Search results for ""Tim Krabbé" "The Rider""

Book SynopsisAt the start of the 137-kilometre Tour de Mont Aigoual, Tim Krabbé glances up from his bike to assess the crowd of spectators. Non-racers,' he writes. The emptiness of those lives shocks me.' Immediate and gripping from the first page, we race with the author as he struggles up the hills and clings on during descents in the unforgiving French mountains.Originally published in 1978, The Rider is a modern-day classic that is recognised as one of the best books ever written about the sport. Brilliantly conceived and best read at a break-neck pace, it is a loving, imaginative and passionate tribute to the art of cycle racing.Trade ReviewA beautiful, quiet piece of work: unusual, plausible, moving and poignant * Daily Telegraph, The Best Sports Books of All Time *A classic. Like all the best sports writing, The Rider manages to convey the excitement, determination and skill of the competitors even to readers who have little or no knowledge of the sport * London Review of Books *He lays bare the athlete's peculiar mixture of arrogance and terror, viciousness and camaraderie, and the result is one of the more convincing love stories of recent memory * New Yorker *The Rider is a beautiful brute, as hard and fast as a thin wheel in a concrete road * Observer *Its 148 pages will flash by in a blur of reckless, high-speed pleasure * Independent *The Rider perfectly captures the grim satisfaction and endorphin-thrill that comes from riding a bike faster than you did the time before. It's also a reminder of the pure pleasure of reading -- Jon McGregor

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Sports Book Awards 2018 for Biography of the Year and Cycling Book of the Year There are things he does alone, and things that he alone does. Jacques Anquetil was a cyclist with an aristocratic demeanor and a relaxed attitude to rules and morals. His womanising and frank admissions of doping appalled 1960s French society, even as his five Tour de France wins enthralled it. Paul Fournel was besotted with him from the start ("Too young to understand, I was nevertheless old enough to admire") and followed Anquetil's career with the passion of a fan and the eye of a poet. In this stunningly original biography of a complex and divisive character, Fournel - author of the seminal Vélo (or Need for the Bike)- blends the story of Anquetil's life with scenes from his own, to create a classic of cycling literature.Trade ReviewA wonderful little book about a great man -- Tim Krabbé, author of The RiderAt last the coolest of champions gets the biography he deserves -- Richard WilliamsIf you don't know Fournel, then you're missing out, if you don't know Anquetil, then you don't know cycling. -- David MillarAn unconventional take on a fascinating character. This is not your standard cycling biography - and all the better for it. -- Gary ImlachWhat a wonderful book Paul has written. It's is one of the most powerful cycling books I've ever read - certainly the best biography. -- Michael HutchinsonEvokes the mysticism which surrounded Jacques beautifully -- Herbie SykesA magnificent book * Le Monde *A beautiful story * Le Figaro *A profound essay * Libération *Praise for Vélo: Joyous. Destined to become a classic * Road.cc *One of the loveliest pieces of writing about cycling * Cyclingtips *Praise for Need for the Bike 'Paul Fournel is the real deal. In his carefully cadenced prose poem...he shares a passion for the sport matched only by his love of language. * Bicycling *A fascinating mix of bicycling memories, observations, and experiences the author has gathered during a lifetime of cycling ... This very personal book, doled in short, easily digestible doses, packs a meal that ultimately satisfies deeply * ForeWord *

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