A Century of Cycling

For more than 100 years the drama, beauty, and challenges of the great bike races have aroused passions across Europe, drawing millions of ordinary people to the roadsides of Italy, Belgium, France, and Spain to watch the multicoloured spectacle go by. 'A Century of Cycling' traces the history of these epic races and of the heroes, villains, scandals, and intigues that they have created. All of the great tours are covered, from the Tour de France, the 2,500-mile marathon through the Alps and Pyrenees that is now the world's biggest annual sporting event, to the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espa?a. This book also details the gruelling intensity of the major one-day Classics, including Paris-Roubaix (''the Hell of the North''), Milan-San Remo, and the World Roas Championships, a festival of patriotism when the stars ather and compete under the flags of nations, rather than in trade teams. Written by a cycling journalist and enthusiast, the text is authoritative and informed by a true love of the sport, capturing all the colour, excitement, and drama of cycling's greatest moments.