In the Tour de France of 1998, for the first time ever, political forces intervened to lay bare the comprehensive doping practices of popular athletes, which had been covered up by the sports officials as well as by journalists who might have exposed them. As these dramatic raids made it clear that doping practices pervaded professional cycling and as such put an end to the myth that doping can simply be attributed to the moral defects of corrupt individuals, suspicions grew that cycling was probably not the only major sport in which doping was for many athletes a way of life. This great Tour de France scandal of 1998 made possible a genuine campaign against doping led by governments and sports officials. In 1999 this resulted in the creation of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) by which the way was paved for a partnership between an independent international body and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This arrangement has produced some notable successes in the drug testing of elite athletes over the past several years wherefore many observers may well believe that there is today an effective global anti-doping consensus and that doping is gradually being eliminated from major Olympic sports. The essays appearing for the first time in this volume, however, show that athletes who dope and those that pursue them are trapped in a fateful conflict that is far more complicated than the familiar story line suggests. The detect-and-punish strategy currently being refined by WADA does not address some of the major dimensions of the doping phenomenon: the rights and requirements of the athlete-worker, the gradual legalisation of soft doping techniques, nationalistic resistance to doping control, the perils of corporate sponsorship, the expanding black market for doping drugs, the publics tacit acceptance of doped athletes, and the cherished illusion that the Olympic motto citius, altius, fortius is compatible with the requirements of a drug-free sport in the 21'th century. Doping and Public Policy argues that the current strategy of condemnation and surveillance is not enough, and that it is time to rethink anti-doping policy in the global context where it belongs.

Wisconsin is one of cycling's best kept secrets. From the tall pines and clear lakes of the north, through gently rolling central farmlands, to the high bluffs and hidden valleys along the Mississippi River, the state is laced with well-maintained secondary roads. Since 1986, when they founded the Bike Wisconsin touring company, Jane and Scott Hall have led thousands of cyclists on tours around their home state. In this book they have selected 28 of their favorite daylong cycling adventures, as well as a bonus chapter recommending their favorite rail-trails. The tours cover varied terrain and feature places of historic and cultural interest and areas of natural beauty. Each tour includes a detailed map; mile-by-mile directions; information on terrain and mileage; trip highlights; and where to find repairs and rentals along the way.

From the snowcapped peaks of the Sierras to the towering coastal redwoods of Muir Woods, California's national parks are renowned for their splendor. Touring these national treasures by bike has become a favorite way to leave luggage-laden cars and busy roads behind and enjoy the hidden byways of these parks more fully. As Edward Abbey wrote, "A man on a bicycle will see more, feel more, enjoy more in one mile than the motorized tourist can in a hundred miles." Bike along the rugged coastline to the graceful beaches of Point Reyes, spin through the wild dunes of Death Valley, or pedal past the rock formations and climbers of Joshua Tree. Rides range in length from a 2-mile warm-up in Manzanar Historic Site to a breathtaking Yosemite tour of nearly 100 miles. Each ride description includes a detailed map, tour directions, information about the trail or road surface, sights along the way, and the length and difficulty of the ride. In addition, a trip-planning appendix for each park tells you where to stay or camp, do your laundry, eat, buy supplies, and repair or rent a bike.

One of New Jersey's most prolific and honored travel writers, Arline Zatz knows what's appealing to touring bicyclists and exactly where in the state they can find it. These 30 tours lead you past the state's most intriguing and most beautiful spots. The author's commentary along the way tells you everything you need to know about the sights you'll see and the road conditions along the way. The five tours new to this edition include trips past an herb farm; around Merrill Creek Reservoir; along the pounding surf of the Atlantic coast; and among an array of colorful public gardens."

