Product Description

For twenty-three days in July 2004, an enthralled global audience watched Lance Armstrong battle to victory in the Tour de France. Armstrong had pledged to win a record-breaking sixth consecutive Tour; a feat no one had achieved in the event’s 100-year lifetime. But with stiff competition from Jan ‘the Kaiser’ Ullrich and others his success was by no means guaranteed.

The resulting Tour was riveting as, following a nervous opening week of multiple crashes, Armstrong bulldozed his way to the lead. But the American cyclist is no stranger to single-minded determination. After being diagnosed with cancer in 1996, it took only 518 days before he was back racing, revealing the mental resources that make him a cycling legend.

Veteran cycling writer John Wilcockson uses his intimate knowledge of the participants and interviews with the major players to tell the human side of the Tour from the perspective of the principal contenders. His vivid description of life inside the most challenging and popular sports event in the world draws on an unparalleled knowledge of the Tour. (20041001)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #83261 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Irish Times
‘Captures the thrill of a race persistently immersed in controversy and rumour.'

Review
'A must-read for all cycling fans.' (BBC Sport )

‘From cancer to cycling superman: is this the greatest story in modern sport?’ (Guardian )

'Sport is about the assertion of the will and that makes Armstrong the greatest athlete practising his trade' (The Times )

‘Captures the thrill of a race persistently immersed in controversy and rumour.’ (Irish Times )

'Fascinating ... Wilcockson manages to penetrate the psychological depths of the race's stars.' (British Cycling )

Guardian
‘From cancer to cycling superman: is this the greatest story in modern sport?'

Customer Reviews

Thrilling 'edge of the saddle' ride through Lance's '04 Tour
I'm no Tour de France afficionado but '23 Days in July' had me hooked. Breakneck time trials and devastating roadside pile ups play out against a shady backdrop of 'doping' whispering campaigns. I learnt that the Tour is way more than a sport. It's an incredible drama of human interaction (sometimes a matter of life and death). Each team leader asks for total, selfless support from his team of 'domestiques'. And when anyone takes a personal risk it threatens the whole group as in those tightly packed 'peletons' one skid can cause a huge crash.

It's no wonder Lance Armstrong won. Grit and self-belief is just as essential as fitness and, having fought off cancer, Lance has buckets of both. But '23 Days' shows Lance is not some automaton. The author is friendly with Lance and other competitors and his insider interviews really reveal their human sides. He also conveys the nail-biting excitement of a race in which anything could happen and where the tension keeps on mounting for 23 whole days!

The Time Of Your Life
Lance Armstrong won his sixth Tour de France in "23 Days in July". John Wilcockson, well known cycle sports writer has given us the story of these days. Drawn up in yellow, red and purples, the colors of the Alps and Pyrenees. We are allowed a visit into the most famous cycle race in the world Le Tour De France.

John Wilcockson has written a masterly tale of life on the road, so to speak, of five of the most competitive cyclists in the business. There is Lance Armstrong, the American with the story of testicular cancer who becomes obsessed with cycling and goes on to win six yellow jerseys of the Le Tour. He overcomes all he needs to in his life to make this win. Jan Ulrich, the German, who has the best chance of anyone to overcome Armstrong and win Le Tour. Ivan Basso, who proves that He has what it takes and is the man to watch in the future. Tyler Hamilton, the young American, who is one of the better cyclists from the States- he has a young team, but he has a chance to win. And, Iban Mayo, who reaches out to try and make this Tour his to lose. These are the stories of the men and women and the people who make the race. There are interviews with Chris Carmichael, Lance Armstrong's coach, and the man who builds winners. An interview with the tour director, Jean-Marie Leblanc, who brings understanding to the role of the French. We feel the majesty of the Alps, the sameness of some of the hotels, the day to day crunching and moving on and the excitement of those days of Le Tour. The doping scandal is addressed and it is not glossed over. John Wilcockson takes to task everyone who has a questionable reputation. The pre-cycle preparation and the lives and loves of those who participate. I thought I had a fairly good knowledge of the Le Tour, but I really felt I have come to know the lives of those who participatd in the tour by reading this book.

John Wilcockson has been writing about cycle life for over thirty years. He has written several books about cycling. He goes to the head of the class with this book. Highly recommended. prisrob

Major Disappointment
I'm not usually this down on a book, but in my opinionated opinion, my feelings are warranted with this one.

After reading 'It's Not About the Bike' (BIKE) and 'Lance Armstrong's War' (WAR) I was keen to dig even deeper into the wonderfully operatic, entirely melodramatic world of professional cycling. Sadly, this book doesn't deliver.

I read about half of it, tried to force myself to skim that last half, then tossed it. Was thinking of donating it to our local library, but decided to recycle it instead. Delighted it's out of print while BIKE and WAR are not.

Biggest criticisms:

ONE: It appears the author had BIKE and WAR open on his desk. He steals liberally from them, only, to avoid plagiarism, waters the great stories down.

TWO: Although the author is touted as following the Tour for decades, his passion for the sport is...? Well, it's nonexistent. Anyone who repeatedly calls the peloton either 'the pack' or 'the group' shouldn't be writing books about The Tour.

THREE: This is a shallow book. In BIKE you get a vivid, internal presentation of Lance. In WAR you get the penetrating eye of a passionate investigative reporter. In 23 DAYS you get 'Lance pandering.' Lance is a great leader. Lance told his men what to do. Of course Lance would never do drugs. Ultimately it's just boring. Lance, like other human beings, is more complex than this.

FOUR: If WAR was written by an investigative reported, 23 DAYS was written by a student writing formulaically. 23 days, 23 chapters. The days off are awful as we learn about the author's infected thumb. Writing strategy: Lift what you can from BIKE and WAR; Google the towns the Tour passes through and throw in a little watered-down history; toss in a few meaningless conversations (that, strangely, indicate lack of access to the riders); etc.

FIVE: This book adds nothing new. Well, I did learn that some folks call the peloton 'the pack' and 'the group.'

Again, hugely disappointing. A waste of money and a waste of valuable reading time. Much better books are out there covering the very same material and time frame.

Dr. Kirtland Peterson