Riding, Winning and Losing the Tour de France

Inside the Peloton

Inside the Peloton is a fascinating study of racing cyclists by Graeme Fife, author of the bestselling and highly acclaimed Tour de France: the history, the legend, the riders.

Graeme Fife is a full-time writer with several books published in the UK and the USA. He has written, directed and performed in many plays and stories for stage and radio. A keen cyclist, he has ridden all the celebrated cols of the Tour de France legend.

Racing cyclists all ride the same frail machine and all are equal before the demands of the road. But what is it that makes a winner? What special attributes do winners need to give them that extra edge? To find out, Fife analyses and illustrates the moral strength, intelligence, racing nous, cunning, tactical acumen and superior mental resilience of the champion racing cyclist. Drawing on exclusive interviews and personal acquaintance with some of the best riders to have raced on the continent, as well as mechanics and team-support crew, Inside the Peloton is a vivid portrait of the complex character of cycle racing. It is an unparalleled, in-depth study of ambition, the rage to win, the capacity to recover from defeat, the harrowing misery of lost morale and the hard initiation faced by every newcomer - however talented - to the unforgiving demands of professional competition. Provocative and rich in insight, this book is a very personal account by Fife. Read it to discover: What made Merckx, apparently invincible, so prey to doubt? --What rendered the massively talented Poulidor so beatable? --Why did Sean Yates, with a cardiovascular and lung capacity equal to that of Merckx, ride so contentedly as a domestique?

Graeme Fife

A complex picture of what one of the world's great sporting events feels like from the inside.

This is a beast of a book which teems with energy.

Fife has an infectious enthusiasm for the Tour and it shows in every sentence. This is a difficult book to put down.

The History, The Legend, The Riders

In this updated edition of the highly acclaimed Tour de France, Graeme Fife sets the 2015 race in the context of the event's remarkable history, which stretches back to July 1903. 
 
Named one of the top 5 sports books of the year by both the Times and the Independent, this meticulously researched guide has a pacy narrative which paints an irresistible portrait of this extraordinary competition and a colourful picture of the men who have given the Tour its enduring universal appeal. 
 
Tour de France : The History, The Legend, The Riders is laced with tales of great solo performances, amazing fortitude, terrible misfortune and magnificent triumphs, and will include the stories behind the headlines of the 2015 race.

Graeme Fife

Praise for Tour de France

A complex picture of what one of the world's great sporting events feels like from the inside.

This is a beast of a book which teems with energy.

Fife has an infectious enthusiasm for the Tour and it shows in every sentence. This is a difficult book to put down.

A complex picture of what one of the world's great sporting events feels like from the inside.

This is a beast of a book which teems with energy.

Fife has an infectious enthusiasm for the Tour and it shows in every sentence. This is a difficult book to put down.

A complex picture of what one of the world's great sporting events feels like from the inside.

This is a beast of a book which teems with energy.

Fife has an infectious enthusiasm for the Tour and it shows in every sentence. This is a difficult book to put down.

Books by Graeme Fife

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