In an area as populous as New York's Hudson Valley, finding the best bicycle tours isn't a matter of picking up a map and measuring out a few roads. 25 Bicycle Tours in the Hudson Valley gets you to the quiet routes through the rolling farmlands and stunning vistas that grace the region. Some tours are gentle; others are more strenuous; and then there are the full-body-experience tours that tackle the escarpment of the great river, challenging the cardiovascular system with steep climbs, tickling the adrenal glands with thrilling descents, and expanding the spirit with unsurpassed views. This new and thoroughly updated edition of Howard Stone's long-popular guidebooks includes 2 new tours in Westchester County-27 in all. Each tour has a summary showing length, difficulty, and highlights, as well maps and explicit mile-by-mile directions, notes about points of interest, cycling advice, and a list of nearby bicycle shops.

The Adirondack State Park is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and Glacier National Parks combined. The park's 6 million acres offer plenty of diverse and scenic terrain for bicycling. In addition to tours in the famed and rugged High Peaks region, where New York State's tallest mountains predominate, the authors lead you to routes along the gentler roads of the park. They meander around scenic lakes and through pine forests, pointing out a variety of wild and unspoiled vistas along the way. Many rides also lead to hiking trails, swimming holes, and fishing spots along secluded streams. Tours range in length from 15 to 80 miles and offer adventures for cyclists of all ages and ability levels. Each tour includes: Easy-to-read map Mileage and directions Landmarks and natural highlights Historical anecdotes Bike shop listings

The Yellow Jersey Club contains just twenty-six living members. To become one of this exclusive number requires complete dedication, brutal self-sacrifice and the most extraordinary physical attributes. Yet along with the ability to climb mountains, bomb along time trials and survive all the perils of the road, what really makes a Tour de France champion? Edward Pickering set out on a mission to ask them, and gained some astonishing insights into the minds of cycling's best ever riders of the past forty years, from giants like Greg LeMond and Stephen Roche to more unfamiliar names like Bernard Thevenet and Joop Zootemelk. With his trademark sharp analysis and deft style, Pickering explores the myriad factors that combine to produce success. What does it take to accumulate such great mental strength, skill and endurance? What are the differences as well as the key factors in common? What sets these men apart from the rest of the field? The Yellow Jersey Club gives the reader unprecedented access into the secrets of the greats of cycling.

When ex-headmistress Anne Mustoe gave up her job, bought a bike and took to the road, she couldn't even mend a puncture. 12,000 miles and 15 months later, she was home. Her epic solo journey took her around the world, through Europe, India, the Far East and the United States. From Thessaloniki to Uttar Pradesh, from Chumphon to Singapore, she faced downpours, blizzards and blistering deserts, political turmoil and amorous waiters - alternated with great kindness from strangers along the way. A Bike Ride is the first in the series of Anne Mustoe's successful and inspiring travelogues.

A true American hero, Greg LeMond's career was punctuated by dramatic fame, devastation, and ultimately redemption. In July 1986, LeMond stunned the sporting world by becoming the first American to win the Tour de France, the world's pre-eminent bicycle race, defeating French cycling legend Bernard Hinault. Nine months later, LeMond lay in a hospital bed, his life in peril after a hunting accident, his career as a bicycle racer seemingly over. And yet, barely two years after this crisis, LeMond mounted a comeback almost without parallel in professional sports, again winning the 1989 Tour--arguably the world's most grueling athletic contest--by the almost impossibly narrow margin of 8 seconds over another French legend, Laurent Fignon. It remains the closest Tour de France in history. From the heights of global fame, LeMond would then crash during a calamitous confrontation with Lance Armstrong over allegations the latter was doping. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Daniel de Vise reveals the dramatic, ultra-competitive inner world of a sport rarely glimpsed up close, and builds a compelling case for LeMond as its great American hero.

