23 Days in July: Inside Lance Armstrong's Battle to Win a Sixth Tour De France

by JohnWilcockson (Author)

• Used

  Hardcover
  2004

  $3.25

  For 23 days in July, an enthralled global audience watched Lance Armstrong battle to win the 2004 Tour de France. His victory made history. For, in the 2004 Tour, Armstrong had pledged to do the unthinkable, to win a record-breaking sixth consecutive victory; a feat no one had achieved in the Tour's 100-year lifetime. But with stiff competition from Jan 'the Kaiser' Ullrich and others, his success was by no means guaranteed. Armstrong admitted his 2003 performance was 'not acceptable' and that the gruelling cycling regime had taken a lot out of him. The resulting 2004 Tour was absolutely riveting as, following a slow start, Armstrong bulldozed his way to the lead. But Armstrong is no stranger to single-minded determination. Although diagnosed with secondary cancer earlier in his career, it took only 518 days before he was back in the saddle. His turnaround revealed the mental resources which make him a cycling legend. Veteran cycling reporter John Wilcockson's gripping account of the 2004 Tour focuses on just these sort of psychological and strategic dimensions. Using his intimate knowledge of the participants and interviews with the major players, Wilcockson tells the human side of the Tour from the perspective of the principal contenders. His vivid description of life inside the most challenging and popular sports event in the world draws on an unparalleled knowledge of the Tour.

• Used

  Paperback
  2005

  $4.19

  For twenty-three days in July 2004, an enthralled global audience watched Lance Armstrong battle to victory in the Tour de France. Armstrong had pledged to win a record-breaking sixth consecutive Tour; a feat no one had achieved in the event's 100-year lifetime. But with stiff competition from Jan 'the Kaiser' Ullrich and others his success was by no means guaranteed. The resulting Tour was riveting as, following a nervous opening week of multiple crashes, Armstrong bulldozed his way to the lead. But the American cyclist is no stranger to single-minded determination. After being diagnosed with cancer in 1996, it took only 518 days before he was back racing, revealing the mental resources that make him a cycling legend. Veteran cycling writer John Wilcockson uses his intimate knowledge of the participants and interviews with the major players to tell the human side of the Tour from the perspective of the principal contenders. His vivid description of life inside the most challenging and popular sports event in the world draws on an unparalleled knowledge of the Tour.