The Extraordinary Story of Cycling's Most Controversial Champion
July 19, 2010
Strickland, an editor at large for Bicycling magazine, follows Armstrong after he decides to come out of retirement and compete, once again, in the 2009 Tour de France, cycling’s preeminent race and a competition that Armstrong won seven consecutive times. The book weaves between stages of the Tour and other races that led up to it, including the Tour of California and Spain’s Vuelta Castilla y Leon, in March 2009, during which Armstrong broke his collarbone. Strickland, who admits that he saw in Armstrong an “innate greatness” early on, is occasionally fawning and overdramatic, but he had a great deal of access to Armstrong and his team, riding alongside and conducting compelling interviews with spectators and fans. Somewhat less engaging for a general readership are technical explanations of arcane cycling rules and comprehensive coverage of ’30s-era cyclists. But cycling fans and readers who already follow Armstrong will find much to enjoy here as they relive his comeback and get a look at the anatomy of his races.