How I Won the Yellow Jumper
Dispatches from the Tour de France
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:7th Jun '12
Should be back in stock very soon
A funny and frank account of falling in love with the Tour de France by television's quintessential roving reporter, Ned Boulting.
'Paris, 4 July 2003: My first Tour de France. I had never seen a bike race.
Eight Tours on from Ned's humbling debut, he has grown to respect, mock, adore and crave the race in equal measure.
'Paris, 4 July 2003: My first Tour de France. I had never seen a bike race. I had only vaguely heard of Lance Armstrong. I had no idea what I was doing there. Yet, that day I was broadcasting live on television. I fumbled my way through a few platitudes, before summing up with the words, "...Dave Millar just missing out on the Yellow Jumper." Yes, the Yellow Jumper.'
Follow Ned Boulting's (occasionally excruciating) experiences covering the world's most famous cycling race. His story offers an insider's view of what really goes on behind the scenes of the Tour. From up-close-and-personal encounters with Lance Armstrong to bewildered mishaps with the local cuisine, Ned's been there, done that and got the crumpled-looking t-shirt.
Eight Tours on from Ned's humbling debut, he has grown to respect, mock, adore and crave the race in equal measure. What's more, he has even started to understand it.
Includes How Cav Won the Green Jersey: Short Dispatches from the 2011 Tour de France
Hugely enjoyable...The only real problem with this book is that it's making me wish away the start of the summer and fast-forward to 2 July and le grand départ -- Helen Pidd * Guardian *
His journey from self confessed 'football hack winging it in a sport beyond his ken' to his initiation into the Tour's nuances and eccentric characters delivers an amusing, warm and easy read * London Cyclist *
A candid, insightful and often hilarious account -- Alastair Campbell
I thought Ned was an old hand at the Tour. Evidently he was clueless... Told with panache -- David Millar
Hugely enjoyable... Brilliant -- Ben East * Metro *
Very funny * Reader's Digest *
This is, I'd say, the most enjoyable book of its kind since Tim Moore's French Revolutions, and is ideal for filling in the gaps between transmissions from this year's race * Guardian Sports *
Quirky, warped, enthusiastic and funny -- Chris Boardman
Tour history is blended with anecdotes revealing the personalities and quirks of professional cycling * Times Higher Educational Supplement *
Genuinely funny -- Richard Williams
ISBN: 9780224083362
Dimensions: 198mm x 130mm x 32mm
Weight: 358g
416 pages