The great bike race

by Geoffrey Nicholson

205 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Geoffrey Nicholson - a sportswriter who had more experience with Cricket than with cycle racing; covered a tour of Britain in the 1950's and got hooked.

Needless to say, the tour of Britain, acted like a gateway drug and before long he knew what the real deal was, and still remains on the continent, and the granddaddy of them all is le grand boucle - the great loop.

In this book he covers the year 1976 - a tour that was missing the star - Eddy Merckx - who was the dominant force at the time, due to injury. So this gave a chance to others and the book captures the excitement, and sheer grand scale of the worlds most famous road race.

Nicholson writes clearly as a fan and this book acted as an inspiration for others to follow suit, and pay attention to a sport which has never received its fair recognition in Britain.

[David Wilusz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this just in time for the 2016 Tour. In this book, the author recounts the drama of the 1976 Tour de France, giving readers great insight into the nature of the event, but in the process achieves so much more. The book is so witty and well-written that even non-cycling fans will appreciate the brilliant English prose. It is truly a pleasure to read. The riders and supporting cast of characters leap off the page in lifelike fashion, as the good, the bad, and the ugly of the 1976 Tour are laid bare. Cycling fans will be in heaven as the author demystifies the technical aspects of the Tour and professional cycling racing generally. Non-cycling fans will appreciate the great writing, the characters, and the travelogues of virtually all regions of France. Highly recommended.

[Martin Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best one-volume book about the Tour in English -- at least -- which has stood the test of time to become a classic.