First published 2005
Lance Armstrong pedals through the streets of France in July 2004, chasing cycling history. No rider has ever won six Tour de France titles in the race's century-long existence. Armstrong faces 2,100 miles of French roads that will test every muscle and nerve over twenty-three brutal days. Four determined challengers want to stop him, led by Jan Ullrich, Germany's former champion known as The Kaiser. The peloton speeds across smooth pavement and bone-jarring cobblestones before climbing into the mountains where careers die and legends are born. Armstrong must survive each stage while his rivals plot to break him. The yellow jersey awaits the survivor of this three-week war of attrition. Every pedal stroke brings Armstrong closer to immortality or crushing defeat.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, sports, 21st-century, cycling, bicycles
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: against-all-odds, underdog
Setting: France
Period: 2004
344 pages · Paperback · Da Capo Press