The Accidental Tour-ist: (Final) Dispatches from the Road –THE FOLLOW UP TO HOW I WON THE YELLOW JUMPER

by Ned Boulting

FROM THE WINNER OF THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2024 CYCLING BOOK OF THE 1923

'A fascinating and inspiring book ... An excellent read' – Phil Liggett MBE

In the follow up to the bestselling How I Won the Yellow Jumper and the award-winning 1923, this is a lap of honour for everything that Ned has been lucky enough to have experienced during his commentating career.

Join Ned once more as he brings his cycling stories up to the present day – full of recollections of chaotic, memorable and sometimes surreal encounters with all the key riders. While the Tour de France takes centre stage, his horizons expand far beyond its confines to take in races across Europe as well as to fascinating locations in the Middle East, China and Malaysia.

There are behind-the-scenes chapters on life at the Giro d'Italia; the growth of women's racing; forays into podcasting; replacing the great Phil Liggett as ITV's main commentator; the Flemish classics; and the life and times of Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish.

Ride along as Ned travels around the UK with a stage show about the Tour de France, and on the many days that he and David Millar have spent quixotically riding folding bikes up and down enormous mountains.

Genres: Cycling, Nonfiction, Travel

287 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 19, 2025

Reviews

[Steve Kimmins]

DNF at 60%.
I was really after info primarily about the Tour de France, my big sporting passion. Currently watching the 2025 event. But this book is mainly a type of autobiography, concentrating on the author’s life in general as a sports journalist.
His previous book (How I Won the Yellow Jumper: Dispatches from the Tour De France), set some 10-12 years earlier, sort of met my requirements as it concentrated on his role as an interviewer on the Tour, shared quite a bit on what he learnt about the event., and surprised me by making me sympathise with a journalist trying to get the stories from athletes who’d been through the most gruelling days cycling up mountains (or crashing in sprint finishes…).

This one spends less time on the Tour. It has some interesting Tour nuggets, particularly on the four time winner, Chris Froome, but for me it just wasn’t rich enough with Tour de France information. Quick asides about other cycling races he covered, in Italy for example, didn’t hit the spot. Too much as well on his pals in the commentating community.
The author seems a decent, conscientious journalist, but it wasn’t the story I was after. Unrated.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal read for fans of the Tour

I delayed finishing this book until the middle of August because I just didn’t want to Tour to be over. Ned Boulting has been such a wonderful narrator of stories from the Tour and as sad as I am that the ITV journey is over, I look forward to the adventures Ned and NSF: Live in France embark on. This book is perfectly narrated by Boulting.

[Robbie Tyrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable. Bland at times. Quite depressing and bleak in some chapters. It was like closing a chapter on part of your life which I guess that’s what this story was about. Easy to read though.
Would have given it 2 stars, but it merits 3 because of the chapter on Mark Cavendish which was brilliant.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For 10 years, Ned Boulting and David Millar have been the voices of July, guiding viewers through the undulating roads of France. Unfortunately, due to ITV’s decision to cut cycling from its ever-shrinking sporting repertoire, their free-view platform is being lost. This book partly covers the immense sadness of this loss as cycling’s greatest jewel is put behind a £30pm paywall. As ever, Ned Boulting is highly entertaining, self-deprecating and interesting; his almost childlike adoration for the world of cycling is deeply relatable. I would recommend this book to cycling fans, but particularly those who enjoyed ITV’s fantastic coverage of all things cycling.

[Dr K P Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bittersweet goodbye to commentating on the tour from a writer and commentator who captures the bizarre archaic and contradictory world of the TDF perfectly.

Having listened since the beginning - including that inaugural Tour De Yorkshire coverage - and to the podcast for years, it brings back stages and memories and a nostalgia for the good old days that weren’t actually that long ago really. It makes you long for what could have been had ITV continued funding free to air coverage of the greatest race in the world.

Anyway - without Yellow Jumpers problematic take on the greatest dope cheat of all time - who is now doing his own podcast about cycling thank you very much it’s easier to read although one wonders if history may make some of the content similarly problematic. I hope not. Required reading for cycling fans.

[Rauno Villberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Ned Boulting's books and the Never Strays Far podcast for a couple of years now.
I'd love to say that I'm also a fan of his commentary, but unfortunately, it's a real rarity when I have access to actually watch the streams that he comments on.

Anyway - loved it. Great stories and great prose, truly, in my opinion. A lot of cycling books are very... workmanlike, but Ned has a way with words and is truly a writer (his Substack is well worth subscribing to as well!)

[Cat Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tear in the eye saying goodbye to the ITV TDF commentary. The book equivalent of Ned's usual combo of commentary, rambling, and funny anecdotes. Perfect summer reading for the peak of my annual interest in road racing.

[Michael Shevlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most (if not all) cycling fans, the end of free-to-view coverage of the Tour de France is bad for both the TDF and for the sport of cycling. Ned Boulting and the team at ITV have done a stella job of bringing the chaos, colour and drama of the event to us in our living rooms.

So, reading the book of life on the road when cycling gets crazy in July was a salve to this loss. The book is sometimes great, sometimes insightful but also sometimes self indulgent and directionless. For all the nuggets of insider gold, and sometimes laugh out loud stories oaf larking about on Bromptons…many times this is a bit of a mess and leaves you yearning for more depth and structure.

For hardcore NSF fans only, I think.

[Chela Landau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book while trying to find my next great read--starting, and stopping, many unsatisfactory, boring books. The subject matter wasn't particularly interesting for me but a review said it was funny so I figured what the heck. I am so glad I gave it a chance; what a hilarious, fun, inspiring, and well written book. I had only a passing interest in the Tour De France before reading this book but the author brought it so to life, the funny incidents are so fleshed out that I feel like like I'm in on a private joke, and now I want to know more about the event as well. I would love to read more from this author.

[Penelope Pitstop · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a ragbag. Some interesting nuggets - particularly good analysis of Chris Froome & Mark Cavendish. But a bit too much blokey jokey stuff about him and David Millar and their Brompton bike races, which couldn’t be less interesting.

However, when it’s good it’s very good - the chapter on the Giro for example.

[Paul Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Ned's TV commentary and interplay with former pro David Millar for years, however his linguistic style in this book began to grate on me. He tries to sound clever and humorous but comes across as smug and self obsessed. Many of his anecdotes paint him in the best possible light but smack of self-aggrandizement.

[Richard Thomson-Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cav chapter…just so poignant.

[Radu Chirvasuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb, Ned is an excellent writer and storyteller, it's so easy to get into a reading flow.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of disjointed tales about commentating. Feels a bit like these were the not so good stories left over from his previous books

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many UK cycling fans, I am mourning the final year of free view Tour coverage by ITV. Even when we had Eurosport as part of our TV package, or were paying the reasonably-priced GCN+ subscription, our preference was for Boulting and Millar on commentary. I am an avid listener to their Never Strays Far podcast with Pete Kennaugh.

Which is all preamble to say that I love Boulting's work, both written and spoken. This is another enjoyable read, especially for fans of Le Tour.