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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Cycling, skateboarding, rollerblading > Cycling
WINNER OF THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD On a
fateful night in 2009, Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle met for
dinner in Boulder, Colorado. Over the next eighteen months,
Hamilton would tell Coyle his story, and his sport's story, in
explosive detail, never sparing himself in the process. In a way,
he became as obsessed with telling the truth as he had been with
winning the Tour de France just a few years before. The truth would
set Tyler free, but would also be the most damning indictment yet
of teammates like Lance Armstrong. The result of this determination
is The Secret Race, a book that pulls back the curtain and takes us
into the secret world of professional cycling like never before. A
world populated by unbelievably driven - and some flawed -
characters. A world where the competition used every means to get
an edge, and the options were stark. A world where it often felt
like there was no choice.
This guidebook describes 21 mountain biking routes in central and
southern Scotland. It includes the 7stanes trail centre in Dumfries
and Galloway, as well as cross-country routes in the Campsie Fells,
Pentland Hills and Lammermuirs, the Galloway Forest, Tweed Valley,
Cheviots and Lowther Hills. The routes range from 17 to 66km and
are graded from moderate to very hard. Taking between 2 and 7 hours
to complete, they are intended for reasonably fit mountain bikers
with at least some experience. Detailed route descriptions are
accompanied by 1:50,000 OS mapping, and the selected routes set out
from various points across the area, including Greenock, Glentrool,
Peebles and Milngavie, with good access from both Glasgow and
Edinburgh. The guidebook also gives an overview of what the
region's MTB trail centres have to offer, including the famous
7stanes trail centre, along with advice on equipment, maintenance
and safety. Southern and Central Scotland is renowned for its
superlative MTB trail centres, but the region's rolling hill
country is also traversed by an extensive network of tracks, paths,
forest roads and other trails providing endless possibilities for
'free range' mountain biking.
The cyclist Tom Simpson is a legend. The first British world
champion, the first Briton to pull on the fabled yellow jersey of
the Tour de France - he brought professional cycling to a nation
and inspired generations of riders. His autobiography, Cycling is
My Life, was written the year before he died tragically on the
barren moonscape of Mont Ventoux during the 1967 Tour aged just
twenty-nine. Forty years on, hundreds of fans still make the
pilgrimage to the windswept memorial which marks the spot where he
died. In an age where each Tour de France seems more blighted by
scandal than the next, Simpson's story is as relevant now as it was
then. A man of contradictions, Simpson was one of the first
cyclists to admit to using banned drugs, yet the dapper 'Major Tom'
inspired awe and affection from the British public for the
obsessive will to win which was ultimately to cost him his life.
First published in 1966, Simpson's autobiography is essential
reading for every dedicated cycling fan and an engaging story of
the life of an iconic sportsman.
A guide to getting started bike touring with children. This book
provides all the information parents need to know to take their
children out on bikes - including information on choosing bikes,
packing, sleeping and eating.
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