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Kilometer Zero
Primož Roglič is probably one of the most intriguing figures in the road cycling world.
Partially because he joined the peloton relatively late, not owning a bike until in his twenties, so expert commentators could not follow his development from earlier years; partially because he is not of the most talkative nature. Rather, he lets his legs do the talking. Therefore, it is a privilege to finally get a chance to peek into the universe of this unusual cycling star, through a wittily written story from the pen of his life partner, Lora Klinc.
Kilometer Zero takes us back to Vuelta a España of 2019, where Primož achieved his first Grand Tour victory. The book is written in three parts, all incredibly well interweaved. On one hand it serves nearly as an introduction to cycling, explaining the written and unwritten rules of this sport, where it seems you are free as a bird, but you are much more part of a team than in many “proper” team sports. On the other it takes us on an emotional roller-coaster ride, through moments of pain, suffering, sadness, loneliness, yet incredible gratefulness, happiness and most of all, love. All following the twenty-one stages and two rest days of La Vuelta.
It is a story about the man who stole the hearts of the cycling world, written by the woman, who stole his. A true writer, whose thoughts are deposited on paper with such captivating emotion and touch, that you will not be able to put the book down. And you will not want it to end.
Partially because he joined the peloton relatively late, not owning a bike until in his twenties, so expert commentators could not follow his development from earlier years; partially because he is not of the most talkative nature. Rather, he lets his legs do the talking. Therefore, it is a privilege to finally get a chance to peek into the universe of this unusual cycling star, through a wittily written story from the pen of his life partner, Lora Klinc.
Kilometer Zero takes us back to Vuelta a España of 2019, where Primož achieved his first Grand Tour victory. The book is written in three parts, all incredibly well interweaved. On one hand it serves nearly as an introduction to cycling, explaining the written and unwritten rules of this sport, where it seems you are free as a bird, but you are much more part of a team than in many “proper” team sports. On the other it takes us on an emotional roller-coaster ride, through moments of pain, suffering, sadness, loneliness, yet incredible gratefulness, happiness and most of all, love. All following the twenty-one stages and two rest days of La Vuelta.
It is a story about the man who stole the hearts of the cycling world, written by the woman, who stole his. A true writer, whose thoughts are deposited on paper with such captivating emotion and touch, that you will not be able to put the book down. And you will not want it to end.
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Published June 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 26, 2021
Avtorico Loro Klinc sicer poznamo veliko bolj kot partnerko Primoža Rogliča, čeprav rada ljubiteljsko piše (recimo kolumne v Poletu). V svoji prvi knjigi nam Lora nazorno predstavi teorijo o cestnem kolesarstvu in jo preplete s svojimi osebnimi zapisi, ki so marsikdaj zelo čustveni, kako je doživljala Vuelto 2019. Zlasti zadnje tri etape in zaključek so nadvse prežeti s stopnjevanjem napetosti in posebno iskrenostjo. Kilometer nič zlasti priporočam vsem ljubiteljem kolesarstva in navijačem, ki jih zanima kolesarstvo samo in ozadje dirk.
January 26, 2021
3.75*
Knjigo Kilometer nič lahko brez strahu vzamejo v roke tisti, ki o tem lepem športu ne vedo veliko, pa jih zanima vse, praktično od samih osnov naprej.
Lora se dotakne veliko področij kolesarstva in jih razloži na zelo razumljiv način. Ko sem brala sinopsis, piše, da je knjiga priročnik, pa tega prej nisem dobro razumela.
Kolesarskih pravil (napisanih in nenapisanih), je ogromno, so kompleksna in jih je nekomu, ki kolesarstva ne spremlja, težko razložiti. Mislim, da je ta del Lori odlično uspel. Tuje kolesarske literature ne poznam dobro in ne vem, če obstaja podoben "priročnik", ki v enem volumnu zaobjame "vsa" kolesarska pravila na tako poljuden način. Sledi morda prevod v angleščino? :)
Med etapami Lora piše dnevnik, v katerem beremo njeno doživljanje in njen pogled na zaplete in razplete Dirke po Španiji 2019, ki jo je na koncu Primož tudi dobil. Nekaj malega je tudi njegovih citatov, ki pa jih je na mojo žalost premalo.
