At the start of the 137-kilometre Tour de Mont Aigoual, Tim Krabbé glances up from
his bike to assess the crowd of spectators. 'Non-racers,' he writes. 'The emptiness
of those lives shocks me.'
Immediate and gripping from the first page, we race with the author as he
struggles up the hills and clings on during descents in the unforgiving French
mountains.
Originally published in 1978, The Rider is a modern-day classic that is recognised
as one of the best books ever written about the sport. Brilliantly conceived and
best read at a break-neck pace, it is a loving, imaginative and passionate tribute
to the art of cycle racing.