Kings of the Mountains: How Colombia's Cycling Heroes Changed Their Nation's History

by Matt Rendell

Kings of the Mountains tells the amazing and little-known story of how an impoverished, politically turbulent Latin American country produced a breed of cyclist capable of taking on the world's best - in the 2002 Tour de France the top Colombian rider Santiago Botero beat even the great Lance Armstrong to win the time trial.

Genres: Cycling, Sports

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 22, 2003

Reviews

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike so many other sports books – this is not about chaps kicking or hitting balls. Cycling is pretty much Columbia's national sport, and in this engaging exploration of the sport Matt Rendell weaves together national rivalries, history, politics, geography, drug cartels, and economic issues to show how and why chaps on bikes became so important. We need many more of this kind of popular sports writing – not lavishly illustrated Christmas market focussed 'biographies' of overpaid 22 year old brats that tell us nothing except that athletes are overpaid brats.

[Lumberjuan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brilliant first few chapters - immediately gripping.
Lost it for me in the central stages, too much history and different guerilla groups and politics squashed around the cycling. Despite being very interesting it was hard to keep track of all the acronyms.
Massively made up for by the last few self-reflective chapters which brilliantly set the book (and author) in their correct context.

[Simon Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than just a cycling book, this delves deep into the tradition of drugs and guns in Colombia. Wouldn't catch me going there!

[Pablo Paz · Rating 5 out of 5]

excelente.. creo que es el mejor libro que he leido este año..

[Rob Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome documentation of the intersection of cycling, culture, politics, and crime in Colombia.