Showing 1-3 out of 3 reviews.

• You don't even need to like cycling to find this novella constantly interesting and nail biting (quite literally in my case) description of one mans amateur endurance race. I usually prefer watching paint dry to the Tour de France but I couldn't put this book down for anything.Tim Krabbe uses the superb device of breaking the race, and it's description, into kilometres, swathes of flat country pass by in a flash but crawling up mountains slows to mere metres and then to millometeres as he fights for his position. Although don't be put of it's not a mere description, we ride with Krabbe, in his head; his thoughts and feelings, his constant planning, his reminisemces, his hatred of losing, his psychological dismissal of competitors, his wildy meandering sudden thoughts. It all builds a vivid picture, one that seems to play out in real time, you can almost feel the mental and phsyical toll, taste his sheer force of will to win.Of course it helps that Krabbe doesn't come accross as a single minded, arrogant sportsman. He is a funny, engaging and dryly passionate author that writes prose that is so tight a crow bar couldnt find purchase. He pacing is masterful he knows when to break away to tell an amusing remenencse of his early sporting encounters, drop in a fact or two and then back in to the race. I cannot recommended it enough, if you want something different, quick and forceful go get a copy right now. I for one am going to track down the rest of the books forthwith.

  4.50 out of 5

  clfisha

• This is the best cycling book you can read in an afternoon. It’s the story of one man’s effort in a one-day race. Here you see the chess game that happens beneath the surface of a cycling race. The text is classic in its description of the interactions of the peloton with it’s opportunistic alliances, feints, and poker faces. The language translates well in the story of one rider’s will to win. This book is high on my list for both cyclists and armchair sports fans.

  4.00 out of 5

  booknivorous

• This is a book for cycle enthusiasts. It gives a good understanding of the pschology underpinning the drive of a competitive cyclist during a race

  out of 5

  nickrenkin

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