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William Fotheringham

Autor(a) de Put Me Back on My Bike: In Search of Tom Simpson

21 Works 506 Membros 9 Críticas

About the Author

William Fotheringham is the cycling correspondent at the Guardian, covering the Tour de France as well as the Olympic Games. He is the author of Half Man, Half Bike: The Life of Eddy Merckx, Cyclopedia: It's All About the Bike, Fallen Angel, and Put Me Back on My Bike.

Includes the name: Will Fotheringham

Obras por William Fotheringham

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Conhecimento Comum

Sexo
male

Membros

Críticas

If you're not a fan of bike racing this probably isn't the book for you. I gave it five stars because the story dragged me through every emotion possible. I found this to be a compelling read. Coppi's life read like a Greek tragedy. A superman on the bike, but all too human off it. The book covers the spectrum of his short yet full life, experience-wise. From his childhood and early racing years to the war years (he was also a POW) to his return to Italy and rise to superstar. The death of his best friend, confidant, and brother Serse marked a change in the arc of his life. His decline, inevitable for all athletes, and the scandal surrounding his highly publicized adulterous affair(remember this is post-WWII Roman Catholic Italy) make the last few years of his life unhappy ones (IMO) except for racing his bike. His death was seemingly senseless and hence contribute to the conspiracy theories that abound.… (mais)
 
Assinalado
feralcatbob | 1 outra crítica | Dec 22, 2020 |
At his height, Fausto Angelo Coppi, was the best cyclist in the world. He shot to fame after he won the Giro d’Italia at the age of 20 in 1940, something that some though was impossible for someone so young. After war service he resumed his cycling career and in 1949 he was the first to win the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia in the same year. In 1952 he became the second person to win both again. These victories in the grand tours and the one day classics were riden on roads that would nowadays be suited to mountain bikes. He had an epic rivalry with the worlds other top cyclist, the Italian Gino Bartali, as they swapped places and titles. No wonder he was called campionissimo – champion of champions.

But there was another side to his life. In the mid 20th century adultery was illegal in Italy, a law controlled and enforced by the catholic church. His friendship with Giulia Occhini, sometimes known as The White Lady, became much more. As they were both married with children, the authorities took a dim view of this. They were both dragged from their beds in the middle of the night, excommunicated and imprisoned and were the focus of a huge legal battle at the time of huge social changes in Italian society.

Coppi had always been one of the legends of the sport, and Fotheringham has written a carefully considered biography of him. It is a celebration of his cycling achievements and a considered account of his failings and tragic early end of his life. One for the true cycling buff though.
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
PDCRead | 1 outra crítica | Apr 6, 2020 |
An interesting book about the British riders who have taken place in the Tour de France up to 2005.

It covers the earliest riders in the Tour history, and goes up to David Millar just after he was banned for EPO. Cavendish and Wiggins are not covered, though Wiggins does get a mention.

Each significant rider gets a chapter to himself. The riders covered are Robinson, Simpson, Harrison, Hogan, Sherwin, Millar, Elliot, Yates, Boardman, and Millar. It is not complete history of everything they have done in the Tour, but a good overview. Other riders are mentioned in the context of the main riders that they rode with.… (mais)
 
Assinalado
PDCRead | Apr 6, 2020 |
This is an interesting book that has been overtaken, at least partly, by more recent events. Tom Simpson was the first British cyclist to wear the fabled yellow jersey in the tour de France. He also died on that event, the result of a concatenation of circumstances, and, as a result, triggered the first drugs scandal. You could easily argue that the scandal has continued, with peaks and troughs, ever since. This is partly Tom's life story, but also a tale of how those involved have a vested interest in the story. The evidence of the people involved can never be truly impartial and that has been presented in the way the story has been shaped over the years.
This is interesting, it tells of a time past and how the past shapes the present. Even today, riders scale the Ventoux and leave a tribute at the roadside marker that memorialises Tom's death. In the last few years 2 British cyclists have not just worn but won the yellow jersey, that dates this book, but hardly changes the imoact of the first man to break the national duck.
… (mais)
1 vote
Assinalado
Helenliz | 3 outras críticas | Jun 30, 2015 |

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Estatísticas

Obras
21
Membros
506
Popularidade
#48,975
Avaliação
3.9
Críticas
9
ISBN
60
Línguas
4

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