It's time we all stopped whining and learned a thing or two from The Toughest Cyclists Ever. Including:Stephen Roche,whose cure for exhaustion was to go up a gear and fight harder,all the way to the ambulance. Eddy Merckx,who hurt himself so badly in breaking the Hour record that,he estimated,he shortened his career by a year. Beryl Burton,who crushed her (male) rival's morale with the offer of a piece of liquorice,before speeding past to victory. Nicole Cooke and Edwig Van Hooydonck,who rejected dope and became legends.The Hardmen tells the stories - the good bits,anyway - of the 40 most heroic Cyclists ever. Their bravery,their panache and their Perfect Amount of Dumb. It reminds us that suffering on a bike liberates us from our daily lives,and that,in the words of Lance Armstrong "pain is temporary,quitting lasts forever"; proof that even assholes can be insightful.
MEDIA REVIEWS
Publisher: Profile Books LtdISBN: 9781781256138Number of pages: 256Weight: 215 gDimensions: 198 x 128 x 18 mmEdition: Main
MEDIA REVIEWS
Fresh,often amusing,always impressive.The Velominati's relish and innocent love of the sport comes through time and time again-they just get the whole contrast between the pain and beauty of cycling that makes it so irresistible. An unharnessed,joyous celebration.Full of bravery,stupidity,panache,pluckiness and nerve,each story is a reminder of a certain sense of escapism that sport can provide. But at what cost For some,it involved shortening careers by up to a year and,for others,being wheeled away in an ambulance. Either way,helping celebrate road cycling with a unique (and,at times,painful) viewpoint,The Hardmen proves that we can learn a thing or two from some of the world's best sportsmen
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