Tour Climbs
The Complete Guide to Every Mountain Stage on the Tour De France
0.3
This review has been written by one of our members, DavidF. A big thanks to him.
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The Tour de France is probably unique in the fact that its legends are not solely its participants and winners; over the years its climbs have gained legendary status. Names like the Tourmalet, Puy de Dome, Alpe d'Huez, Galibier and Mont Ventoux conjure up a mixture of fear and respect amongst Tour riders and fervent anticipation amongst spectators, many of who will camp out for days in advance to witness some of the ultimate battles in sport.
For it is in the mountains that the climbers dominate, the yellow jersey contenders attempt to control, the sprinters retreat and where everyone suffers. It is on these climbs that the tour can be won or lost in a single day.
I have been looking forward to Chris Sidwells' Tour Climbs for some time, as Sidwells is someone well qualified to write "The complete guide to every Tour de France mountain climb". However, my initial impression of the book was slightly disappointing. I expected a complete guide to each mountain - its history, results, highlights and the climb itself. The book only partially meets these expectations.
When the publishers say that this book "covers every mountain climb ever used in the Tour de France", they are not wrong - the coverage is superb and includes not only the legendary and well known climbs, but the lesser climbs and those seldom visited and even those that have been visited just the once. Each mountain is covered very thoroughly - length, altitude, gradient, route, and each is well illustrated. The accompanying route map shows each hairpin bend, although a gradient profile would have been a useful addition, as would a locality map and it is surprising that an overall map identifying each mountain is also absent. Absent too are the results for each mountain when it has featured as a finish, but perhaps the most striking omission is that of a list of the "King of the Mountains" classification since 1933.
The book claims to include "every major historical moment" in the mountains, but considering just how many tours have been won and lost in the mountains, some have been overlooked. So whilst Ulrich's 1997 triumph on Arcalis and Pantani's victory on Les Deux Alpes a year later and both included, the 1987 battle between Roche and Delgado on La Plagne is among those missing. Also absent are some of the Tour's more unusual moments: Wim Van Est's rescue from a ravine on the Aubisque in 1951, the time when a spectator nearly prevented Beppe Guerini's victory on Alpe d'Huez in 1999 and Armstrong's cyclocross skills on the Col de la Rochette in 2003 to name but three.
But the more I read the book the more I found to commend it. It is well laid out and each mountain is easy to find, both individually and by area. Each is classified clearly according to severity and directions, features, points of interest and views are all set out in the text. The starting off points, nearest towns and main roads are also very clear. The book is full of good advice on riding the mountains, including the type of bicycle you will need (and its gearing!), preparation and techniques for climbing and descending.
The author deals with the several tragedies that have occurred sympathetically and identifies the associated memorials. Whilst not listing every rider who has shone in the mountains over the years, he does have his personal favourites, rating the Flemish Lucien Van Impe as the best and I can't argue with that!
Most striking are the photographs: these are excellent and really capture the character and challenge of the mountains (but there are fewer of the Tour itself than I expected). This is a quality coffee-table book, but is not the type of thing that you would take with you (unless you have a suitable support vehicle!). But for planning purposes it is excellent and is probably without equal. Further more, it is inspirational - it really does make you want to attempt one (or more!) of the climbs for yourself.
It is not a book that is principally intended for the armchair spectator and if you are looking for just a history of the mountains in the Tour de France, then you might be advised to try Richard Yates' 2006 book Ascent first. But if you want to experience the spectacle of the tour in the mountains or, even more so, if you fancy attempting one or more of the mountains for yourself, then this book is definitely for you. This is the ultimate book about the mountain climbs of the Tour de France and is good value for money. I recommend it.
About This Entry
‘Tour Climbs’ was posted by Liam Doyle on Thu, 12th June 2008 at 23:36:31 BST and filed under book reviews.
