Now, lets all be honest, the game doesn’t exactly jump out at you. It’s a cycling/strategy game, it’s most definitely for a specialist audience. I don’t see this title being too popular, among the mums that shop at GAME. Anyone who likes cycling or has played some of the past instalments, may be interested though. I don’t follow the sport at all; I’m the type of person who wouldn’t even class it as a sport. That’s not to say I’m not willing to play the game, because I’m weak when it comes to them.

The question is, did I feel any hype before I had chance to play it? The answer is no, I didn’t expect it to amount to much of a game, and I was correct. That’s not because I don’t like the sport, it just feels very rushed and not suited to the PSP. If you like, you can have one race, which can tide over a few minutes. It all sounds great, but the fact of the matter is, that the races are just not enjoyable.

The game is based on the world famous ‘Le Tour de France’, with plenty of different routes available to race on. Le Tour De France isn’t the only famous cycling race available. A few more are there to play, but none of them are quite as famous as Le Tour. I’m always one to say that quality should be above quantity, and this is a game that definitely proves that. It does the strategy game quite well, but once it tries to do simulation, it falls badly. It is a shame because with a bit more work, it could have been an enjoyable game.

In the season mode, you have to pick a cycling team and lead them to glory through a 5 season period. During the races, you can select each rider and give them individual instructions. I’m not talking ‘Don’t fall off’ though. You can tell them to attack, conserve their energy or keep with an opponent. This part of the game works wonderfully, all the controls are mapped out well, and it won’t take too long to get used to. I know it is cliché, but after a few minutes you’ll be managing like a true expert. This mode doesn’t consist of just racing though; you will also have to manage your player’s fitness plans, and even nurture young talent.

Sadly, the game doesn’t focus so much on the management side. It likes to try and be a cycling simulator a bit too much for my liking. Focus on what you do well, but the game decides to rebel against that rule. During my time playing the simulation side, I noticed a lot of glitches. For example in real life, if you crash into a wall on a bike, you usually fall off. Not in this game, fortunately the boundaries in this game are bouncy. You will find yourself bouncing off the walls; I wouldn’t recommend doing it though. It will infact affect your race time, although it doesn't feel like it.. Finally graphically, the game isn’t too good but it is definitely viable for a PSP title.

Overall, I can’t say I didn’t expect it but this title isn’t fun to play. I think I may well check out the PC version, but I simply can’t recommend the PSP version at full price. If you can find it for a few quid, then it may be worth a punt!