Climbs and Punishment

by Felix Lowe

**Shortlisted for Cycling Book of the Year at the Cross British Sports Book Awards 2015**

Cycling journalist Felix Lowe makes the leap from raconteur to rouleur, taking to the saddle for the first time to complete his very own grand tour of Europe.

Lowe's light-hearted and entertaining travelogue charts his progress as he cycles 2,800 kilometres from Barcelona to Rome, crossing three countries and cycling over three mountain ranges, taking in some of cycling's most fabled climbs. As he follows in the tracks of some of the world's greatest wheelmen, Lowe puts professional cycling's three major stage races – the Tour de France, Vuelta a España and Giro d'Italia – under the microscope, whilst capturing the potent mix of madness, humour and human spirit that make people identify with the sport so strongly.

Powered by local delicacies and his trademark blend of self-deprecating humour and barbed wit, Lowe takes readers on an immersive journey through the Catalonian countryside, over the Pyrenean foothills and the rolling plains of Languedoc, through the flowery fields of Provence, over winding Alpine passes, between the vineyards and olive groves of Piedmont, and down the Apennine backbone of Italy. His epic quest traces the footsteps of the celebrated Carthaginian general Hannibal, who led his own pachyderm peloton of 37 elephants over the Alps and all the way to the gates of Rome.

As much about the regions traversed as the cyclists who have left their sweat in the soil, Lowe's insightful account celebrates the sport, examines the psychology of both the crazed amateur and the pedalling pro, and delves into the awesome march of a military genius who almost brought the Roman Empire to its knees.

Genres: Cycling, Travel, Nonfiction, Sports

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2014

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book which does What it says really as a fairly novice cyclist takes on the alpine regions exploited historically by Hannibal and his elephants and more recently riders in the big tours.
It's a decent read I do wonder however what base fitness the author had before coming across the bike as apart from aching knees on the first few days he seems to take to the bike and the vigorous climbing quickly.
He had mentioned snowboarding and running in passing suggesting he wasn't really a stranger to fitness though in fairness cycling (especially the regularity and challenge) of What he undergoes in this book is a different thing altogether.
We hear of Hannibal, tours past and present ,culinary delights and comrades in bike throughout the book and it's a good read.
It's the sort of book that inspires me to consider upping the old mileage next year as just maybe I can achieve something a bit more.

[Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felix Lowe humblebrags his way from Barcelona to Rome by bike, shadowing the route of Hannibal’s advance in 218 BC for much of the way.

Lowe details the countryside, the history, and the food, and talks a lot about how much he’s struggling with the ride but beating the pants off his (oh-so inadequate) companions anyway. The history was fascinating, and the section on the Alpe d’Huez was interesting, but the rest really rather tiresome.

This book has inspired me to read more about Hannibal, but not, under any circumstances, anything more about Felix Lowe.

[Fletcher1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book opened with a witty and interesting opening chapter.I was amused interested and eagerly climbed on board; riding up to the mountain peaks he himself was scaling. But then it was all downhill from there. The Hannibal title is a misnomer - there is very little about Hannibal - it seems to have been included to capture a different type of audience. Instead this was all about the author. How he was never overtaken (unless he was taking for photos or eating). He was the best not like the chumps he was cycling with. there was even a paragraph dedicated to the size of his cock in lycra (generous was his word). If you had an interest in tour De France cycling history then this would be a good read. There was no feel for the places he was visiting - it was all about climbing the mountains and what delicious meals he ate for lunch and dinner. Coupled with his vast knowledge of complex and obscure words it became tedious to read after a while. 'My main course was the kind of hearty cassoulet (white beans, 2 confit duck legs and a coarse sausage) that would late reek havoc with both the aromatic and atmospheric conditions of mine and Terry's room'. It's just too much. I believe the author used to write blogs for tour de France and he does have on occasions a nice turn of phrase but over the length of a whole book it becomes tiresome. It was a bit disappointing having biked through France and interested in ancient history it could have been great. But it's definitely more about Felix and the history of the Tour de France. I'm sad to say in the middle of the book going downhill on the mountainside in the pouring rain I was secretly hoping he might fall off.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of this book is a cycling journalist but not a cyclist, something unusual that he set out to rectify. The book consists of four threads, firstly the authors journey from non-cyclist to cyclist which after first training is achieved by joining a group ride across the Alps from Barcelona to Rome, Second the group dynamics and the personalities, third is Tour de France events over the years on the cols and passes ridden, and finally Hannibal’s journey and adventures with elephants. That’s a lot of information to fit in especially if you add in his fixation with food, his genitals, and bodily functions. If his shorts were too thin and ‘showed too much’ then change them or stop thinking that everyone is looking at you. His descriptions of the many high-quality meals taken at the hotels they stayed in were a bit tedious, cycle across the alps over many mountain passes you need food, lots of it, and it does not have to be of the highest quality. It must have been an awfully expensive holiday for paying customers. There seems to be a level of immaturity in the authors personality, which is surprising, does anyone really care that he did a bad dive when he went for a swim or who got up mountains roads first. A bit of fun yes but no more. The older I get the less I care about what most people think about me (apart from nearest and dearest), the I hope same will happen to him as he ages. It was an enjoyable read and I would recommend this book.

