Golden Stages of the Tour De France – 2nd Edition

Golden Stages, first published in 2003 to celebrate the centenary of the Tour, is now republished, with eight additional chapters, to coincide with the 100th Tour. Each writer has selected and told the story of a particular Stage to examine what it is that makes the Tour such a majestic and moving event, beginning with the first stage of the first Tour in 1903, and ending with that stage in 2012 when Bradley Wiggins effectively secured the first overall win by a British rider. Their accounts show how much has changed in the 100 years – the bicycles, the roads, tactics and organisation. But they also show what has not changed – the extravagant scale of the race, the mystique of the maillot jaune, and the courage of all who compete. Those things have remained the same, and they are vividly portrayed here. This second edition does not ignore the dark period the Tour has gone through in the years since 2003; these are addressed in the new Introduction.

“…a book for the serious fan.”
– Matt Seaton, The Guardian

“This is a collection of inspiring, informative and often lyrical essays by sixteen cycling enthusiasts, all indefatigable admirers of the giants of the Tour…”
– Graham Robb, Times Literary Supplement

“Excellent in every way, this book is a triumph of the new wave of British sports-writing…”
– Tim Hilton, Independent on Sunday