Description
'Ah, I remember you: you're the guy who lost the Tour de France by eight seconds!'
'No monsieur, I'm the guy who won the Tour twice.
The international bestselling autobiography of the legendary French cyclist Laurent Fignon
Two-time winner of the Tour de France in the early eighties, Laurent Fignon became the star for a new generation. In the 1989 tour, he lost out to his American arch-rival, Greg LeMond, by an agonising eight seconds.
In this revealing account, the former champion spares nobody, not even himself, and pulls back the curtain on what really went on behind the scenes of this epic sport - the friendships, the rivalries, the betrayals, the parties, the girls and, of course, the performance-enhancing drugs. Fignon's story bestrides a golden age in cycling: a time when the headlines spoke of heroes, not doping, and a time when cyclists were afraid of nothing.
'Sports book of the year: He's ruthlessly honest, about himself and about cycling, and he provides a gripping insight into an unrelenting hard world' Independent
The international bestselling autobiography of twice-Tour-de-France-winner Laurent Fignon, one of the greatest and most charismatic cyclists of all time.
About the Author
Laurent Fignon was born in Paris in 1960. He won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984 and the Giro d'Italia in 1989. In June 2009, Fignon revealed that he was being treated for advanced intestinal cancer and he died in August 2010.
Reviews
Astonishing. The twice winner of the Tour de France bares his soul, exploring the ups and downs of life as a champion, the world of competitive cycling, and his own failings * Liberation *
Sports book of the year: He's ruthlessly honest, about himself and about cycling, and he provides a gripping insight into an unrelenting hard world * Independent *
This book is both a poignant farewell and as well as a rare glimpse of Fignon and his world in his own words * London Cyclist *
Sports book of the year: magnificent, baffling, wonderful * Sunday Herald *
Often touching and, above all, very funny * L'Equipe *
Book Information
ISBN 9780224083195
Author Laurent Fignon
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Yellow Jersey Press
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 303g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 135mm * 22mm