The Long Race to Glory: How the British Came to Rule the Cycling World

Summary

British cycling is the best in the world. Bradley Wiggins won the 2012 Tour de France then less than 10 days later won the time trial at the London Olympics. Shortly after that, Britain's track team dominated the velodrome for the second Games in a row by topping the cycling medals table. And that was on top of Nicole Cooke's gold in the women's 2008 Olympic road race, which merely added to her outstanding career, in which she had already won the women's version of the Tour de France twice, in 2006 and 2007. These are just some of the highlights of Britain's cycling pedigree. But this success did not come overnight, and this fantastic new book delves into the history of Britain's illustrious history in the world's major cycling events and details the path British cyclists have taken to collectively become the world's pre-eminent cycling nation. It looks at all the characters, from Reg Harris, a track superstar and household name in the 1940s, and Tom Simpson, whose exploits in the 1967 Tour de France cost him his life, to Chris Boardman, 1992 Olympic track champion, and Mark Cavendish, road racing's newest sprint hero, with dozens more in between. It examines what these exceptional athletes had to do to get to the top of their respective events and the stories that surrounded their success, all set against the rich history, rivalries and culture of the races they took part in. It examines all the cycling disciplines, including mountain biking and BMX, where British cyclists such as Steve Peat and Shanaze Reade have been world champions. Featuring first hand interviews with the leading riders from across the eras, this book is the definitive guide to this amazing and largely untold story.