Put Me Back On My Bike

Author:

By William Fotheringham

Format:

Paperback (Paperback)

Availability:

In print, usually dispatched within 3-4 days.

Price:

£8.99 £7.99 (Save 11%)

Tagged with:

Cycling, Biography, Tom Simpson, Tour de France, British Cycling

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• Reviewed by 1 member with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Login or join us to post the first review!

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Further Details

• Published: 7th Jun 2007
• ISBN: 0224080180
• Pages: 272
• Size: 200mm x 130mm

From the Publisher:

Tom Simpson was an Olympic medallist, world champion and the first Briton to wear the fabled yellow jersey of the Tour de France. He died a tragic early death on the barren moonscape of the Mont Ventoux during the 1967 Tour. Forty years on, hundreds of fans still make the pilgrimage to the windswept memorial which marks the spot where he died.

A man of contradictions, Simpson was one of the first cyclists to admit to using banned drugs, and was accused of fixing races, yet the dapper 'Major Tom' inspired awe and affection for the obsessive will to win which was ultimately to cost him his life.

This new edition of William Fotheringham's classic biography, published to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of Simpson's death, features a preface and final chapter featuring further revelations about Simpson's life and death.

Member Reviews and Ratings

James (Blogger)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Fotheringham writes with authority and passion on an emotive subject; Simpson can be a divisive figure, with his death from a drug overdose on Mont Ventoux a tragedy at the same time as being largely self inflicted.

I was sceptical of Simpson before reading this book. Now though, I can see how bright a star he was and how sad his passing was. The part of the book that deals with his death on the road is brilliantly written and very emotional.

Whether you're old enough to remember Major Tom's career first hand, or like me, too young to remember him as anything other than a legend, this is a great book and highly recommended.

Posted on 1st Dec 2009 at 20:33:03 GMT.