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How the Race Was Won

Cycling's Top Minds Reveal the Road to Victory

Published by VeloPress
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

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About The Book

Great cyclists are born, but winning cyclists are made by the brains of their managers. The craft of racing requires a non-stop obsession with detail: watching rivals, judging the strength of a break, knowing the course, and picking the right moment to seize a fleeting opportunity and turn it into a big win.

How the Race Was Won investigates the fine details of bicycle racing through extensive interviews with the sport’s brightest minds. Author Peter Cossins has interrogated the riders, managers, and directors who have shaped the sport, and reveals how they learned to navigate the invisible undercurrent that sweeps their riders to the finish line.

From the moment when George Pilkington Mills was paced to victory by a wily teammate in the 1891 edition of Bordeaux–Paris to Chris Froome’s modern emphasis on marginal gains, How the Race Was Won embraces the full sweep of cycling history, making stops along the way to analyze how tactics first evolved and how today’s winning minds continue to build on what came before.

Behind every great cyclist is a race wizard reading the race, watching the rivals, outwitting the competition, and anticipating the one perfect moment to launch a rider to victory. How the Race Was Won is a thrilling and unprecedented look at how victory is won, how rivals are vanquished, and how pure speed can only prevail when supported by deep brainpower.

About The Author

Peter Cossins is a veteran sports writer who has covered cycling since 1993. A former editor and contributing editor at Procycling magazine, he has also contributed to the Guardian, The Times, the Sunday Telegraph, the Sunday Express, and the Sunday Herald. Cossins collaborated with Tour de France winner Stephen Roche on his autobiography, Born to Ride. He has also written Le Tour 100, The Monuments, Two Days in Yorkshire, Alpe d’Huez, and Ultimate Etapes.

Product Details

  • Publisher: VeloPress (November 27, 2018)
  • Length: 256 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781937715861

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Raves and Reviews

Praise for Books by Peter Cossins

The First Tour de France: Sixty Cyclists and Nineteen Days of Daring on the Road to Paris


“A book that will entertain everyonefrom those casually interested in an adventure tale to avid sports enthusiasts.”

Galveston County Daily News

“Essential . . . The First Tour de France takes you back to the race itself. Cossins produces a deeply researched and detailed description of the race that toggles between background information on the race’s organization and the individual stages, with long stretches of real-time-style stage reporting one chapter at a time. The effect of this, especially the latter, is soaring.”

Podium Café

Ultimate Etapes: Ride Europe’s Greatest Cycling Stages

Ultimate Étapes has Europe’s best rides . . . stunning.”

Coach

“Had me drooling, brainstorming, and note-taking throughout . . . made me want to drop everything and visit [the] particular region with my bike.”

Podium Café

The Monuments: The Grit and the Glory of Cycling’s Greatest One-Day Races

“In this new book from Peter Cossins, each race is given its due including history, anecdotes, and legendary performances.”

Bicycling

“Peter Cossins is an engaging writer whose conversational style makes this an effortless yet interesting read. The cozy tone delivers a great deal with a good balance of history and anecdotes. If you wish to explore cycling beyond the Grand Tours this is the book.”

Carlton Kirby

Butcher, Blacksmith, Acrobat, Sweep: The Tale of the First Tour de France

“Enthralling . . . Full of outlandish characters and ripping yarns, it makes for a cracking good read.”

Bikes Etc.

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