Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oui! Oui! Oui! Australian Cyclists In 100 Years Of Tour De France: Australian Cyclists In 100 Years Of The

Synopsis

"Rupert Guinness writes about cycling with immense passion and knowledge. His latest effort to chronicle the Aussies who have made the voyage to big time European pro-cycling is long overdue. The current crop of Aussies are some of the toughest in the bunch and are now a true force in world cycling. And we even speak the same language! From the gritty Stuart O'Grady, the super-talented Evans, the cocky McEwen, to my loyal teammate, Matt White.They are all tough and talented" - Lance Armstrong The early years of the Tour de France were wobbly, to say the least. In 1904, the race's second year, the first four cyclists were disqualified for jumping on trains to shorten the event. So rampant was the cheating and skulduggery that Henri Desgrange, the race's founder, declared it 'dead' before it had even begun. Eighty-nine editions later, the Tour is celebrating its centenary in July 2003. (The race was suspended during the world wars). It has become one of the world's greatest sporting spectacles, bringing 20 million people to the roadsides of Europe to watch extraordinary feats of courage and endurance. In the words of Lance Armstrong: "If you don't like pain, then don't ride."In AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OUI OUI OUI! Rupert Guinness provides a compelling history of the Tour, paying special attention to the Australian cyclists who, once scorned for their old-fashioned bikes and lack of experience, are now a force to be reckoned with on the European cycling circuit. So much so, in fact, that Victorian Cadel Evans has been touted as a favourite to win this year's Tour. From the early days when Don Kirkham and Snowy Munro rode the Tour in 1914 through the darkest nights on bikes without lights or gears, to Phil Anderson's remarkable run in the yellow jersey in 1981, to the drug scandal that rocked Neil Stephens' 1998 Tour, to Robbie McEwen's spectacular win of the green jersey in 2002, AUSSIE AUSSIE