Tour de France: The History, the Legend, the Riders

Billed as the race that would make the transition to a new era after the metronomic dominance of Lance Armstrong, the 2006 Tour de France erupted in scandal even before it had started, when thirteen riders, including two of the hot favourites, were excluded on suspicion of doping. The field was now wide open and within a week the yellow jersey had changed hands an unprecedented number of times. Then came the ultimate drama. After a massive collapse, American Floyd Landis looked as though he was out of the running, but the next day he made a heroic fight-back and eventually went on to win the Tour. Three days later, however, it was revealed that Landis had tested positive for increased levels of testosterone, and it looked as though the winner would be stripped of his title for the first time in the race's long history. In this updated edition of the highly acclaimed Tour de France, Graeme Fife sets this year's scandal in the context of the event's remarkable history, which began in July 1903. Combining meticulous research with a pacey narrative style, Fife penetrates the mystique of the race and paints a colourful picture of the men whose exploits have given the Tour an enduring universal appeal. With tales of great solo rides, amazing fortitude, terrible misfortune and triumph, Tour de France is the definitive account of this extraordinary competition and has been named one of the top-five sports books of the year by both The Independent and The Times.