An authoritative and comprehensive account of the bicycle's two-hundred-year evolution. The bicycle ranks as one of the most enduring, most widely used vehicles in the world, with more than a billion produced during almost two hundred years of cycling history. This book offers an authoritative and comprehensive account of the bicycle's technical and historical evolution, from the earliest velocipedes (invented to fill the need for horseless transport during a shortage of oats) to modern racing bikes, mountain bikes, and recumbents. It traces the bicycle's development in terms of materials, ergonomics, and vehicle physics, as carried out by inventors, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers. Written by two leading bicycle historians and generously illustrated with historic drawings, designs, and photographs, Bicycle Design describes the key stages in the evolution of the bicycle, beginning with the counterintuitive idea of balancing on two wheels in line, through the development of tension-spoked wheels, indirect drives (employing levers, pulleys, chains, and chainwheels), and pneumatic tires. The authors examine the further development of the bicycle for such specific purposes as racing, portability, and all-terrain use; and they describe the evolution of bicycle components including seats, transmission, brakes, lights (at first candle-based), and carriers (racks, panniers, saddlebags, child seats, and sidecars). They consider not only commercially successful designs but also commercial failures that pointed the way to future technological developments. And they debunk some myths about bicycles-for example, the mistaken but often-cited idea that Leonardo sketched a chain-drive bike in his notebooks. Despite the bicycle's long history and mass appeal, its technological history has been neglected. This volume, with its engaging and wide-ranging coverage, fills that gap. It will be the starting point for all future histories of the bicycle.

In the never ending streams of traffic and the choking fumes of pollution this book gives the average cycle enthusiast or, indeed novice, a collection of quotes, sayings and proverbs on even more reasons why one should get on their bike. In the format of the bestselling Keep Calm and Carry On, Keep Calm and Pedal On is the perfect gift for keen bikers. It is a book that will give a cyclist comfort in the knowledge that their passion for bikes is shared with some of world's greatest leaders, personalities and authors. After all, in the words of John F. Kennedy, 'Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride.'

Professional cycling is a rich, dynamic and often controversial sport that lends itself to great writing. Some of the most famous and illustrious races were founded by newspapermen and The Cycling Anthology continues this tradition by bringing together the best in the business. Volume Five is an eclectic mix of stories old and new: As World War One is commemorated acros the globe, Brendan Gallagher looks at cycling's war heroes and the role the bicycle played in WWI. Jeremy Whittle goes in search of panache - why you don't always have to be a winner to be a winner in the public's eyes. Francois Thomazeau examines how the Tour de France became the international event it is today. The 2014 Tour de France is relived in the form of poetry, by Ellis Bacon. Lionel Birnie tells the story behind the Linda McCartney cycling team, the great British team that could have been. Joey McLoughlin was a shining star of the British cycling scene in the 1980s and '90s - Andy McGrath finds out what happened to him. Edward Pickering returns to one of cycling's great Pyrenean climbs - Superbagneres. As Matt Beaudin finds out, the Tour de France is a treat for the senses - albeit a loud one. Matt McGeehan sends a postcard from the 2014 World Track Championships in Colombia. And Daniel Friebe introduces us to Jean Francois Naquet-Radiguet: Tour de France pioneer.

"Let's hope Benson has more travels in mind. He is a gifted writer, an observant human with an eye for the telling detail and how to tell it."-Booklist Brian has a million vague life plans but zero sense of direction. So when he meets Rachel, a self-possessed woman who daydreams of bicycling across the States, he decides to follow her wherever she'll take him. Brian and Rachel soon embark on a ride from northern Wisconsin to Somewhere West, infatuated with the promise of adventure and each other. But as the pair progress from the Northwoods into the bleak western plains, they begin to discover the messy realities of life on the road. Mile by mile, they contend with merciless winds and brutal heat, broken bikes and bodies, each other and themselves-and the looming question of what comes next. Told in a voice "as hilarious as it is wise" (Cheryl Strayed), Going Somewhere is a candid tale of the struggle to move forward.

A fun illustrated guide to the world of cycling and all things bike-related. This beautifully designed book presents cycling in a way you've never seen before. Mixing cycling facts with expert bike tech advice, this book features a unique and intriguing overview of the realm of the velocipede, from cycling greats and kings of the road, the Classics and the Grand Tours, track cycling stars and velodromes, to digital training tools, top international pro teams, bike maintenance info and insights into the darker side of cycling - doping. Witty, informative and astounding, this book is a must-buy for any cycling fan!

