Product Description

A riveting day-by-day account of the 2004 Tour de France "filled with expert detail and rich with history, as Wilcockson knows the Tour as well as any journalist alive." -ESPN.com

Taking place over twenty-three days in July and across more than 2,100 miles of smooth blacktop, rough cobblestones, and punishing mountain terrain, the Tour de France is the most grueling sports event in the world. And in 2004, five-time champion Lance Armstrong set out to achieve what no other cyclist in the 100-year history of the race had ever done: win a sixth Tour de France.

Armstrong had four serious challengers who wanted nothing more than to deny the man the French call Le Boss from achieving his goal. The major threat among them was the only other former Tour de France champion in last year's race, Germany's Jan Ullrich- The Kaiser. But when the race was over, Lance Armstrong once again wore the yellow jersey of victory.

"With unabashed ease Wilcockson chronicles Lance Armstrong's unprecedented sixth straight victory.... Scandals and intense rivalries are also a part of the Tour's appeal, and Wilcockson weaves them all together in an entertaining account of the race- 20 stages, and 2,107 miles of madness and magic." -Sports Illustrated

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46238 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-14
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 344 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Armstrong's record sixth Tour de France victory didn't cause much of a stir in the U.S., but Wilcockson's account shows why the "Tour has always fascinated writers," even if it hasn't always captured the attention of Americans. The author, whose work has appeared in the New York Times, draws on conversations with Armstrong, his race team and his challengers before, during and after the race for an intimate glimpse of this particular world's friendships, rivalries and scandals. The resulting portrait of Armstrong, from his recovery from cancer to his exhausting training methods, unmatched physical strength and mental toughness, is that of a newly single dad, with no memories of his own father, and a sporting "legend." The book's structure, with its day-by-day account of the Tour, allows readers to appreciate what an arduous undertaking the race is. As the race revisits stages and locations from previous Tours, Wilcockson smartly looks back at some of the Tour's great moments and explores how it has changed because of its recent "Lance-ification." While Wilcockson mostly celebrates Armstrong and the Tour, he doesn't shy away from the doping scandals and accusations that have haunted both Armstrong and the race over the years, and he does give Armstrong a chance to answer his critics. A thorough appendix further explaining cycling's subtle intricacies ends this well-crafted book. Map, photos.
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Review
"Literate and insightful ...well-researched and entertaining...a lively account...personal and replete with 24-carat inside information." -- International Herald Tribune6/27/05

"More than just a day-by-day accounts of the Tour de France...engaging nuggets of history...vivid descriptions of the geography." -- BicyleRadio.com6/27/05

"Wilcockson is one of the top cycling writers... He puts that experience to good use." -- Austin American-Statesman 7/1/05

About the Author
John Wilcockson has reported on thirty-six Tours de France, starting in 1968. He has written for Outside and Men's Journal and reported on major cycling events for NPR, OLN, The Times of London, and the New York Times. He is currently the Editorial Director of VeloNews, the world's leading competitive cycling publication. His many books include John Wilcockson's World of Cycling. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Graham Watson has been covering the Tour de France since 1977. He lives near London, England.

Customer Reviews

A great tale, and then some
I was expecting a blow-by-blow account of the 2004 Tour, and that's certainly in here, but there is much more here, as well. The behind-the-scenes stuff, the elaboration around major recent cycling events, the history seamlessly interweaving into the present, and the profiles of riders both famous and obscure combine to place this book at the HC level of cycling journalism. Wilcockson deserves a lot of credit for getting out something this good so quickly after the event. In book publishing, that's tough. Because he's reaching for a broad audience, there is a sentence here and there explaining things that most cyclists know. No problem. It's a great book. If you're a cycling fan, get it.

The Time Of Your Life
Lance Armstrong won his sixth Tour de France in "23 Days in July". John Wilcockson, well known cycle sports writer has given us the story of these days. Drawn up in yellow, red and purples, the colors of the Alps and Pyrenees. We are allowed a visit into the most famous cycle race in the world Le Tour De France.

John Wilcockson has written a masterly tale of life on the road, so to speak, of five of the most competitive cyclists in the business. There is Lance Armstrong, the American with the story of testicular cancer who becomes obsessed with cycling and goes on to win six yellow jerseys of the Le Tour. He overcomes all he needs to in his life to make this win. Jan Ulrich, the German, who has the best chance of anyone to overcome Armstrong and win Le Tour. Ivan Basso, who proves that He has what it takes and is the man to watch in the future. Tyler Hamilton, the young American, who is one of the better cyclists from the States- he has a young team, but he has a chance to win. And, Iban Mayo, who reaches out to try and make this Tour his to lose. These are the stories of the men and women and the people who make the race. There are interviews with Chris Carmichael, Lance Armstrong's coach, and the man who builds winners. An interview with the tour director, Jean-Marie Leblanc, who brings understanding to the role of the French. We feel the majesty of the Alps, the sameness of some of the hotels, the day to day crunching and moving on and the excitement of those days of Le Tour. The doping scandal is addressed and it is not glossed over. John Wilcockson takes to task everyone who has a questionable reputation. The pre-cycle preparation and the lives and loves of those who participate. I thought I had a fairly good knowledge of the Le Tour, but I really felt I have come to know the lives of those who participated in the tour by reading this book.

John Wilcockson has been writing about cycle life for over thirty years. He has written several books about cycling. He goes to the head of the class with this book. Highly recommended. prisrob

kudos to Da Capo Press and the best cycling writer around
This was a very enjoyable, well written account of an historic race. What was so enjoyable was learning so much about the tour along the way. It was brilliantly structured to tell not only the story of Armstrong's record win, but of the tour's history and fascinating aspects too. It must have been a race against the clock to put this book out so soon and yet its production and quality are very high. No ripped from the headlines stuff here, just a master sports writer at his best. Great stuff.