Reckless

Luis Ocaña seemed doomed to live in the shadow of cycling's greatest ever rider, Eddy Merckx-"The Cannibal". Their rivalry defined Ocaña's entire career, yet he was the one rider capable of beating the all-conquering Merckx in his prime. After an impoverished upbringing he flourished at the sport he loved and in 1970 secured his biggest victory on home soil, winning the Vuelta a España, and confirming his status as a Grand Tour challenger. But it was in the 1971 Tour de France that the battle between Merckx and Ocaña reached its peak when, at the Orcières-Merlette stage, he inflicted on Merckx the worst defeat he would suffer in a major Tour, with an astonishing 120 kilometre solo breakaway through the Alps.
 But then came one of most gut-wrenching crashes in Tour de France history when Ocaña fell heavily on a Pyrenean descent, losing his leader's jersey, and with it his best chance of destroying Merckx's reputation of invincibility. In the midst of a torrential downpour, with minimal visibility, rider after rider crashed into the injured rider as he lay prone. The following day Merckx refused to wear the leader's jersey out of respect.
 It was only when Merckx was missing from the start-line in 1973 that Ocaña became Spain's second ever Tour de France winner. If Merckx had been present, Ocaña's chances of success would have been far slimmer. Further triumphs amassed before his swansong in 1976, but Ocaña's decline in later life reflects the immense struggle he embraced during the height of his career. An enigmatic outsider to both the Spanish and French throughout his career-never truly accepted in either country-he died in mysterious circumstances aged just 48.
 A fascinating, complicated character both on and off his bike, Ocaña's fierce determination, impetuosity and-some would say-recklessness created some of the most beautiful and gripping episodes in the history of the sport. This is the first ever biography in English of "the Spanish Merckx" who remains one of the most fascinating Tour de France champions.

Reckless: The Life and Times of Luis Ocana

Fotheringham, Alasdair

Biographies & Memoirs

Bloomsbury Sport

The Tour de France is always one of the most spectacular and dramatic events in sports. But the 1998 Tour provided drama like no other. As the opening stages in Ireland unfolded, the Festina team's soigneur, Willy Voet, was arrested at the French-Belgian border with a carload of drugs. Raid upon police raid followed, with arrest after arrest hammering the Tour. In protest, there were riders' strikes and go-slows, with several squads withdrawing en masse and one expelled. By the time the Tour reached Paris, just 96 of the 189 starters remained, and of those 189 starters, more than a quarter were later reported to have doped. The 1998 ” “Tour de Farce's” status as one of the most scandal-struck sporting events in history was confirmed.
 Voet's arrest was just the beginning of cycling's biggest mass doping controversy--what became known as the Festina affair. It all but destroyed professional cycling as the credibility of the entire sport was called into question, and the cycling family began to split apart even as, ironically, the 1998 Tour was also one of the best races in years.
 The End of the Road is the first book in English to provide in-depth analysis and a colorful evocation of the tumultuous events of the 1998 Tour. Alasdair Fotheringham uncovers how the world's biggest bike race sank into such scandal. He explores its long-term consequences and what, if any, lessons were learned.

The End of the Road: The Festina Affair and the Tour that Almost Wrecked Cycling

Sports & Outdoors

Individual Sports

Federico Martín Bahamontes, the Eagle of Toledo, is rated by many as the greatest climber in cycling history. The first Spaniard to win the Tour de France and a six-time champion of the race's grueling King of the Mountains classification, he became a national hero in a Spain that was struggling to rebuild after the devastation and atrocities of the Spanish Civil War. Indeed, the Eagle of Toledo's success owed much to the conflict. When the Nationalist rebellion of General Franco finally overran the democratically elected Republic in 1939, vast swathes of the country were left impoverished and desperate. On the verge of starvation, the young Bahamontes took to cycling as a means of running black market goods, before realizing that the sport offered a more lucrative future. An impressive amateur career followed, leading to his Tour debut in 1954, when he won the mountains competition on his first attempt. Success and a charismatic, but temperamental, racing style brought him fame at home and abroad - as well as controversy. Today, despite his appropriation by the Franco regime, he remains the godfather of Spanish cycling and a sporting eccentric of phenomenal will power. He is also one of the few living witnesses to cycling's golden age and - as Alasdair Fotheringham discovered when interviewing him for this compelling biography - he's more than ready to tell the tale.

The Eagle of Toledo: The Life and Times of Federico Bahamontes

Aurum Press

Spain’s greatest cyclist of all time, Miguel Indurain is the only bike rider to have won five successive Tours de France, as well as holding the title for the youngest ever race leader in the Tour of Spain. As the all-conquering hero of the 90s, Indurain steadfastly refused to be overwhelmed by fame. Along with his superhuman calmness, iron will-power and superb bike handling skills, he was often described as a machine. Yet 1996 saw Indurain spectacularly plummet, bringing his career to an abrupt end. Indurain gets to the heart of this enigmatic character. Alasdair has interviewed family, teammates, coaches, and rivals, including Pedro Delgado, Prudencio Indurain, and Manolo Saiz to create the definitive account of Indurain’s career.

Indurain: The Definitive Story of the Greatest Ever Tour de France Racer

Professionals & Academics

Ebury Press

Miguel Indurain is Spain’s greatest cyclist of all time and one of the best Tour racers in history. He is the only bike rider to have won five successive Tours de France, as well as holding the title for the youngest ever race leader in the Tour of Spain. This is his story.
As the all-conquering hero of the 90s, Indurain steadfastly refused to be overwhelmed by fame; remaining humble, shy and true to his country roots. Along with his superhuman calmness, iron will-power and superb bike handling skills, he was often described as a machine. Yet 1996 saw Indurain, the Tour’s greatest ever champion, spectacularly plummet, bringing his career and supremacy to an abrupt end.
In Indurain, Alasdair Fotheringham gets to the heart of this enigmatic character, reliving his historic accomplishments in vibrant colour, and exploring how this shaped the direction taken by generations of Spanish racers - raising Spanish sport to a whole new level.

Indurain

Federico Martin Bahamontes, the Eagle of Toledo, is rated by many as the greatest climber in cycling history. The first Spaniard to win the Tour de France and a six-time champion of the race's gruelling King of the Mountains classification, he became a national hero in a Spain struggling to rebuild after the devastation and atrocities of the Civil War. Indeed, his success owed much to the conflict. When the Nationalist rebellion of General Franco finally overran the democratically elected Republic in 1939, vast swathes of the country were left impoverished and desperate. On the verge of starvation, the young Bahamontes took to cycling as a means of running black market goods, before realising that sport offered a more lucrative future. An impressive amateur career followed, leading to his Tour debut in 1954, when he won the mountains competition on his first attempt. Success and a charismatic, but temperamental, racing style brought him fame at home and abroad - as well as controversy. Today, despite his appropriation by the Franco regime, he remains the godfather of Spanish cycling and a sporting eccentric of phenomenal will power. He is also one of the few living witnesses to cycling's golden age and - as Alasdair Fotheringham discovered when interviewing him for this compelling biography - he's more than ready to tell the tale.

Aurum Press Ltd

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Fotheringham, Alasdair. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Fotheringham, Alasdair

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Fotheringham, Alasdair. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Reckless: The Life and Times of Luis Ocana

The End of the Road: The Festina Affair and the Tour that Almost Wrecked Cycling

The Eagle of Toledo: The Life and Times of Federico Bahamontes

Indurain: The Definitive Story of the Greatest Ever Tour de France Racer

Indurain

The Eagle of Toledo: The Life and Times of Federico Bahamontes