Overview

“A middle-aged crisis takes many forms…” Tadej Pogacar has 7% body fat, Chris Froome’s resting heart rate is 30bpm, Mark Cavendish reaches sprint speeds of over 50mph. They’re super-human cyclists for whom riding 3,500km over 21 stages across the Alps and Pyrenees is a matter of course. James Witts is 44 years old, fatty deposits nestle on his back and he has a penchant for craft ale. He also rides a little. But not a lot. In his job as cycling journalist, however, he does have unparalleled access to the world’s best riders and their world-class support staff. Which got him thinking – could spending time with the pros, discovering the training, gear and nutritional tricks of the trade, transform this back-of-the-pack sportive straggler into a fit-and-fast frontrunner? Doubtful, improbable though not impossible. James Witts trains, rides and eats using the regimes of the planet's toughest athletes, to conquer his very own Grand Tour. Will he sacrifice the pub for stamina boosting beetroot juice? Can an altitude mask really send his performance soaring? And will his ego cope with a drag-cutting, little-left-to-the-imagination skinsuit? Learn and laugh on a journey of a lifetime.

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9781399403504

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Reviews

Essential reading for any Etape rider. * Daniel Friebe, co-host of The Cycling Podcast * Humble, very funny, and full of detail. * Ned Boulting, cycling broadcaster and author * Informative yet amusing, exhaustive yet entertaining, James Witts' latest cycling tome has much to recommend for both casual cycling fans and grizzled racers alike. * Matt Baird, editor of Cycling Plus * Required reading for anyone who is at that stage in life where their waistline is becoming as concerning as their balding head, and who need a bit of motivation to just get out and do the thing they keep saying they'd love to do. * Cillian Kelly, Global Cycling Network *

Humble, very funny, and full of detail. * Ned Boulting, cycling broadcaster and author * Informative yet amusing, exhaustive yet entertaining, James Witts' latest cycling tome has much to recommend for both casual cycling fans and grizzled racers alike. * Matt Baird, editor of Cycling Plus * Essential reading for any Etape rider. * Daniel Friebe, co-host of The Cycling Podcast *

Author Information

James Witts has a background in sports science, and is a writer for a number of magazines, including Cyclist, 220 Triathlon, Runner’s World, Men’s Health and GQ. He writes for The Guardian, too, and has reported from numerous editions of the Tour de France. He's also an active endurance athlete, competing in triathlons, half-marathons and sportives around the world.

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