Daniel Friebe

The whole point of a race is to find a winner... I chose to race, so I chose to win.' For 14 years between 1965 and 1978, Edouard Louis Joseph Merckx simply devoured his rivals, their hopes and their careers. His legacy resides as much in the careers he ruined as the 445 victories u including five Tour de France wins and all the monument races u he amassed in his own right. So dominant had Merckx become by 1973 that he was ordered to stay away from the Tour for the good of the event. Stage 17 of the 1969 Tour de France perfectly illustrates his untouchable brilliance. Already wearing the yellow jersey on the col du Tourmalet, the Tour's most famous peak, Merckx powered clear and rode the last 140 kilometres to the finish-line in jaw-dropping solitude, eight minutes ahead of his nearest competitor. Merckx's era has been called cycling's Golden Age.It was full of memorable characters who, at any other time, would all have gone on to become legends. Yet Merckx's phenomenal career overshadowed them all. How did he achieve such incredible success? And how did his rivals really feel about him? Merckx failed drug tests three times in his career u were they really stitch ups as he claimed? And what of the crash at a track meet in Blois, France that killed Merckx's pacer Fernand Wambst, which Merckx claimed deeply affected him psychologically and physically? Or the attack by a spectator in 1975? Despite his unique achievements, we know little about the Cannibal beyond his victories. This will be the first comprehensive biography of Merckx in English, and will finally expose the truth behind this legendary man.

The Cannibal

Eddy Merckx

Only one man prevented Jan Ullrich from becoming the most dominant Tour de France bike racer in modern history: Lance Armstrong. Their rivalry on the road spanned six spectacular years of dazzling racing, calamitous crashes and mechanicals, and public head games waged daily in the global media. For many Americans, Ullrich vs. Armstrong is the most vivid memory of the Tour de France from the height of Armstrong's controversial cycling career. Their struggle foreshadowed Armstrong's relationships with Alberto Contador and other rivals of the peloton. Yet few knew Jan Ullrich, who was not fluent in English and rarely agreed to interviews with American media. Ullrich remains an enigma, the cycling wunderkind from East Germany who rode in the magenta jersey of T-Mobile and always finished second to Lance. JAN ULLRICH: THE BEST THAT NEVER WAS is the first complete biography of cycling's second-best and his rivalry with Lance Armstrong, the man who bested him time and again.

The Best That Never Was

Jan Ullrich

Pete Goding

Shortlisted for the British Sports Book Awards 2012. This is the first book to cover in detail Europe's 50 greatest climbs, including detail on the actual route (with maps and profile), length, height, and compelling descriptions focussing on all the main points of interest along the route. Cycling has grown massively in popularity in recent years. The Tour de France draws huge audiences to the TV and internet coverage and all over the UK and Europe a growing number of people are taking to their bikes and rising to the challenge of Europe's most hallowed climbs. Mountain High is a book is for cyclists of all interests and abilities - from experienced club racers to enthusiastic amateurs who might just want to take on one great cycle challenge. Packed with practical route information and advice on each climb, Daniel Friebe's beautifully written text explains why each mountain pass merits inclusion in the top 50 with superb descriptions of the majestic scenery, the heroic deeds of cycling's legendary riders or the sheer endeavour and exhilaration of reaching the summit. With over 250 specially commissioned photographs taken by specialist cycling photographer Pete Goding, this really is the ultimate guide to Europe's 50 best climbs. Featured rides include Tour de France icons Alpe d'Huez, Col du Galibier, Mont Ventoux, Col de l'Izoard and Col du Tourmalet; the Passo dello Stelvio, Passo Fedaia, Le Tre Cime di Lavaredo and other sacred summits from the Giro d'Italia; plus Spain's formidable Alto de l'Angliru, Austria's Grossglockner and forty more mountain legends.

Europe's 50 Greatest Cycle Climbs

Mountain High

Eddy Merckx the Cannibal

Jan Ullrich: The Best There Never Was is the first biography of Jan Ullrich, arguably the most naturally talented cyclist of his generation, and also one of the most controversial champions of the Tour de France.

In 1997, Jan Ullrich announced himself to the world by obliterating his rivals in the first mountain stage of the Tour de France. So awesome was his display that it sent shockwaves throughout the world of cycling and invited headlines such as L'Equipe's 'The New Giant'. He went on to become Germany's first ever Tour winner, storming to victory in that edition by almost ten minutes, a result that was greeted as an era-defining changing of the guard. Everyone agreed: Jan Ullrich was the future of cycling. He was soon also voted Germany's most popular sportsperson of all time, and his rivalry with Lance Armstrong defined the most controversial years of the Tour de France.