Ljubitelji kolesarstva vemo, da je Primož pred kamerami precej rezerviran športnik. Tudi njegovi intervjuji so pogosto "korektni". V knjigi nam Lora sicer malce odstre zaveso do privat Primoža, ampak osebno bi si tega želela več. Gira, ki ga je pred Vuelto zaradi groznih poškodb "izgubil" (bil je tretji), se samo malce dotakne. O Primoževih občutjih po tisti dirki praktično ne izvemo nič. Kako je po rojstvu sina, ko se je že vrnil domov, zbral moč, motivacijo in se v isti sezoni vrnil na kolo ter zmagal zadnjo tritedensko dirko v letu?
Primoža imamo vsi radi- on je slovenski junak, vendar včasih malo pogrešamo njegov pogled, njega, kot človeka. Tega si želim v naslednji knjigi več.
Knjigo Kilometer nič lahko brez strahu vzamejo v roke tisti, ki o tem lepem športu ne vedo veliko, pa jih zanima vse, praktično od samih osnov naprej.
Lora se dotakne veliko področij kolesarstva in jih razloži na zelo razumljiv način. Ko sem brala sinopsis, piše, da je knjiga priročnik, pa tega prej nisem dobro razumela.
Kolesarskih pravil (napisanih in nenapisanih), je ogromno, so kompleksna in jih je nekomu, ki kolesarstva ne spremlja, težko razložiti. Mislim, da je ta del Lori odlično uspel. Tuje kolesarske literature ne poznam dobro in ne vem, če obstaja podoben "priročnik", ki v enem volumnu zaobjame "vsa" kolesarska pravila na tako poljuden način. Sledi morda prevod v angleščino? :)
Med etapami Lora piše dnevnik, v katerem beremo njeno doživljanje in njen pogled na zaplete in razplete Dirke po Španiji 2019, ki jo je na koncu Primož tudi dobil. Nekaj malega je tudi njegovih citatov, ki pa jih je na mojo žalost premalo.
Ljubitelji kolesarstva vemo, da je Primož pred kamerami precej rezerviran športnik. Tudi njegovi intervjuji so pogosto "korektni". V knjigi nam Lora sicer malce odstre zaveso do privat Primoža, ampak osebno bi si tega želela več. Gira, ki ga je pred Vuelto zaradi groznih poškodb "izgubil" (bil je tretji), se samo malce dotakne. O Primoževih občutjih po tisti dirki praktično ne izvemo nič. Kako je po rojstvu sina, ko se je že vrnil domov, zbral moč, motivacijo in se v isti sezoni vrnil na kolo ter zmagal zadnjo tritedensko dirko v letu?
Primoža imamo vsi radi- on je slovenski junak, vendar včasih malo pogrešamo njegov pogled, njega, kot človeka. Tega si želim v naslednji knjigi več.
February 5, 2021
Preplet zanimivih dejstev o kolesarstvu, obučutkov ob spremljanju tritedenskih dirk iz prve roke in pogleda 'od znotraj'. Lora Klinc nazorno pripoveduje o odrekanju, žrtvovanju in bolečini v tem športu. Hkrati tudi o podpori, opori in ljubezni. Knjiga vredna branja, posebej pred spremljanjem velikih dirk. Ceprav zanimiva in poucna, se je na trenutke nekoliko 'vlekla'.
January 14, 2022
Krasna knjiga, ki nudi pogled v zakulisje ekstremnega kolesarjenja, izrednih naporov, prilagajanj,... Nudi pogled s strani tekmovalca kot tudi družine. Seveda je v njej tudi nekaj zabavnih vidikov. Priporočam.
January 21, 2026
Ni me ne razočarala niti navdušila..nekako se nisem našla v zgodbi oz pripovedi.
Sem velika pripadnica kolesarstva,od nekdaj navijam za Primoža,tako,da se mi določene stvari sanjajo o čem govori in mogoče je to tudi razlog,da se nisem prepustila knjigi.
Sem velika pripadnica kolesarstva,od nekdaj navijam za Primoža,tako,da se mi določene stvari sanjajo o čem govori in mogoče je to tudi razlog,da se nisem prepustila knjigi.
February 20, 2022
The issue with a lot of cycling books is that they never go beyond the wikipedia page and newspaper articles. Usually they're an endless list of facts and more facts and even more facts. I love cycling not so much for the facts. I love cycling for the stories. The stories of blood and sweat and tears. And the story of Roglic is without a doubt one of those. When this book appeared in the Jumbo-Visma store I knew I had to have it.
