What a Ride: An Aussie Pursuit of the Tour de France

by Rupert Guinness

Rupert Guinness has been covering the Tour de France for over 20 years and in that time has watched Australian riders evolve into the collective force they are today. From the pioneering Phil Anderson, who, in the 1980s, set the mark by becoming the first Australian to claim the yellow jersey, to Cadel Evans, Guinness analyses the riders' fortunes and misfortunes through his knowledge of and relationship with these extraordinary athletes. There are humorous and sadly tragic moments, heroes, and villains, and testing times when everything seems to go wrong. But there are also days of perfect riding, extraordinary scenery, and uplifting successes.

Genres: Cycling

304 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2009

Reviews

[Mcdoned · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content is interesting and Guinness spins an entertaining story, but this book often skips over the greatest dramas and true beauty of the Tour. There's a disappointing lack of editing too - for example, Bernard Kohl's name is spelt incorrectly throughout the entire book.

However, I loved the stories of Phil Anderson pushing the horizons of Australian cycling, or the romantic tale of the decline and fall of Marco Pantani.

[Joss · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read and a great insight to the good, the bad and the ugly sides of Le Tour de France. Read, whilst I was in France! I loved Rupert's account of his candid exchanges with the riders and the Aussie focus of the book. A fantastic history of Aussie contributions to le tour and le tour itself. Rupert is evidently very passionate about the event and cycling in general, and it rubs off. I can't wait to watch the tour in 2015!