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Riding With The Rocketmen
- Author
- James Witts
- Narrator
- David Thorpe
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 8 June 2023
- Run Time
- 12 hours 5 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
'Humble and very funny' – Ned Boulting
'Essential reading for any Étape rider' – Daniel Friebe, co-host of The Cyclist Podcast
An Everyman dropped into the world of Supermen... Can this amateur cyclist complete L'Étape du Tour?
Tadej Pogacar has 7% body fat, Chris Froome’s resting heart rate is 30bpm, Mark Cavendish reaches sprint speeds of over 50mph. They’re super-human cyclists who ride 3,500km over 21 stages across the Alps and Pyrenees as a matter of course.
James Witts is 45 years old, fatty deposits have begun to nestle on his back and he has a penchant for craft ale. He also rides a little. But not a lot. In his job as cycling journalist, however, he does have unparalleled access to the world’s best riders and their expert support staff.
Which got him thinking: could spending time with the pros, discovering the training, gear and nutritional tricks of the trade, transform this back-of-the-pack sportive straggler into a fit-and-fast frontrunner?
In this entertaining and warm-hearted tale, Witts gains access to the world’s greatest teams and riders to reveal the tricks of the trade. Follow along as he trains, rides and eats using the regimes of the planet's toughest athletes, to conquer a stage of the Tour de France.
Will he sacrifice the pub for stamina-boosting beetroot juice? Can an altitude mask really send his performance soaring? And will his ego cope with a drag-cutting, little-left-to-the-imagination skinsuit?
Critics Review
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Humble, very funny, and full of detail.
Ned Boulting, cycling broadcaster and author
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Essential reading for any Étape rider.
Daniel Friebe, co-host of The Cycling Podcast
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Informative yet amusing, exhaustive yet entertaining, James Witts’ latest cycling tome has much to recommend for both casual cycling fans and grizzled racers alike.
Matt Baird, editor of Cycling Plus
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Required reading for anyone who is at that stage in life where their waistline is becoming as concerning as their balding head, and who need a bit of motivation to just get out and do the thing they keep saying they'd love to do.
Cillian Kelly, Global Cycling Network
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James's plan to learn how the pros do it and then apply it to his own goal of riding the Étape is educational, informative and entertaining. The education and information come from his in-depth research; the entertainment comes on the day of the Étape.
Ed Pickering, editor of Rouleur
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Entertaining and useful guide
road.cc
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An entertaining read ... it also offers insight into the latest thinking in sports science ... Its real value is how those lessons, learned with great care and expense, can have their principles applied to improve the cycling performance of enthusiastic amateurs.
Pez Cycling News
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Recommended for both casual cycling fans and grizzled racers alike.
Cycling Plus
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- James Witts
- Narrator
- David Thorpe
- Duration
- 12 hours 5 minutes
- Release Date
- 8 June 2023
- ISBN
- 9781399403528
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- Cycling: general and touring, Sports training and coaching, Health: Diets and nutrition, Memoirs, Cycle racing
Synopsis
Bloomsbury presents Riding With The Rocketmen by James Witts, read by David Thorpe.'Humble and very funny' – Ned Boulting'Essential reading for any Étape rider' – Daniel Friebe, co-host of The Cyclist PodcastAn Everyman dropped into the world of Supermen... Can this amateur cyclist complete L'Étape du Tour?Tadej Pogacar has 7% body fat, Chris Froome’s resting heart rate is 30bpm, Mark Cavendish reaches sprint speeds of over 50mph. They’re super-human cyclists who ride 3,500km over 21 stages across the Alps and Pyrenees as a matter of course.James Witts is 45 years old, fatty deposits have begun to nestle on his back and he has a penchant for craft ale. He also rides a little. But not a lot. In his job as cycling journalist, however, he does have unparalleled access to the world’s best riders and their expert support staff.Which got him thinking: could spending time with the pros, discovering the training, gear and nutritional tricks of the trade, transform this back-of-the-pack sportive straggler into a fit-and-fast frontrunner?In this entertaining and warm-hearted tale, Witts gains access to the world’s greatest teams and riders to reveal the tricks of the trade. Follow along as he trains, rides and eats using the regimes of the planet's toughest athletes, to conquer a stage of the Tour de France.Will he sacrifice the pub for stamina-boosting beetroot juice? Can an altitude mask really send his performance soaring? And will his ego cope with a drag-cutting, little-left-to-the-imagination skinsuit?
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