Although this book also contains a lot of facts, every stage is introduced with a short summary of what happens and Klinc uses whatever happened in the stage to explain the basic rules, names and specifics of cycling, this book also contains a story. Not so much Roglic' story on how he won his first Vuelta, but more Lora's story on what she felt and did and experienced during that Vuelta. If people still think being married to a cyclist is a glamor life: read the book.
Since I've been watching cycling ever since I was two (or even younger), on the couch with my dad, I've literally grown up with the sport. I've seen heroes rise and fall and all those silly nicknames are part of my standard vocabulary. And still I enjoyed Klinc' explanations, mostly because she does a great job explaining the sport to people who have never heard of it, without losing herself in needless details and useless numbers.
I however enjoyed her own experiences the most. Especially because those weren't glamorous. They were talking about all the times she had to fight with police officers to get somewhere. The times it was cold and raining. The times her husband crashed and she had no way to know if he was okay. The times she started to believe in him bringing the red jersey home. The times she feared all was lost. At the very end I even shed a tear.
These kind of stories. That's why I love cycling!
Although this book also contains a lot of facts, every stage is introduced with a short summary of what happens and Klinc uses whatever happened in the stage to explain the basic rules, names and specifics of cycling, this book also contains a story. Not so much Roglic' story on how he won his first Vuelta, but more Lora's story on what she felt and did and experienced during that Vuelta. If people still think being married to a cyclist is a glamor life: read the book.
Since I've been watching cycling ever since I was two (or even younger), on the couch with my dad, I've literally grown up with the sport. I've seen heroes rise and fall and all those silly nicknames are part of my standard vocabulary. And still I enjoyed Klinc' explanations, mostly because she does a great job explaining the sport to people who have never heard of it, without losing herself in needless details and useless numbers.
I however enjoyed her own experiences the most. Especially because those weren't glamorous. They were talking about all the times she had to fight with police officers to get somewhere. The times it was cold and raining. The times her husband crashed and she had no way to know if he was okay. The times she started to believe in him bringing the red jersey home. The times she feared all was lost. At the very end I even shed a tear.
These kind of stories. That's why I love cycling!
January 4, 2022
The book is a sneak peek well beyond a usual TV-screen perspective from the standpoint of Primož Roglič's partner Lora Klinc (now wife). It reads like a hybrid between an introduction to cycling, life with a professional cyclist & a new-mother travelogue/diary - taking you on a stage-by-stage journey of the 2019 Vuelta a España where Primož Roglič achieved his first Grand Tour victory. The style of writing is unfiltered, direct, witty, humorous, self-reflective and full of dialect words conveying emotions which makes it feel very authentic (I read the book in the native Slovenian language). While you will definitely gain a new outlook on many aspects of cycling (even if you know the sport), the book does not reveal (too) much about Roglič as a person and I was wondering if this is partly to protect him. There are some quotations from Primož and you can sense the dynamics of relationship between him and Lora during the trying times of the stages, but it feels like scratching the vast surface we can only imagine, especially as Primož is such an intriguing figure, a heart stealer, with a story that not even the most pretentious Hollywood writers could come up with. I am pumped for more.
September 30, 2021
What a surprisingly good book.
Surprising, because Lora Klinc is unknown to me as a writer, she is the mother of Primož Roglič's child, and she is writing about her husband in the context of his victory at the 2019 La Vuelta ciclista a España. These three things could have, potentially, made her a risk as a writer.
I'm pleased to say she proved me wrong. The book is written around the framework of the Vuelta. It could have been nothing more than a blow-by-blow recitation of the race but it is far more than that.
First, Klinc brings her readers into the world of bicycle racing by describing the many and various terms used to describe the riders and the races. Whether the reader is new to cycle racing or an old hand definitions and descriptions are clear, to the point, and often appropriately funny. There is very little of the sacrosanct in her writing.
Second, starting with the third chapter, each chapter opens with a very brief description of that day's race, its course, and the results. I doubt these opening bits are longer than 300 words at their most extreme. Most are shorter.
The meat of the book is largely a deeply personal diary of Klinc's experience during the race. As she gave birth to their son, Lev, sometime between the 2019 Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a fair amount of the writing focuses on how she managed to follow Roglič as he raced. Some of the scenes of driving a large RV on tiny roads in Spain with a two month old baby and family friends are a hoot.
