'Humble and very funny' - Ned Boulting 'Essential reading for any Etape rider' - Daniel Friebe, co-host of The Cyclist Podcast An Everyman dropped into the world of Supermen... Can this amateur cyclist complete L'Etape 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?

One ageing journo's journey on the shoulder of giants. Follow our author as he trains, rides and eats like the planet's toughest athletes, to conquer his very own Grand Tour.

About the Author
James Witts has a background in sports science. He's a regular writer for numerous cycling publications, including Cyclist, Cycling Plus, Pro Cycling and Rouleur.

Reviews
Humble, very funny, and full of detail. * Ned Boulting, cycling broadcaster and author *
Essential reading for any Etape rider. * Daniel Friebe, co-host of The Cycling Podcast *
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 *
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 *
James's plan to learn how the pros do it and then apply it to his own goal of riding the Etape is educational, informative and entertaining. The education and information come from his in-depth research; the entertainment comes on the day of the Etape. * Ed Pickering, editor of Rouleur *
Entertaining and useful guide * road.cc *
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 *
Recommended for both casual cycling fans and grizzled racers alike. * Cycling Plus *



Book Information
ISBN 9781399403504
Author James Witts
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Bloomsbury Sport
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC