Cyclocross is no longer cycling's hidden gem. Its rapid growth in the USA and UK means this intense and dramatic sport is exploding into the mainstream. With a season running from September to February, cyclocross is cycling's only purely winter discipline, demanding a combination of athleticism, supreme technical skill and ruthless tactics for the muddy conditions. In the sport's heartland of Belgium, major races attract crowds of thousands and have a carnival atmosphere fuelled by heavy drinking, ringing cowbells and pumping airhorns. Many top riders have enthusiastic fan clubs and are national celebrities - one even had his own reality TV show. On race day, Belgian and Dutch television coverage is akin to a major football match in the UK, stretching for hours with pre race interviews, pundits and behind-the-scenes films. In Rainbows in the Mud, Paul Maunder spends a season soaking up the sport's rich culture and history, and mixing with the obsessive fans, celebrity riders, and old-fashioned patriarchs of the sport. Following the riders - novices, veterans, American, British - as they slog their way through the season, he captures the spirit of this flamboyant cult sport, and paints a picture so vibrant you can almost feel the mud under your feet and taste the beer, mulled wine and frites.

A colourful ride through a season of cyclocross, cycling's off-road, cult discipline.

About the Author
Ever since seeing flickering coverage of the 1984 World Road Championships from Barcelona, Paul Maunder has loved all aspects of cycle racing. He won his first race - an Under-12s cyclocross around a farmyard near Oxford, for which he won three chocolate bars - but thereafter struggled to maintain such dominance. He has studied fiction with the former Poet Laureate, been awarded a fellowship by Faber, and is a regular feature contributor to Rouleur and Peloton magazines.

Reviews
He paints a picture so vibrant you feel the mud under your feet and taste the beer and frites * Soigneur *
Rainbows in the Mud is successful in telling the story of cyclocross through the characters, places and races... Paul Maunder's journalistic eye and skill with the written word helps bring the mud of Belgium alive * CX Magazine *
[Paul Maunder] has written a book on the winter sport's attraction and idiosyncrasies. It details the obsessive fans, the carnival-like, beer-swilling atmosphere and revered riders * Cycling Weekly *
Maunder presents a heartfelt introduction to a sport that could soon establish itself as a serious rival for several other spectator sports, giving us yet another thing for which we should thank the Belgians. * Bristol Post *
Check out Paul Maunder's book "Rainbows in the Mud." Some of the finest writing you'll see in the sport of bicycle racing. -- Katie Compton, Cyclocross champion
Maunder gives a firsthand enthusiastic insight into the two distinctly different flavours of 'cross to be experienced' in its belgian/dutch heartlands as well as the more participatory version on show across the pond * thewashingmachinepost *
If you can't make it to any races on the continent this season, this book will give you a great sense of what it's like to be there. Then you'll want to go so badly, you'll probably book a ferry/plane. I give this book five friets out of five. * Cyclocross Handbook *
Rainbows in the Mud by Paul Maunder is a must-read for a look into the world of cyclocross. * Women's Fitness *
In this entertaining book, Paul Maunder spends a year soaking up the sport's rich culture and intoxicating blend of intense, brutal, tactical racing and carnival atmosphere. * Bikes Etc *
Atmospheric and evocative musings on what it is about 'cross that captures the attention * The Podium Cafe *



Book Information
ISBN 9781472925954
Author Mr. Paul Maunder
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Bloomsbury Sport
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 434g