Le Tour: A Century of the Tour de France - Hardcover

Whittle, Jeremy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0007165943 ISBN 13: 9780007165940

Publisher: Collins, 2003

Synopsis

A unique visual guide to the Tour de France, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2003, this beautiful and historic book features rare archival photography from 1903 to today.

The tour de France is one of the most gruelling, exacting and exciting events of the world’s sporting calendar. It has been given even greater prominence in recent years by the attention attracted by Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor and 4-times winner of one of the greatest sporting challenges ever.

In 2003 the Tour de France celebrates its 100th anniversary. This book is a unique, visual guide to the first century of the Tour and, with it, the changing face of France. The images in the book cover all aspects of the life of le Tour, from road-side spectators to competitors, marshals and the majestic scenery of a beautiful country. It includes a foreword by Greg LeMond.

About this title

Review:

Competitve cyclists, Tour fanatics and the simply curious will find something of interest...a great gift. -- London Cyclist

From the Back Cover:

In the world of professional cycling, the Tour de France offers the biggest prize imaginable. It also offers the most intense challenge of any sport, requiring the greatest exertion possible simply to compete. An almost inhuman effort is needed to win le Tour, one of the most gruelling, exacting and exciting events of the world’s sporting calendar. No other contest quite matches le Tour for the amount of individual and teamwork expended over its course.

Le Tour offers a stunning visual journey through the first century of this epic race. In the process, it also provides a unique glimpse of the changing face of France through the 20th century. Packed with images of the great and the good competitors, Le Tour also features photographs of the winners, from the very first – the ‘Little Chimney Sweep’ , Frenchman Maurice Garin – to the last, American four-time successive Tour winner Lance Armstrong.

As well as picturing the riders, the images portray all aspects of the life of le Tour, from road-side spectators to the competitors at rest and play, from the graffiti etched on mountain roads by ardent fans to the majestic scenery of a beautiful country. There are photographs of dramatic finishes and calamitous starts, of the successive generations of French automobiles that have carried the race teams and of the spectacular mountain backdrops as the peloton races by. The whole of history and life of le Tour is here.

About this edition

• Publisher: Collins
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0007165943
• ISBN 13: 9780007165940
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256