Sunshine and Light

Lance Armstrong’s War by Daniel Coyle

This is one I read this summer...

Background du jour – I’m a cyclist, or was one for years. Of late I’ve discovered the joys of not fighting the traffic in my very bike unfriendly town, and did you know that when you aren’t riding 10 hours of week, you can actually do other things? But I still love watching the spring racing classics, the TdF, and, of course, my husband’s cyclocross races.

For those not so blessed with cycling experience or even cycling interest, this is still a quick, fun read. Everyone has heard of Lance Armstrong – one of the few to transcend a fringe sport in America. This gives a rare insight into the world of cycling that is actually understandable to anyone who’s not really sure what all of those odd jersey colors really mean in the TdF. Coyle does a fabulous job of explaining just enough to put everything in context, but not so much to confuse the beginner and bore the tifosi. (Italian for "fan") But for those of us who are immersed in cycling, this is like gossip central, and high entertainment to boot. We LOVE finding out that our favorite lieutenant, Floyd Landis, trained in the middle of the night because his parents flogged him with work. They were hoping to shake him out of the silliness of riding his bike for a living. I personally enjoyed reading about the gutsiness of my favorite rider, Tyler Hamilton, no matter how sadly that story ended. And of course, the little stuff about Lance’s day to day training and habits will be having my spandex-sporting brothers and sisters obsessing for years.

Daniel Coyle's writing style is classic "Outside" magazine - an easy read for those not so immersed in the sport, lots of info for those who are. It's a fine line to walk, but he does it well.

If you like sports at all, this is a good read. If you like cycling in particular, this is a fantastic read. It’s not going to change the world, but it’s a quick, fun time.

Labels: Books

posted by MyHusbandRules @ 5:55 PM