Roglič is both ever-present and barely present. This is definitely Klinc's book wherein Roglič appears for an occasional brief quote. He also appears as the subject of Klinc's description of how an individual stage proceeded. If you're looking for a standard homage to the man you'll have to look elsewhere.
I found the book highly engaging, often funny, and the best description of what a World Tour race is like from the perspective of an outside observer with deep ties to one of the racers. It certainly has rounded out my view of what racing at the World Tour level is like.
If you have a portion of your library dedicated to cycling I highly recommend adding this to your shelves.
Surprising, because Lora Klinc is unknown to me as a writer, she is the mother of Primož Roglič's child, and she is writing about her husband in the context of his victory at the 2019 La Vuelta ciclista a España. These three things could have, potentially, made her a risk as a writer.
I'm pleased to say she proved me wrong. The book is written around the framework of the Vuelta. It could have been nothing more than a blow-by-blow recitation of the race but it is far more than that.
First, Klinc brings her readers into the world of bicycle racing by describing the many and various terms used to describe the riders and the races. Whether the reader is new to cycle racing or an old hand definitions and descriptions are clear, to the point, and often appropriately funny. There is very little of the sacrosanct in her writing.
Second, starting with the third chapter, each chapter opens with a very brief description of that day's race, its course, and the results. I doubt these opening bits are longer than 300 words at their most extreme. Most are shorter.
The meat of the book is largely a deeply personal diary of Klinc's experience during the race. As she gave birth to their son, Lev, sometime between the 2019 Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a fair amount of the writing focuses on how she managed to follow Roglič as he raced. Some of the scenes of driving a large RV on tiny roads in Spain with a two month old baby and family friends are a hoot.
Roglič is both ever-present and barely present. This is definitely Klinc's book wherein Roglič appears for an occasional brief quote. He also appears as the subject of Klinc's description of how an individual stage proceeded. If you're looking for a standard homage to the man you'll have to look elsewhere.
I found the book highly engaging, often funny, and the best description of what a World Tour race is like from the perspective of an outside observer with deep ties to one of the racers. It certainly has rounded out my view of what racing at the World Tour level is like.
If you have a portion of your library dedicated to cycling I highly recommend adding this to your shelves.
November 28, 2020
Tudi jaz sem veliko pričakovala od te knjige, ki sem si jo celo naročila v Anglijo, kjer živim.
Celo jesen sem spremljala kolesarjenje na televiziji in konje bilo konec Vuelte mi je nekaj manjkalo.
Knjiga me je povsem prevzela, predvsem pa me je presenetila Lorina odkritosrčnost in odprtost, ko govori o svojih občutkih ko več ali manj na daljavo spremlja Rogliča na Vuelti 2019.
Poleg tega da avtorica razloži ves sistem velikih kolesarskih Tourov, je to predvsem privilegiran vpogled v njeno nesebično ljubezen do svojega partnerja, ki je najboljši kolesar na svetu.
Hvala Lora!
Celo jesen sem spremljala kolesarjenje na televiziji in konje bilo konec Vuelte mi je nekaj manjkalo.
Knjiga me je povsem prevzela, predvsem pa me je presenetila Lorina odkritosrčnost in odprtost, ko govori o svojih občutkih ko več ali manj na daljavo spremlja Rogliča na Vuelti 2019.
Poleg tega da avtorica razloži ves sistem velikih kolesarskih Tourov, je to predvsem privilegiran vpogled v njeno nesebično ljubezen do svojega partnerja, ki je najboljši kolesar na svetu.
Hvala Lora!
September 2, 2020
Z velikimi pričakovanji sem začela brati in se bala,da pričakujem preveč (kot npr. Anonimni kolesar).Te knjige pa nisem mogla odložiti.Prebrala sem jo v enem mahu. Najboljši del je tisti iskreni,osebni pogled s sočnimi opisi.Ker sem spremljala lansko Vuelto in srčno navijala,mi je bilo zato še toliko bolj zanimivo.Poleg tega pa je knjiga tudi oblikovno lepa in jo imam z veseljem na polici.
November 7, 2020
Če ste kolesarski nadušenec je to ‘must read’. Edukativna, srčna, zabavna, srce parajoča. Lora človeka popelje skozi svoje oči doživljanja njenega partnerja, vrhunskega kolesarja Primoža Rogliča. Njume prigode, veselje in solze. Iskreno kot se da.
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