Why do road cyclists go to the mountains? Many books tell you where the mountains are, or how long and how high. None of them ask 'Why?' After all, cycling up a mountain is hard - so hard that, to many non-cyclists, it can seem absurd. But, for some, climbing a mountain gracefully (and beating your competitors up the slope) represents the pinnacle of cycling achievement. The mountains are where legends are forged and cycling's greats make their names. Why are Europe's mountain ranges professional cycling's Wembley Stadium or its Colosseum? Why do amateurs also make a pilgrimage to these high, remote roads and what do we see and feel when we do? Why are the roads there in the first place? Higher Calling explores the central place of mountains in the folklore of road cycling. Blending adventure and travel writing with the rich narrative of pro racing, Max Leonard takes the reader from the battles that created the Alpine roads to the shepherds tending their flocks on the peaks, and to a Grand Tour climax on the 'highest road in Europe'. And he tells stories of courage and sacrifice, war and love, obsession and elephants along the way.

WINNER OF THE 2018 GIRO D'ITALIA! THREE TIME WINNER OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE. THE FIRST MAN SINCE BERNARD HINAULT TO HOLD THE MAGLIA ROSA, THE MAILLOT JAUNE AND THE MAILLOT ROJO AT THE SAME TIME. THIS IS CHRIS FROOME IN HIS OWN WORDS. 'Engaging, vividly evoked' Mail on Sunday, Books of the Year 'What Chris has done is phenomenal' Sir Chris Hoy Growing up in Kenya, biking down mile after mile of dusty road, and staying in a humble tin hut, he developed a fierce passion and determination to win. The road to Europe was long, gruelling and filled with setbacks - but it prepared him for teamwork as a domestique and then the leap to leader of Team Sky and a shot at winning the Tour de France. In The Climb, written with the renowned investigative reporter David Walsh, he vividly recounts the struggles, the rivalries, the battles, the comebacks. Finally he traces his path to triumph and his mission to help clean up cycling. Inspiring and exhilarating, it will leave you ready to face your own challenges in life, whatever they may be.

The Cyclist's Training Manual is the definitive guide to fitness for cycling, suitable for everyone from complete beginners looking to build fitness for their first charity event through to experienced cyclists looking to improve competitive performance. Starting with the basic components of fitness, this step-by-step handbook then guides you through everything you need to know to train and compete at your best, including how to organise your training, training methods, nutrition, health and how to avoid the most common cycling injuries. It also provides specialised training programmes and techniques for all cycling disciplines, such as road racing, time trials, mountain biking, sprint rides and challenge rides, as well as specific advice for novices, juniors, women and veterans. Quotes, tips and Q&A sessions from leading cyclists and team coaches are also featured.

Triathlon Training: Cycling is essential reading for cyclists who want to improve their lap time, athletes who want to incorporate cycling into a multi-sport programme and anyone considering training for their first triathlon. Practical, effective and easy to understand, it contains all the information and advice that serious cyclists need to improve their technique and achieve great results. It includes: easily explained and implemented cutting-edge cycling techniques; road and track training techniques for speed and safety; fitness, competition, strength and flexibility training programmes; mental training and motivation; effective equipment use.

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.

From the doorstep of Dublin city, there is easy access to a cycling haven of deep glens, forested mountains and wild scenery, including the Wicklow Mountains. This guidebook journeys through some of the country's best-known tourist attractions, such as Glendalough, and reveals lesser-known points of interest like the Shay Elliott memorial to the first Irish rider to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. The graded routes suit all abilities, and are illustrated with colour maps, photos and gradient graphs, with information on the many natural landmarks and historical sites en route. The historic Military Road is central to many of the cycles. Constructed in the aftermath of the 1798 Rebellion, it runs from Rathfarnham in south Dublin to Aughavannagh in south-west Wicklow, with a side arm from Enniskerry to Glencree, and from the Sally Gap to Roundwood. Try your hand as a Tour de France competitor, revisiting the 1998 stage, which raced through the heart of the Wicklow Mountains, finishing in the Phoenix Park. Surprising insights and useful tips are shared throughout, allowing cyclists to enjoy the wonders and challenges of south Dublin and Wicklow.

With routes spanning the province, here is everything you need to explore the highways and byways of Munster - on two wheels. This popular guide has now been updated to include the Waterford Greenway, which officially opened in spring 2017. The route, set against the glorious backdrop of the Comeragh Mountains, runs for 46km along an old railway line between Waterford and Dungarvan, crossing three stunning viaducts and taking in charming villages along the way. Graded cycles along the greenway are outlined, from shorter jaunts to suit families, through challenges for intermediate cyclists, up to a 92km loop of the whole route for the experienced. Each of the routes in the guide is graded by difficulty, from the gentlest, shortest circuits in Cork, through Tipperary, Limerick and Clare, to the thigh-burning Ring of Kerry, and Waterford's Copper Coast and Grand Vee. Each cycle is prefaced with summary information and illustrated with photos, a custom-drawn map and a gradient graph. You will also learn about the historical sites and natural landmarks you'll see along the way, as well as getting tips on where to stop for a coffee. Cycle stunning coastal roads on the Wild Atlantic Way. Challenge yourself on mountain passes. Pedal through tranquil woods and lakesides, charming towns and villages. Discover routes to suit all abilities and many hidden gems.