Overview

The passionate, truthful story of life on the professional Tour by Ireland's finest cyclist and one of the rising stars of the sport. Nicolas Roche has a famous surname to all fans of cycling. The son of legendary Irish and World Champion Stephen Roche, Nicolas had to fight to make it as a professional and even harder to make his mark as his own man in this toughest of competitive sports. His rise up the ranks has been meteoric, with top 15 finishes in both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana, but his attitude to his chosen profession has remained undimmed. Honest, eloquent and passionate about the cycling world, Nicolas gained acclaim and a devoted fan following for his Tour diaries serialised in the Irish Independent. Now a major contender for a podium finish in a grand tour, in the award-winning Inside the Peloton Nicolas tells in full the story of life as a professional cyclist and of the remarkable events that have brought him this far. From furious spats with teammates and exhilarating races against the world's best, this is a gripping cycling adventure and tale of a fiercely competitive sportsman.

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9781848271111

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Reviews

A terrific account of the life of a professional cyclist -- Paul Kimmage * The Sunday Times * Roche's writing is conversational and fluid. His frankness, passion and competitive nature makes for great copy. He also wears his heart on his Lycra sleeve. Candid and cliche-free... entertaining and risque... Roche is a revelation -- Richard Oakley * The Sunday Times * It's in his relaying of personal struggles that Roche shines, whether they relate to being at the brink of collapse on tour, to frustration with his teammates and coping with the possibility of a loved one dying. But this primarily a book about cycling, an insight into the need to excel that drives sportsmen and women and makes them different from the nine-to-five jobsworth * Irish Independent * A fascinating picture of the life of someone operating in one of the world's most gruelling sports... a compelling read -- Dick O'Brien * Sunday Business Post * Partly because he was the son of Stephen, Nicolas Roche had to fight all the harder to be accepted in his own right in the toughest competitive sport that exists. This book is both that story and his ongoing striving for success, as well as an insight into the sometimes corrupt world of professional cycling. A great read even for those who never watch the Tour -- John Spain * Irish Independent, Books of the Year *

A terrific account of the life of a professional cyclist -- Paul Kimmage The Sunday Times 20111218 Roche's writing is conversational and fluid. His frankness, passion and competitive nature makes for great copy. He also wears his heart on his Lycra sleeve. Candid and cliche-free... entertaining and risque... Roche is a revelation -- Richard Oakley The Sunday Times 20111030 It's in his relaying of personal struggles that Roche shines, whether they relate to being at the brink of collapse on tour, to frustration with his teammates and coping with the possibility of a loved one dying. But this primarily a book about cycling, an insight into the need to excel that drives sportsmen and women and makes them different from the nine-to-five jobsworth Irish Independent 20111015 A fascinating picture of the life of someone operating in one of the world's most gruelling sports... a compelling read -- Dick O'Brien Sunday Business Post 20111106 Partly because he was the son of Stephen, Nicolas Roche had to fight all the harder to be accepted in his own right in the toughest competitive sport that exists. This book is both that story and his ongoing striving for success, as well as an insight into the sometimes corrupt world of professional cycling. A great read even for those who never watch the Tour -- John Spain Irish Independent, Books of the Year 20111207

A terrific account of the life of a professional cyclist -- Paul Kimmage The Sunday Times Roche's writing is conversational and fluid. His frankness, passion and competitive nature makes for great copy. He also wears his heart on his Lycra sleeve. Candid and cliche-free... entertaining and risque... Roche is a revelation -- Richard Oakley The Sunday Times It's in his relaying of personal struggles that Roche shines, whether they relate to being at the brink of collapse on tour, to frustration with his teammates and coping with the possibility of a loved one dying. But this primarily a book about cycling, an insight into the need to excel that drives sportsmen and women and makes them different from the nine-to-five jobsworth Irish Independent A fascinating picture of the life of someone operating in one of the world's most gruelling sports... a compelling read -- Dick O'Brien Sunday Business Post Partly because he was the son of Stephen, Nicolas Roche had to fight all the harder to be accepted in his own right in the toughest competitive sport that exists. This book is both that story and his ongoing striving for success, as well as an insight into the sometimes corrupt world of professional cycling. A great read even for those who never watch the Tour -- John Spain Irish Independent, Books of the Year

Author Information

Nicolas Roche was born in 1984 and became a professional cyclist in 2004 with the Cofidis team. After two years with Credit Agricole, he joined AG2R-La Mondiale in 2009 and was soon the team leader. The Irish national champion in 2009, Roche came an impressive 23rd overall in his debut Tour de France, with second and fourth placed stage finishes, and improved on that yet further in 2010, ending 15th in the General Classification of the Tour de France and 7th in the Vuelta a Espana. In 2011, he won his first UCI World Tour race in the Tour of Beijing. The son of Stephen Roche, winner of the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and World Championship in 1987, Nicolas has become one of the top names in world cycling.

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