Jean-Paul Vespini The Tour Is Won on the Alpe

Twenty-one switchbacks. A narrow ribbon of road stretching relentlessly skyward at an average grade of 8.1 percent. A finish line in thin air more than a mile high. Nearly every July, in France’s torrid summer heat, the greatest cyclists in the world confront the defiant peaks of Alpe d’Huez. It’s a monster of a mountain that has become a legendary rite of passage for every racer in the Tour de France. In The Tour Is Won on the Alpe, veteran journalist Jean-Paul Vespini recounts the history of this fearsome challenge and the mountain that has become the ultimate arbiter of cycling’s biggest prize. Each chapter in his tightly told tale covers one ascent, starting with Fausto Coppi’s inaugural victory in 1952. The sport’s most famous names and epic rivalries are all present and accounted for: Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indur‡in, Marco Pantani, and of course the American greats Greg LeMond, Andy Hampsten and two-time Alpe stage winner Lance Armstrong. The Tour would not be the Tour without the Alpe. And in The Tour Is Won on the Alpe, the spirit and the magic of cycling’s toughest test is fully told. It is an unforgettable story that will be treasured by every fan of the world’s most magnificent sport.

PRODUCT CONDITION

This item is in New Condition, however the original packaging may be dirty, damaged, or missing due to storage and shipping.

TECH SPECS

– Written by Jean-Paul Vespini
– Binding is Paperback color interior with illustrations
– Size: 6″ x 9″
– Pages: 256 pp.
– ISBN: 9781934030233