Inside the Peloton: Riding, Winning and Losing the Tour de France

Graeme Fife

may 2011 · Random House

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Racing cyclists all ride the same frail machine and all are equal before the demands of the road. But what is it that makes a winner? What special attributes do winners need to give them that extra edge? To find out, Fife analyses and illustrates the moral strength, intelligence, racing nous, cunning, tactical acumen and superior mental resilience of the champion racing cyclist. Drawing on exclusive interviews and personal acquaintance with some of the best riders to have raced on the continent, as well as mechanics and team-support crew, Inside the Peloton is a vivid portrait of the complex character of cycle racing. It is an unparalleled, in-depth study of ambition, the rage to win, the capacity to recover from defeat, the harrowing misery of lost morale and the hard initiation faced by every newcomer - however talented - to the unforgiving demands of professional competition. Provocative and rich in insight, this book is a very personal account by Fife. Read it to discover: What made Merckx, apparently invincible, so prey to doubt? --What rendered the massively talented Poulidor so beatable? --Why did Sean Yates, with a cardiovascular and lung capacity equal to that of Merckx, ride so contentedly as a domestique?

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Graeme Fife is a full-time writer with several books published in the UK and the USA. He has written, directed and performed in many plays and stories for stage and radio. A keen cyclist, he has ridden all the celebrated cols of the Tour de France legend.