The Tour de France: the good, the bad and the just plain weird

The Tour de France, the annual travelling circus that for more than a century has been the ultimate test of sporting endurance is an event full of highs and lows. Pain, deaths and horrific injuries. Joy, excitement and unbelievable achievements. Cheating, doping and scandals of every kind. From the Alpe d'Huez to the streets of Paris, as the peletons cycle their way around France the athletes have always been set the greatest of challenges. But how does it all work, who are the good guys and the bad, and why do many fail? For the millions of people who watch the Tour de France every year, the tactics can be something of a mystery: cyclists drop in and out of the lead, sprinters disappear only to reappear to win the stage, mountains destroy some riders and make others stars. It's the greatest show on two wheels. And Paul Hansford clarifies just what is going on and why. We learn the ins and outs of the language used, the people who have made it great, the current crop of potential winners a and those that have brought it into disrepute. It is an insider's view, essential for any Tour de France follower.