Research Catalog

Title

Higher calling : road cycling's obsession with the mountains / Max Leonard.

Author

Leonard, Max

Publication

London : Yellow Jersey Press, 2017.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

325 pages : illustrations; 23 cm

Summary

"This is real cycling, where the glory is and where dreams come true. So said Bradley Wiggins when, after years of huge success on the track and in time trials, he reached the summit of Mont Ventoux in the 2009 Tour de France alongside the best in the business. Mountains are where professional cycling's legends are forged and its greatest heroes make their names. Every amateur rider too wishes they could climb better, but what is it about mountains that enthrals them? Are they addicted to the pain? To the achievement? Or to the allure of the peaks? Some spend their weekends 'Everest-ing', some a summer holiday cycling up mountains from start to finish. But how does a rider push themselves beyond their limits to get up a 10 per cent gradient on pedal power alone? What is happening when they do? This is an exploration of the central place of mountains in the folklore of road cycling, of the mystique that surrounds the grimpeurs, or climbers, and why amateurs feel compelled to follow them."--Publisher's description.

Subject

• Bicycle racing > Europe
• Mountain biking > Europe
• Bicycling

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Machine generated contents note: 1. Setting the stage -- 2. Hors categorie -- 3. Control, and losing it -- 4. The Kings of the Mountains -- 5. How KoMs conquered the world -- 6. The climb is not the thing -- 7. How the Alps were won -- 8. Getting high -- 9. Counting sheep -- 10. Il Giro.

ISBN

• 9780224100380
• 0224100386
• 9781473524156 (canceled/invalid)

OCLC

988946686

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library