The Great British Road Rides Guide will inspire you to plan spectacular road rides. Road-tested by experienced rider Clive Forth, the 55 fun, flowing routes have been selected for their lack of traffic, their variation and their stunning views of the British landscape. * Routes from all across the UK * Each ride features a route map, an elevation map and concise information on length, climbs and rail links, along with a descriptive ride-through * Rides vary from 30km to 200km, with climbs of 200m to 3000m * Includes two 'Taste Le Tour' rides for each of the two Tour de France Yorkshire stages in 2014. Also includes printable routes from the Bloomsbury website.

Zheutlin pens the remarkable story of one woman--Annie Londonderry--one bike, and one incredible journey that would change the face of sports, feminism, and America itself. Illustrated.

After two months on board a Russian container ship sailing 15,000 miles across the world, Josie finally arrives in New Zealand with her bike. Over the next nine months she cycles 10,000 kilometres all over North and South Islands while experiencing the wettest, windiest and stormiest year on record. During this time Josie was spat at, shouted at, honked at, and both run off and blown off the road. She got soaked, sunburnt, hailed on and snowed on and was alternately starved and over-fed, over-charged and under-charged. Then there was the wildlife: the possums (both dead and alive): exotic birds such as moreporks (with their eerie call) and fantails (who decided to follow); the ostriches, who liked to chase English cyclists and the harriers, who liked to dive bomb them; the more familiar but no less frustrating farm animals, who provided sheep-jams and cow-blocks to slow Josie down. In Long Cloud Ride, Josie brings New Zealand brilliantly to life. Warm, witty and acutely observed as ever, her latest adventure is sure to delight old and new fans alike.

Double Olympic gold-medal winner, James Cracknell. His story before and after his life-changing accident. In October 2011 James Cracknell, two-time Olympic gold-medal rower and one of the greatest endurance athletes the world has ever known, suffered a seizure at home as his young son looked on in horror. A man who had known no limits, a man who had practically achieved the impossible, was now struggling to master life's simple challenges. A year earlier, as James undertook yet another endurance challenge in Arizona, he was knocked off his bike by the wing mirror of a petrol tanker. It had smashed into the back of his head at high speed, causing severe frontal lobe damage. The doctors weren't sure if he would recover and, if he did, whether he would ever be the same again. Touching Distance is an extraordinary, honest and powerful account as James and his wife Bev confront for the first time the lasting effects that the accident has had on their lives. It is the story of a marriage, of a family and of one man's fight back to be the best husband and father he can be.

Not only is it the world's largest and most watched sporting event, but also the most fearsome physical challenge ever conceived by man, demanding every last ounce of will and strength, every last drop of blood, sweat, and tears. If ever there was an athletic exploit specifically not for the faint of heart and feeble of limb, this is it. So you might ask, what is Tim Moore doing cycling it?

An extremely good question. Ignoring the pleading dictates of reason and common sense, Moore determined to tackle the Tour de France, all 2,256 miles of it, in the weeks before the professionals entered the stage. This decision was one he would regret for nearly its entire length. But readers-those who now know Moore's name deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Bill Bryson and Calvin Trillin-will feel otherwise. They are in for a side-splitting treat.

French Revolutions gives us a hilariously unforgettable account of Moore's attempt to conquer the Tour de France. "Conquer" may not be quite the right word. He cheats when he can, pops the occasional hayfever pill for an ephedrine rush (a fine old Tour tradition), sips cheap wine from his water bottle, and occasionally weeps on the phone to his wife. But along the way he gives readers an account of the race's colorful history and greatest heroes: Eddy Merckx, Greg Lemond, Lance Armstrong, and even Firmin Lambot, aka the "Lucky Belgian," who won the race at the age of 36. Fans of the Tour de France will learn why the yellow jersey is yellow, and how cyclists learned to save precious seconds (a race that lasts for three weeks is all about split seconds) by relieving themselves en route. And if that isn't enough, his account of a rural France tarting itself up for its moment in the spotlight leaves popular quaint descriptions of small towns in Provence in the proverbial dust. If you either love or hate the French, or both, this is the book for you.

French Revolutions is Tim Moore's funniest book to date. It is also one of the funniest sports books ever written.