Recommended Reading

"Steven L. Sheffield" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"A Significant Other: Riding the Centenary Tour de France" by Matt
Rendell.

This is the story of Victor Hugo Peña, who was part of Lance Armstrong's
2003 Tour de France team. It's nice to read a story of the tour from the
perspective of a domestique, rather than from the star.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0753818744/veluninc/ (PB) - $ 9.95
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0297847163/veluninc/ (HC) - $17.95

Matt Rendell also wrote a great book on Colombian climbers ...

"Kings of the Mountains: How Colombia's Cycling Heroes Changed Their
Nation's History"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1854109111/veluninc/ (PB) - $10.19
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AISN/1854108379/veluninc/ (HC) - $19.79

Another great companion book is Owen Mulholland's "Uphill Battle:
Cycling's
Great Climbers"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931382123/veluninc/ (HC) - $19.77

And (not having read it) it's nice to read about the Tour without reading
about doping.

--
"It's not the critic who counts. Not the man who points out where the
strong man stumbled or where the doer of great deeds could have done them
better. The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena. Whose face is
marred by dust and sweat and blood. Who strives valiantly, who errs and
comes up short again and again. And who, while daring greatly, spends
himself in a worthy cause so that his place may not be among those cold and
timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
-- Theodore Roosevelt

http://spaces.msn.com/members/flomblog/

Steven L. Sheffield said:

"A Significant Other: Riding the Centenary Tour de France" by Matt
Rendell.

This is the story of Victor Hugo Peña, who was part of Lance
Armstrong's 2003 Tour de France team. It's nice to read a story of
the tour from the perspective of a domestique, rather than from the
star.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0753818744/veluninc/ (PB) - $
9.95 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0297847163/veluninc/ (HC)
- $17.95

Matt Rendell also wrote a great book on Colombian climbers ...

"Kings of the Mountains: How Colombia's Cycling Heroes Changed Their
Nation's History"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1854109111/veluninc/ (PB) -
$10.19 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AISN/1854108379/veluninc/
(HC) - $19.79

Thanks for reminding me of Penas story. I've just phoned my local bookstore
and they've put a copy by for me.
Will take it to the Vuelta with me ( off on Thursday-Yipee!!!) and hopefully
get Victot Hugo to sign it for me.

Jan

Thanks for the heads up. I added that book to my Wish List.

-Ken

"This is the story of Victor Hugo Peña, who was part of Lance
Armstrong's 2003 Tour de France team. It's nice to read a story of the
tour from the perspective of a domestique..."

k.papai said:

Thanks for the heads up. I added that book to my Wish List.

Ken,
You can have my copy. I hated it...

"Ken,
You can have my copy. I hated it... "

I'll await Sheffield's review first then before I commit to buying it
from you.
But, since I am a completist, I'll likely want it anyway.
-Ken

Stu Fleming said:

k.papai said:

Thanks for the heads up. I added that book to my Wish List.

Ken,
You can have my copy. I hated it...

I did a speed read standing in the stacks yesterday and though it was
interesting, it's not worth the 12 bucks. Every other chapter is by the
'author' alternating with VHPena's commentary. As one poster noted there's
a lot of Tour history which can be obtained elsewhere.

Now Pena's commentary is interesting, and gives the unique viewpoint of a
domestique, it's not, uh, breath-taking <g>, shall we say.

It is interesting to get some backstory on the Tour. What we see on OLN is
a big glossy view and sometimes that obscures how hard the race is, how
much the riders suffer and all that.

I'm having much more fun reading the '23 days...' book which has recently
come out in paperback. FWIW. ;-)

-jet

Jan said:

Steven L. Sheffield said:

"A Significant Other: Riding the Centenary Tour de France" by Matt
Rendell.

This is the story of Victor Hugo Peña, who was part of Lance
Armstrong's 2003 Tour de France team. It's nice to read a story of
the tour from the perspective of a domestique, rather than from the
star.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0753818744/veluninc/ (PB) - $
9.95 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0297847163/veluninc/ (HC)
- $17.95

Matt Rendell also wrote a great book on Colombian climbers ...

"Kings of the Mountains: How Colombia's Cycling Heroes Changed Their
Nation's History"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1854109111/veluninc/ (PB) -
$10.19 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AISN/1854108379/veluninc/
(HC) - $19.79

Thanks for reminding me of Penas story. I've just phoned my local
bookstore and they've put a copy by for me.
Will take it to the Vuelta with me ( off on Thursday-Yipee!!!) and
hopefully get Victot Hugo to sign it for me.

Jan

Arrived back from Spain yesterday, we also stayed out for the World
Championships, then had a holiday.
I took the book with me and Pena (very affable chap) did indeed sign my
copy.

Jan