Kings of the Road : A Journey Into the Heart of British Cycling

Amateur cycling in the UK has never been so popular and the interest is ever growing. In the wake of Bradley Wiggins' success in the 2012 Tour de France, sportives (non-competitive cycling events) attracted more than 75,000 entrants while competitive events doubled that figure. In Kings of the Road, Robert Dineen explores this cultural shift through his own attempt on the most iconic sportive of all, the Étape du Tour. Regarded as the pinnacle of amateur cycling, the Étape follows the route of the torturous stage 18 of the 2014 Tour de France – Pau to Hautacam, taking in the killer climb of the Tourmalet. This personal challenge will be offset against the backdrop of the sport's history, professional and amateur, by dramatizing its defining moments over the past 150 years and profiling (where possible) its most compelling and influential personalities. British cycling has had a tumultuous history, from the bizarre ban on road racing in the first half of the 20th Century to the sport's golden era after the Second World War and on to its dramatic decline in the 1960s and beyond. Over the past decade, however, it has undergone a dramatic resurgence in which elite British cyclists have become among the best in the world and millions of Britons have taken up the sport. In Kings of the Road, Robert Dineen charts these developments by meeting neglected heroes from each generation of British cycling. As he becomes immersed in the sport, he also charts his own experiences on the club scene while preparing for the Etape du Tour, the sportive regarded as the ultimate challenge for the amateur cyclist. The result is a unique look at British cycling’s past, its present and where it might be headed. In this unique study of British cycling, Robert Dineen combines his experiences on the club scene with exclusive interviews with some of the most fascinating characters the sport has known. The result is a book that serves as both a thrilling history of the sport and an entertaining insight into its incredible renaissance. In Kings of the Road, Robert Dineen explores the Etape du Tour. Regarded as the pinnacle of amateur cycling, the Etape follows the route of the torturous stage 18 of the 2014 Tour de France - Pau to Hautacam, taking in the killer climb of the Tourmalet