Le Tour

Geoffrey Wheatcroft's hugely entertaining and well researched history of the Tour de France is already established as the definitive account of cycling's greatest event. Since the book was last published in 2007, much has changed. Bradley Wiggins' historic victory in 2012 - the first Briton ever to secure the yellow jersey - brought him a knighthood and garnered more interest in the race than ever before. Yet the months after were dominated by an even bigger story, as Tour legend and seven-time winner Lance Armstrong was stripped of his titles and confessed on Oprah to doping in each of his victories. Suddenly, everything that we thought we knew had happened was no longer true. In this new and comprehensively revised edition of the book, Wheatcroft not only brings his story of the Tour fully up to date to mark the race's 100th running in 2013, he also reflects on the changes brought about by the scandals that have rocked the sport to its core. Yet for all the controversies of modern times, he vividly captures the essential glory and romance of the heroes who battle to conquer one of sport's greatest challenges.

When Henri Desgrange began a new bicycle road race in 1903, he saw it as little more than a temporary publicity stunt to promote his newspaper. The sixty cyclists who left Paris to ride through the night to Lyons that first July had little idea they were pioneers of the most famous of all bike races, which would reach its centenary as one of the greatest sporting events on earth. Geoffrey Wheatcroft's masterly history of the Tour de France's first hundred years is not just a hugely entertaining canter through some great Tour stories; nor is it merely a homage to the riders whose names -- Coppi, Simpson, Mercx, Armstrong -- are synonymous with the event's folly and glory; focusing too on the race's role in French cultural life it provides a unique and fascinating insight into Europe's twentieth century.

The Observer, July 1, 2007 "A quirky and inventive collection of history, statistics and random trivia, Brownlee's book would be perfect for whipping out of the back pocket of your cycling jersey to settle arguments or impress your friends." The Guardian, 30 June, 2007 "an accessible if at first unprepossessing blend of history-lite, helpful explanation and bizarre factoids." The Tour De France is one of the most revered, thrilling sporting events in the world, not to mention one of the most physically exhausting. Every year top cyclists from around the globe break speed records and push themselves harder and faster in pursuit of the legendary yellow jersey. Vive le Tour! is the ultimate guide to the competition's heroes, cheats, controversy, extreme terrain, triumphs and tragedy – on and off the trail. Now fully revised and updated, this edition reflects the huge interest generated in the Tour thanks to the recent success of British cyclists, the high-profile launch of Team Sky in 2010 and the fact that the event once again returns to freeview TV (ITV 4). Vive Le Tour! is your essential companion to this awe-inspiring event, with a wealth of tales and trivia drawn from the Tour's century-long history.

Reproduction of the original. The publishing house Megali specialises in reproducing historical works in large print to make reading easier for people with impaired vision.

Discover the skiing downhills of the Tour Mountain in this very detailed and documented book, written by one of the most talented skiers of his generation. Located at the very heart of the highest mountains of Europe, the majestic Tour massif stands as a reference among the most sacred skiing places in the world. When winter comes, this snow-addict heaven offers a unique range of dream slopes, from the easiest to the most breathtakingly high ones. Anselme Baud is an extreme skiing leading head and one of the best experts of this mountain. From classic skiing hikes to mountaineering competitions, this guide book presents a precise description of all the biggest slopes this mythic area could offer. In this volume you can find all the information about Le Tour. Thanks to his charming accounts and instructive advice, Anselme Baud shares with us his precious and wide experience as a high mountain guide and an exceptional skier. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Born in Morzine in 1948, Anselme Baud made a mark on the Alps skiing steep slopes history. He was a high mountain guide in 1973, and was one the first who skied extreme downhills in the Alps, the Andes, in Antarctica or in the Himalayas. As an ENSA professor, he supervised during several years the mountain guides training in Bolivia and Nepal. EXCERPT The Le Tour ski station is served by the Charamillon-col de Balme lift systems. The skiing here is accessible, ‘user-friendly’ and good for all the family. For the more committed off-piste skier, there is also the descent to Les Jeurs in Switzerland on the north face, above Vallorcine. However, as with any area at the head of a valley, Le Tour is subject to frequent changes in the air currents and you should be aware of what they are doing if you are planning to ski the routes here. In fact, although Le Tour has an image as an area for relatively easy ‘moyenne montagne’ skiing, you should not underestimate the ever-present risks. The accumulation of snow that occurs as a direct result of these specific conditions is responsible, each year, for a number of accidents and avalanches. The high mountains that overlook this mixture of forests and pastures form the eastern extremity of the Mont Blanc Massif and it has been quite calm here since the snout of the glacier avalanched.

Frame by glorious frame, this beautiful graphic novel captures the essence of the Tour de France – the grit and the glory. Since Maurice Garin's inugural victory in 1903, hundreds of thousands of kilometers have been covered in pursuit of the yellow jersey and few of them have been without incident or drama. Here are the Tour's legends: Eugene Christophe welding his bicycle back together at the foot of the Pyrenees in 1913; Bartali V Coppi, 1949; Poulidor shoulder-to-shoulder with Anquetil on the Puy de Dome, 1964; Tommy Simpson's death on Ventoux, 1967; Lance Armstrong's domination and disgrace; finishing with Bradley Wiggins' and Chris Froome's victories back-to-back victories for Britain in 2012 and 2013. 'Oh what a fantastic book this is. Not only is it a wonderfully concise history of the Tour, it is quite ravishing to behold. I adored it.' Observer.

This book analyses the Tour de France over its long history both as France's most prestigious and famous sporting event and as a European and, increasingly, a world cycling competition. This study provides interdisciplinary and varied perspectives on the sporting, cultural, social, economic and political significance of the Tour within and outside France, giving a comprehensive and authoritative investigation of up-to-the minute thinking on what the Tour means, now and in the past, to competitors, to France, to the French public, to the cultural history of sport, and the sport of cycling itself.