Blazing Saddles: The Cruel & Unusual History of the Tour de France

by Matt Rendell

In this fascinating book, award-winning sports writer Matt Rendell covers every corner of ""La Grande Boucle,"" from the eccentric couture of the first Tour winner (white blazer, black trousers, wool socks) to the earliest method of cheating (riding the train). ""Blazing Saddles"" recounts the famous rivalries and riders that contested the Tour, setting the score straight with complete records of every podium finisher. Rendell's vivid storytelling is complemented with more than 100 classic black-and-white photographs, portraying cycling's heroes and martyrs from Jacques Anquetil to Lance Armstrong.

Genres: Cycling, Nonfiction, History, Sports

303 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[madeleine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fact that I love the Tour and was willing to try and make this book interesting saved it from two stars. The history takes a shallow approach and constantly kept me wishing for more depth and context to the constant statistics. Kind of shallow, kind of interesting if you’re a die-hard fan.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Straight out of the gate I was in love with this book because it is physically very attractive. For a little book, it is really heavy and fun to hold. The pages are glossy and thick. Gorgeous! Then I began to read and then I began to feel frustrated and then I began to skip pages, many. I believe that Lance Armstrong himself would not have liked this book. There are WAY too many details and not enough explanation of the big picture. There are probably tons of gems missed by me because I was not willing to search through the stats and names and French cities to find them. Boo. I'm giving it two star for effort and also for swimsuit competition performance.

[Carla JFCL · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quirky, funny, highly entertaining book. It's about the entire history of the Tour de France bicycle race, and focuses on some of the weird things that have happened over the races (which is, this year, running it's 96th race). It was kind of hard to follow at times in the beginning - probably because some of the historical information is, understandably, sketchy or missing altogether. Nonetheless, for anyone who's interested in a behind-the-scenes look at this race through the years, it's great fun.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history,great photos,trivia and quotes.I'll finish the rest tonight.
"To prepare for a race,there is nothing better than a good pheasant,some champagne and a good woman" - Jacques Anquetil,1957. Sports nutrition has obviously changed a lot.

[Trekbmc · Rating 5 out of 5]

That is the best book ever it is so good I love cycling but they made it funny (for a certain sense of humour) but it is great I love it recommended to everyone.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimately a facts and figures book but what facts and what figures it contains.
The early days of fixies and the banning of the freewheel to the aerodynamic and doping eras this book has it all.
In honesty doping and cheating isn't just a modern thing as this book shows and the achievements herein remain even if at times you know they where enhanced.
It's a book celebrating the tour warts and all and in honesty it remains something worth celebrating..it's a excersise in commitment and sadism as an event .
The book covers 105 years of the Tour so though it misses the Armstrong confession (it still registers doubt) and the rise of the UK winners it's still a decent near comprehensive overview of tour history.

[Damien Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

An at times pretty funny account of every year of the tour de France up to 2007. While it gets a bit sad towards the end when every amazing feat of human endurance is followed up by an account of how an investigation or blood analysis brought the rider undone, it's also interesting to note that people have been cheating pretty much from the start. Hopping on a train or organising thugs to beat up rivals were more low tech methods than used today but definitely more entertaining. Only trouble I had with this book was the descriptions of some races were a bit boring when it was people I had never heard of.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book which goes year by year thru the Tour De France and tells of some of the interesting incidents of each years tour. It also contains info on the great champions Anqietiel, Mercx, Coppi, Bartali, Mercx Hinault and Indurain along with a detailed history of cheating and doping during the race.

[Karl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read. During my coffee break. The book was not for me. If you are die herd Tour De France fan. I highly recommend this book.

[Malcolm Balster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highlights the major points from each tour till 2007. Written before Armstrong was disgraced.

[Jtomassetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

BLAZING SADDLES, the Cruel & Unusual History of the Tour de France written by Matt Rendell covers every Tour De France race up to the first victory by Contador in 2007. This book is like A Century on windy day for which you did not train enough. It starts out at a good pace and it is enjoyable. However, as you go further it becomes a monotonous grind. The last third of the book seems like it is all into the wind. Then finally Lance appears and you know the end is in sight and the last few chapters are familiar and go by quickly. This book gives a Reader’s Digest version of every race. Only it is not as well written as Reader’s Digest. The writer follows a basic formula for describing each race and it becomes boring. There is never enough time devoted to any one race to get into the details that makes cycling books interesting. This is the second book I have read covering the total history of the tour. Readers will find much better Tour De France stories in books that cover just one race.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really disappointed with this book. I was looking for a fun comprehensive history of the tour, and while this does have some highlights, it left me constantly wanting more information. How did technology change the tour over the years? It's not enough to say they introduced gears and everything was different. Likewise, how did the tour go from private teams, to national teams and then back to private teams? I feel like I need to go find another book on the Tour de France to fill in all the missing stuff.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much for having a plan and sticking to it. This one was on my shelf but was way back in the queue, somehow I promoted it.

Good overview - broken into short sections of 1-4 pages each summarizing each year of the TdF. A fun read for any cycling fan and a nice reference.

[lcee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed the stories and trivia in this book, however it constantly left me wanting more, both in detail and in depth.

[Mark Zadroga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, wild romp through the history of the Tour. It's not a comprehensive book, but it is enjoyable.

[Tvermar · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice but brief overview of the Tour - great photos.

[Tobias]

Some amazing pictures from the Tour in this. I found the photos from the 1940s to mid-1970s the most interesting

[Mark Benedict · Rating 3 out of 5]

Through torturous Tours riders coping,
For yellow jerseys each one is hoping.
It's a pleasure to see
This vast history.
It almost makes up for the doping.

[Warrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every tour; all in the form of little human stories.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty entertaining book about the history of Le Tour. Not a lot of depth, though.