hull Truck Theatre on Thursday and Friday at 8pm. Box office: 01482 323638 or hulltruck.co.uk