The Tour de France has built a massive following here in the UK, and I can honestly claim to have been a fan of the race since the late 70′s when the likes of Joop Zoetemelk and Gerrie Kneteman were riding and Raleigh bikes were the weapon of choice for the fearsome Peter Post’s TI Raleigh team. The only way you could find out about the race here in the UK were the small daily stage reports in the quality press. It wasn’t until the Channel 4 coverage started in the 80′s that we could witness the epic battles featuring legends like Lemond, Hinault and Millar. So it’s pretty odd for what was a really cult sport to be become so popular here in Britain. The start of the recent rise in popularity was undoubtedly the Grand Depart in London two years ago with the momentum being maintained by the fantastic track world championships in Manchester and the “Hoy effect” at the Beijing Olympics. You know a sport has really made it when kids barely out of school start “writing” biographies. With plenty of pulp on the bookshelves from the likes of Rooney I have to admit to feeling somewhat ambivalent when I received a copy of Cavendish’s new book, “Boy Racer” as a birthday present recently. At the same time I purchased a copy of William Fotheringham’s new book about Fausto Coppi, the legendary Italian cyclist. In theory, this ought to appeal to me much more being a historical (and nostalgic) look at a classic period of cycling history.
I don’t normally put book reviews on this blog as I use Shelfari for this purpose, however, it might make a change from a description of my latest epic training ride; so, here goes.
You would be hard pressed to find to such contrasting riders as Cavendish and Coppi. One is a bundle of nervous energy, brash almost arrogant and only ever wins from the whirlwind of a bunch sprint. The other usually won through his effortless and metronomic pedalling style and his ability to simply ride harder and harder until everyone dropped off his wheel. Some of his Tour solo breakaways are the stuff of legend. In most ways it is an unfair comparison as Cavendish would win in a sprint against Coppi everytime, yet in most circumstances, except on the flattest of stages it would be most unlikely for Cav to get anywhere near the Italian.
I confess I found Cavendish’s book surprisingly enjoyable. It is ghost written by Daniel Friebe and he has done a commendable job in retaining Cav’s blunt voice and opinions some of which are distinctly heretical as far as British Cycling are concerned making you wonder if he ever will pull on a Sky Team jersey (Ican’t see it myself). Also covered is the Olympic Madison controversy and, as an epilogue, his Milan-San Remo win. Cav is rapidly heading towards superstar status in the UK and this enjoyable read is definitely worthy of your attention.
I own both of William Fotheringham’s previous cycling books (his biography of Tom Simpson which is refreshingly honest and lacking rosy tints, and his overview of British riders in the Tour de France, which, incidentally, puts Cavendish’s recent achievements into a useful historical context). I enjoyed both books immensely and hoped that this would be a worthy follow-up.
Coppi’s career spanned the Second World War and the book paints a superb picture of what it must have been like cycling on the ravaged roads of post war Europe. It also reveals some of the surprisingly modern training techniques used by Coppi as advised by his legendary blind soigneur, Cavanna without being shy of discussing the use of amphetamines by pro cyclists of that era. Post war Europe was flooded with amphetamine tablets that had been used widely by aircrew and other forces during the conflict and there was much less of the secrecy and dishonour surrounding the use of performance enhancers. Perhaps the book is at its best when discussing the huge controversy surrounding Coppi’s abandonment of his wife for the alleged “golddigger,” the “White Lady”. The conflict between church, society and a private individual played out in the media presents a foretaste of the kind of intense media scrutiny that celebrities and sports stars can expect today.
If I have a criticism of the book it is the lack of a “palmares” (career list of results) for Coppi which would have been useful. Quibble aside, it is an esential read for anyone interested in cycling history.
Amazon Links
Fallen Angel: The Passion of Fausto Coppi
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