Pro race books - your faves

rob churchill
rob churchill Posts: 272
edited July 2014 in Pro race
Ok, so I took a break from my usual diet of pulp sci-fi and read Hutch's Faster, wotsisname's Gironimo and Moore's Etape this week.

All of which I enjoyed more than I expected to, especially Etape.

So, what are your recommendations for more in the same kind of line?
I have a policy of only posting comment on the internet under my real name. This is to moderate my natural instinct to flame your fatuous, ill-informed, irrational, credulous, bigoted, semi-literate opinions to carbon, you knuckle-dragging f***wits.

Comments

  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    Ned Boulting's book is worth a look.

    I quite enjoyed Wide Eyed and Legless by Jeff Connor, which is about ANC-Halfords at the 1987 Tour.
  • rob churchill
    rob churchill Posts: 272
    On the Road Bike? or How I Won the Yellow Jumper?
    I have a policy of only posting comment on the internet under my real name. This is to moderate my natural instinct to flame your fatuous, ill-informed, irrational, credulous, bigoted, semi-literate opinions to carbon, you knuckle-dragging f***wits.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Get all of the Cycling Anthology's if you can. I'd recommend skipping the Jez Whittle chapters - He's a fine writer but really needs to get over it a bit.

    Chris Froome's "The Climb" is excellent in part, average in part. The bits about the racing is less interesting than the back story.

    Got Laterne Rouge to read, not got to it yet, but I hear good things.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    I haven't found one I like but then I'm not a fan of sports bios in general. Sorry, not really a worthwhile response :oops:
  • mm1
    mm1 Posts: 1,063
    Tomorrow we ride - Jean Bobet (Louison's brother), very moving I won't spoil it, but there's a beautiful description of a ride the brothers took in the rain on the eve of Louison's victory at the Worlds. Bobet writes as vividly about the sport as Paul Fournel and his story is as remarkable as his brother's; there can't be many Breton ploucs (bumpkins, his word) coming to the UK to take English degrees now, let alone after the war.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Death of Marco Pantani and The Secret Race are the only two pro-cycling books that I really raced through because I was enjoying them so much. Alas.

    The rest are enjoyable enough but not massive page turners.
    _
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    I've only read Yellow Jumper, which I enjoyed. If the other book is like that then it should be good.
  • oneof1982
    oneof1982 Posts: 703
    A Race for Madmen, Chris Sidwells. In my view the best of the many histories of the TdF
    A Rough Ride, Paul Kimmage. If you forget that it was written by the same guy who has now crawled up his own a*se.
    It's not about the Bike, LA. Seriously, we all had to read it so so should you.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    The Secret Race and Breaking the Chain are two of my favourites.

    Although have enjoyed many more including Domestique, Bad Blood, In Search of the Yellow Jumper, Yellow Fever.

    In fact all of them are worth a read.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,661
    Not a book but if you have a quiet evening in I recommend finding Wont Back Down, which is the story of DH MTB through Steve Peat and is a great sports documentary.

    http://www.wontbackdownfilm.com/

    Becasue it was made in conjunction with Pinkbike it occasionally is posted online for free
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • gattocattivo
    gattocattivo Posts: 500
    hammerite wrote:
    I've only read Yellow Jumper, which I enjoyed. If the other book is like that then it should be good.

    The other book is actually better.
  • gattocattivo
    gattocattivo Posts: 500
    iainf72 wrote:
    Get all of the Cycling Anthology's if you can. I'd recommend skipping the Jez Whittle chapters - He's a fine writer but really needs to get over it a bit.

    I can't remember anything specific from the Cycling Anthologies, but I thought Bad Blood was great.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    gattocattivo wrote:
    hammerite wrote:
    I've only read Yellow Jumper, which I enjoyed. If the other book is like that then it should be good.

    The other book is actually better.

    Then I'll probably get it to read on holiday. Thanks.

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