Ullrich was a German national treasure credited with popularizing cycling in his home country. And yet - for all the acres of coverage he received throughout his career, and the interest in Ullrich as the only person who had seemed capable of knocking Armstrong off his perch - the boy from East Germany remained an enigma. Now, Daniel Friebe - who has covered 21 editions of the Tour de France - has gone in search of the man who was said in 1997 would go on to dominate his sport for a generation, but never quite managed it.

Just what did happen to the best who never was?

This is a gripping account of how unbearable expectation, mental and physical fragility, the effects of a complicated childhood, a morally corrupt sport and one individual - Lance Armstrong - can conspire to reroute destiny. Daniel Friebe takes us from the legacy of East Germany's drugs programme to the pinnacle of pro cycling and asks: what price can you give sporting immortality?

Jan Ullrich: The Best There Never Was

The Best There Never Was

Het geweldige verhaal van een buitengewoon atleet 'Een koers heeft een winnaar nodig. Toen ik voor de wielersport koos, wilde ik dan ook winnen.' Tussen 1965 en 1978 vestigde Eddy Merckx zijn heerschappij in wielerland. Alles en iedereen die hij op zijn weg tegenkwam, moest eraan geloven. De veroveringstocht leverde hem 525 overwinningen bij de profs op, een niet te evenaren record. Merckx was de Pelé, de Ali, zelfs de Elvis van de wielersport. Hij was niet alleen beter en sterker dan zijn tegenstanders, hij was ook in niets te vergelijken met wat voor hem bestond. Merckx was een kannibaal die zijn tegenstanders verslond. Alleen winnen telde. Maar eens uit het zadel bleef Merckx een raadsel. Journalisten doorgrondden zijn mysterie moeilijk. Was hij een soort machine? De waarheid was complexer. Merckx schudde twijfel en zelfkwelling van zich af op de fiets. Bij pijn en tegenslag ging hij telkens tot het uiterste om toch maar als eerste over de streep te komen. Het tijdperk van Merckx werd bevolkt door opmerkelijke figuren die in een andere periode legenden zouden zijn geworden. Daniel Friebe interviewde Felice Gimondi, Roger De Vlaeminck, Freddy Maertens, Bernard Thévenet, Raymond Poulidor, Walter Godefroot en vele andere van Merckx' slachtoffers die in detail de successen en muizenissen van de Kannibaal oprakelen. Op die manier ontleedt hij in een gebalde, eigenzinnige taal het mysterie rond deze unieke atleet.

Eddy Merckx, een leven

Alex Hinds

Ellis Bacon

Anthony Tan

Reece Homfray

Felix Lowe

Jonathan Lovelock

The Tour de France is a phenomenon of such scale that it transcends sport. Whether you are mesmerised by the scenery, captivated by its sporting drama or spellbound by the sheer athleticism of the riders, the Tour de France is one of sport’s most compelling events. It’s a race of mythical proportions, filled with spectacle and superhuman feats of endurance. But what makes the Tour truly unique is that almost all who ride it are equally revered. That a rider has never worn the yellow jersey, let alone won the race, does not make him any less of a hero. The Tour de France inspires the powerful of mind and body to extraordinary achievements, and shines a light on the true nature of the men who battle for glory over three torturous weeks. Legends of the Tour is a tribute to the dedication of the latest generation of riders to tackle the race, from those who stand proud atop the podium, to those who work tirelessly to help elevate their teammates to champions. These are the cycling legends of today and tomorrow.

The Hottest, Toughest and Fastest Riders of this Decade

Legends of the Tour

A photographic celebration of cyclist Bradley Wiggins and his historic summer of 2012: victory in the Tour de France and Olympic gold in London.

How Bradley Wiggins Won the Tour de France and Olympic Gold in 2012

Allez Wiggo!

The hidden gems of Europe's best roads and passes, from the authors of the hugely successful Mountain High. Following the success of Mountain High: Europe's Greatest Cycle Climbs comes a volume focusing on the continent's lesser-known, challenging and spectacular mountain roads and passes. From the heights of the Ötztal Glacier Road in Austria to the 'secret' side of the legendary Alpe d'Huez, Mountain Higher: Europe's Extreme, Undiscovered and Unforgettable Cycle Climbs explores 50 soon-to-be cult locations and captures stunning scenery from off the beaten track. Featuring the technical details (maps, profiles, lengths, heights) that made Mountain High an indispensable reference book, as well as dynamic descriptions of the routes themselves and Pete Goding's breathtaking photography, this book is a stylish and practical guide to the hidden gems that every true cycling enthusiast needs to know about.

Daniel Friebe

About

Books

Join the club