[Matt Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable journey.

I’m partial to a cycling book and one that recounts an adventure or story, and picked up Felix’s offering having listened to and read some of his work on various platforms. I found the book thoroughly enjoyable. Felix’s prose is subtly different to any other travel writing that I’ve read (Bryson, Tim Moore) which makes this book comparable to those but unique in style. The book itself takes you on a journey with details of the landscape, history and his fellow riders, all from the Authors point of view which adds some classic British humour. Self deprecating wit, and partial to a friendly jab at both his friends and the situations he finds himself in along the way, Felix has created a thoroughly enjoyable read that’ll get you planning your own adventure.

[Jams · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only reason this book is given 2 stars is because I enjoyed food description. Other than that, frankly, this book is just not good, I would even say bad. It despirately tries to be funny and somewhat informative and falls short on both counts. There were moments when it was bearable, but so very few.

[Steve Dorrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humourous, witty, real life view of something every cyclist wishes they could do. Some parts had me in fits of uncontrollable laughter, bringing tears to my eyes. Liked the three parallel threads running through the story. Felix's discovery of cycling with a grand tour. The legends of Tour de France in the same places he visits and Hannibal's exploits 2000 years earlier. Great read!

[Ciarán · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read and quite entertaining

[Gruffudd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, especially at the beginning. Felt like a good novel where you can really get to know the characters.

[Chris Nicol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Self congratulatory with some interesting background stories but more often its not that interesting tale of his cycling.

[Gareth Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed it, very well written & humorous cycling book, with a tint of sadness at the end. The rivalry with the Antipodes was a particular highlight. Chapeau

[Tom · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cycling…YES! History…YES! Travel…YES! This book …NO!

This promised to be a great read. It’s certainly a great concept - cycling from Spain to Rome to retrace the route, and recount the exploits of Hannibal. And the book enjoyed some very good reviews.

But it’s dreadful.

The writing style is smug and forced. Lowe tries, and fails, to be funny in almost every line. Fake self deprecation (“I’m crazy, me”) abounds and he is increasingly condescending towards his companions, towards “foreigners” in general, and towards the reader.

I started this book a few times, and gave up each time. In all, I only managed about two chapters. And I’m not going back.

Thoroughly dislikable.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A long time professional cycling journalist decides to hop on the saddle and take an epic journey. Lowe visits some of the sport's fabled roads while completing a route from Barcelona to Rome in the footsteps of Hannibal, the general of ancient Carthage. His skill, for an amateur, is quite impressive. He summits Alpe d'Huez twice in one day, scales Mount Ventoux, and rolls through Tuscany in a thunderstorm. The goal is often to ride 100 kilometers per day. Along the way he details the group interactions of fellow riders and the massive quantities of food they intake to stay fueled. These can become tiresome as its hard to follow all the group members or to care what they all ate at certain stops. But Lowe's verbose writing is also humorous, never more than when he dips into anecdotes about professional riders and their various doping stories. His side-by-side detail of Hannibal's quest to attack Rome is a bit thrown together for the sake of novelty. Still, it contains interesting bits of history. It was a fun ride and a fun read, if a little long.

[John Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felix deploys his well-honed wit, some acquired knowledge of the Punic Wars and his understanding of the world of professional cycling to colour this account of his two-wheeled trip between Barcelona and Rome. In the process Felix is transformed from an armchair expert to a Lycra-clad convert to the accumulation of kilometres, Cols and vertical metres. His enthusiasm for his new-found passion is partly explained as justification for his appetite for the regional cuisines of Spain, France and Italy. Having shared Felix's journey for a week over the Alps between France and Italy, I had to admire his willingness to have a go and his commitment to achieving a target once set. The book is an entertaining reflection of his exploits, prejudices and peccadillos.

[Matthew Ogborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars, more if it was pruned a little round the edges. Written in Felix's uniquely colourful style, it has enough wit, insight and warmth to charm the cyclists it will score most with as well as travel and humour fans in search of something off the beaten path. Look forward to the next Euro adventure.

[Jo]

Can tell he's a blogger with the balance between food, travel and cycling erratic. Assumes a lot of cycling knowledge which would make it inaccessible as a travelogue for many, probably slightly long; as one reviewer and ride companion said, a lot of prejudices aired - but overall, fun and worth reading.

[Adam Becket · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fiiiine, funny at points. Lots of outdated references

[Startinmerc · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0, old jokes wearing thin & a little too self-aggrandizing, otherwise okay.