​9 Books About the Tour de France That Every Cyclist Should Read

If you think the Tour is exciting now, imagine its wilder beginnings, with 60 amateur cyclists pitted against each other and very few rules to break. It would be tough to invent a more madcap cast of characters as those early racers, who for three weeks cheated and swindled their way across the rutted old roads of France on heavy, fixed-gear bikes. Peter Cossins’ new book is a colorful journey through the uncertain early days of the race that became a beloved institution.

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Want to know how Chris Froome stops a bonk on the Alpe d’Huez? Or how Team Sky fuels up before a Tour stage? This guide from the head of nutrition at Cannondale-Drapac not only helps you plan what to eat on and off the bike but also gives you a peek into the meal plans of the Grand Tour pros. Inside you’ll find pro rider anecdotes, recipes, and meal plans to help power your own ride life.

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This novel poetically reimagines the true story of the Ravat-Wonder cycling team, an Australian and Kiwi team that in 1928 became the first English-speaking peloton to compete in the Tour de France. The story is told from the perspective of one fictional rider, who slips back and forth between his suffering on the bike and meditating on his past and the traumas of the first World War.

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A jersey is just an article of clothing, but it can also be so much more than that—particularly when it comes to the yellow, green, polka-dot, and white of the Tour de France. Through colorful photos and insightful text, this volume celebrates the functional and mythological beauty of those stretchy shirts we wear when we ride—from the simple, early days to the higher-tech present, including the jerseys of the Tour.

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The Tour de France’s most famous peak is the focus of this book, which includes conversations with former yellow jersey wearers Lance Armstrong and Eddy Merckx on what makes “the killer mountain” such a fabled and terrifying climb.

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From the Grand Départ to the Champs-Élysées, every year cyclists from all over the world try to tackle the entire Tour route in a three-week span to share in the challenges of the Tour. This travelogue tells the story of one woman’s epic adventure riding all 21 stages, with all the triumphs and tribulations that riding 2,200 miles in 23 days entails.

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Three-time Tour de France victor Chris Froome tells his unlikely story of growing up in Kenya and entering professional cycling as a climbing specialist in South Africa, before later joining Team Sky and becoming one of the most decorated pros of his generation. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to develop the resilience needed to rise from humble beginnings and win multiple Grand Tours, this book belongs on your shelf.

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To this day Lemond is celebrated as the United States’ first and only official Tour de France winner. This definitive volume documents his year-by-year progress from those early days as a promising junior rider to his later Tour triumphs and recovery from a near-death experience.

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Former pro Jens Voigt is beloved in cycling for many good reasons—he’s tireless, he’s funny, and he’s candid, to name just a few. “Shut Up, Legs” gives readers a glimpse of the man behind the titular catchphrase, from his childhood in East Germany to his race life staying clean through the doping era.

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