Books

It’s Millar Time – Book Giveaway

I enjoy being sent books for review but this time when the publisher called about the new US edition of David Millar’s autobiography “Racing Through the Dark” I said I’d already reviewed the book when it came out in Europe so there was no point getting another review copy.

Instead they offered to send three copies to give away to readers of the blog. This was impossible to refuse so here’s your chance to win a hardback copy of the book. It’s the US version and includes extras that weren’t in the Euro edition.

Question
What was the type of first bike race David Millar rode:

  • A) time trial
  • B) mountain bike
  • C) BMX

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Book Review: Consumed

Consumed by Jonathan Budds

With the illustration of a cycling figure on the cover and the opening pages talking about a bike race I first took this for a cycling book. But the more you get into the story, the more it becomes.

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Book Review: The Tour de France

The Tour de France by Christopher S Thomson

This is a history of the Tour de France with a difference. It is written by a professor who places the race and the development of France into a social, economic and cultural setting. There are several books to tell you who first won the yellow jersey or the identity of the youngest post-war winner of the Tour de France *, the kind you might receive as a gift. This is sort of book you’d buy for yourself.

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Book Review: Riis, Stages of Light and Dark

Riis Stages of Light and Dark by Bjarne Riis

Bjarne Riis won the 1996 Tour de France and later confessed to doping. This alone makes his autobiography of interest because few have won the race, admitted they cheated and then wrote a book about the experience. But there’s more since as Riis has since become an influential team owner and the book covers a lot of his time in management.

A page-turning book that covers big moments in the sport and features an intriguing man with many news ideas for the sport… this is also a frustrating read.

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List of Book Reviews

Several readers have been asking for a list of past book reviews. There is a search box on the right of the screen but it can bring up other results. So here is the list and I’ll try to keep this updated as more are reviewed. As well as the list I’ve added a few … Read more

Book Review: Pedalare! Pedalare!

Pedalare Book John Foot

Pedalare! Pedalare! A History of Italian Cycling by John Foot

How important is cycling to you? You might enjoy riding and following the pro races but what if cycling prevented a civil war? What if two cyclists formed the greatest sporting rivalry of all time? What if cycling was inseparable from politics, religion, the economy and society? Welcome to Italy, at least to various points in Italian history when these claims have been made.

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Book Review: Cyclo Cross 2011/2012

Cyclo Cross Balint Hamvas
Cyclo Cross 2011/2012 Photo Book by Bálint Hamvas

With the Giro taking a rest today and 2011 cyclo-cross world champion Zdeněk Štybar winning Stage 4 of the Four Days of Dunkirk yesterday, it’s almost as if road cycling is on hold for a moment. The ideal time to look at a book on cyclo-cross.

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Book Review: The Jersey Project

The Jersey Project by Bill Humphreys and Jerry Dunn

The cycling jersey has changed so much over the years. From a simple piece of clothing made out of wool, today’s jerseys deploy modern fabrics, reflect corporate sponsors and are cut to suit a racer bent low on the bike. This book traces the evolution of cycling jerseys, cataloguing all the changes via a series of photos.

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Book review: Eddy Merckx The Cannibal

Merckx history book biography

Eddy Merckx, The Cannibal by Daniel Friebe

During his career Eddy Merckx won roughly one third of all the races he started. For an unbroken period of seven years he finished no lower than first in every grand tour he completed.

Daniel Friebe’s biography is more than the story of Merckx, it is a history of cycling under the reign of rider known as The Cannibal as told by interviews and anecdotes from the riders who saw their hopes, ambitions and earnings swallowed up by the insatiable Merckx. Yet many now seem cheerful about the whole experience.

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Moneywheel

In the a piece for cyclingnews.com I look at how teams on a small budget can aim to get in the UCI’s World Tour. Inspired in part by the book/film “Moneyball” that looks at baseball and prompted by Ag2r La Mondiale’s position as the only top team yet to win this year I wanted to see if there ways to build a winning team on a shoestring budget.

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