I read quite a lot of books this year, particularly during our five-week drive around France. Most were on our Kindle
, but that's a different story. Two of them stand out as good gifts for the cyclist in your life (partner / sibling / friend). One is old, one is relatively new. Both are available on the links below.
, but that's a different story. Two of them stand out as good gifts for the cyclist in your life (partner / sibling / friend). One is old, one is relatively new. Both are available on the links below.I've just finished Racing Through the Dark: The Fall and Rise of David Millar
. I was always of the opinion that doping cheats like Millar should be banned from competition for life. He doesn't attempt excuses (well, not many) but he reveals, from the inside, a team culture that expected its riders to dope, to "be prepared". It was normal. Not doping was the exception.
. I was always of the opinion that doping cheats like Millar should be banned from competition for life. He doesn't attempt excuses (well, not many) but he reveals, from the inside, a team culture that expected its riders to dope, to "be prepared". It was normal. Not doping was the exception. Now we have 'clean' teams like Sky and others (among the first were Slipstream that Millar helped to start) I'm even more convinced that doping should lead to a life ban on competing or being involved in pro-cycling in any way. However, this book is about much more than doping. It's a revealing insight into the life of a pro-cyclist, much more reveals than others I've read.
The other cycling book is not new, but boy is it good! It's A Race for Madmen: A History of the Tour de France
. It's a fantastic account of the history of the Tour de France, amusingly written with all the cracking little anecdotes which bring history to life.
. It's a fantastic account of the history of the Tour de France, amusingly written with all the cracking little anecdotes which bring history to life.