The Tour de France is the worlds most gruelling and exciting cycling race. Tour de France (Speed Read) breaks down its history and complexities to make anyone an instant expert.

Le Tour has sometimes been called 'chess on wheels' because of the complicated strategies used by the race's 22 teams and 176 riders. This book—written by award-winning cycling journalist John Wilcockson, who has covered the Tour 45 times—will help you understand those tactics, along with informing you about the race’s century-plus history, its famed winners and rivalries, and the technology that has gone into creating the modern racing bicycle and determining how today’s athletes train.

Among the questions answered are: Who owns the Tour? / How are the course's 21 stages selected? / What are the most famous mountain climbs? / How is the overall winner determined? / What is a peloton, a soigneur, or an echelon? / What are time bonuses? / How fast do the racers go down mountain descents? / What speeds can the riders reach in sprint finishes? / What do the riders eat, and where do they sleep every night? / What are all those motorcycles doing among the cyclists? And is it true that, one year, the top four finishers were all disqualified?

You will find the answers to all these questions, and many more, in this informative, beautifully illustrated, fun-to-read book: Tour de France (Speed Read).