Andy McGrath - Böcker

A lavish, illustrated companion to the Tour de France that makes for the perfect gift for any cycling fan.The Official History of the Tour de France - fully revised and updated for 2025 - is a celebration of one of the greatest annual sporting events on the planet, and the premier competition in world cycling.Through more than 300 photographs, rarely seen documents and items of memorabilia, this book covers more than a century of fascinating stories about the Tour and its many iconic features, from the gruelling challenges of its mountain climbs to its unmistakable yellow jersey.This revised and updated edition includes an authoritative narrative account of each major era, from the origins of the event in the early 20th century, right up to and including the thrilling 2024 Tour. There are features on superstar cyclists and memorable moments from each period of the Tour's rich history, plus a foreword from legendary Tour de France champion Bernard Hinault. A must-read for cycling fans everywhere, this is the definitive illustrated book on the Tour.

'Covers Pogi’s meteoric rise, his victories and rivalries, while revealing more about the character behind the sporting domination' CYCLIST'Excellent' DAVID WALSH, TWO-TIME WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR WINNER'Fascinating... draws on multiple sources to explain how the Slovenian became the best cyclist of his generation' THE TIMESTHE FIRST MAJOR BIOGRAPHY OF THE MODERN ERA’S GREATEST CYCLIST, WRITTEN BY WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST.Tadej Pogacar is not like any other professional cyclist. The Slovenian is a sporting phenomenon. He won almost everything there is to win in bike racing, has done so with breathtaking audacity and style – and all by the age of 26.This comprehensive biography follows his meteoric rise to the top, recounts his greatest race wins and rivalries, and reveals the character, motivation and skills that have led to his domination of elite cycling. Experienced cycling journalist Andy McGrath has documented the versatile superstar’s development from his victory in the Tour de l’Avenir in 2018 to his Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Il Lombardia and Tour of Flanders successes and his historic 2024 season, when he won cycling’s prestigious triple crown of the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the World Championship road race. His victories include four Tours de France (2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025).McGrath explores how this diminutive child from a small, mountainous nation of Slovenia first took up the sport, his emerging talent as a teenager and the role played by his UAE Team Emirates-XRG coaches and management. He also gets the inside story from those close to him, trusted teammates and fierce adversaries. It is not only what Pogacar has won, but the manner in which he wins that also makes him so unique and popular. McGrath gets to the very heart of the cycling phenomenon that is ‘Pogi’ – and the fascinating young man behind the runaway success story.

•SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD••A SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE TIMES AND THE GUARDIAN•The remarkable untold story of the mercurial cycling prodigy Frank Vandenbroucke, written by William Hill award-winning author Andy McGrath.They called him God. For his grace on a bicycle, for his divine talent, for his heavenly looks. Frank Vandenbroucke had it all, and in the late Nineties he raced with dazzling speed and lived even faster.The Belgian won several of cycling's most illustrious races, including Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Paris-Nice and Ghent-Wevelgem. He was a mix of poise and panache who enthralled a generation of cycling fans. Off the bike, he only had one enemy - himself.Vandenbroucke dabbled in nocturnal party sessions mixing sleeping pills and alcohol and regularly fell out with team managers. By 1999 his team had suspended him and this proved to be the start of a long, eventful fall from grace. Depression, a drug ban, addiction, car crashes, divorce and countless court appearances subsumed his life. He threatened his wife with a gun. He tried to commit suicide twice. And when police found performance-enhancing drugs at his house, Vandenbroucke said they were for his dog.It seemed he had finally learned from his mistakes. Then, on 12 October 2009, aged just 34, Vandenbroucke was found dead in a hotel room in Senegal.Guided by exclusive contributions from his family, friends and team-mates, William Hill award-winning author Andy McGrath lays bare Vandenbroucke's chaotic, complicated life and times. God is Dead is the remarkable biography of this mercurial cycling prodigy.

'Covers Pogi’s meteoric rise, his victories and rivalries, while revealing more about the character behind the sporting domination' CYCLIST'Excellent' DAVID WALSH, TWO-TIME WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR WINNER'Fascinating... draws on multiple sources to explain how the Slovenian became the best cyclist of his generation' THE TIMESTHE FIRST MAJOR BIOGRAPHY OF THE MODERN ERA’S GREATEST CYCLIST, WRITTEN BY WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST.Tadej Pogacar is not like any other professional cyclist. The Slovenian is a sporting phenomenon. He won almost everything there is to win in bike racing, has done so with breathtaking audacity and style – and all by the age of 26.This comprehensive biography follows his meteoric rise to the top, recounts his greatest race wins and rivalries, and reveals the character, motivation and skills that have led to his domination of elite cycling. Experienced cycling journalist Andy McGrath has documented the versatile superstar’s development from his victory in the Tour de l’Avenir in 2018 to his Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Il Lombardia and Tour of Flanders successes and his historic 2024 season, when he won cycling’s prestigious triple crown of the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the World Championship road race. His victories include four Tours de France (2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025).McGrath explores how this diminutive child from a small, mountainous nation of Slovenia first took up the sport, his emerging talent as a teenager and the role played by his UAE Team Emirates-XRG coaches and management. He also gets the inside story from those close to him, trusted teammates and fierce adversaries. It is not only what Pogacar has won, but the manner in which he wins that also makes him so unique and popular. McGrath gets to the very heart of the cycling phenomenon that is ‘Pogi’ – and the fascinating young man behind the runaway success story.

'Covers Pogi’s meteoric rise, his victories and rivalries, while revealing more about the character behind the sporting domination' CYCLIST'Excellent' DAVID WALSH, TWO-TIME WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR WINNER'Fascinating... draws on multiple sources to explain how the Slovenian became the best cyclist of his generation' THE TIMESTHE FIRST MAJOR BIOGRAPHY OF THE MODERN ERA’S GREATEST CYCLIST, WRITTEN BY WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST.Tadej Pogacar is not like any other professional cyclist. The Slovenian is a sporting phenomenon. He won almost everything there is to win in bike racing, has done so with breathtaking audacity and style – and all by the age of 26.This comprehensive biography follows his meteoric rise to the top, recounts his greatest race wins and rivalries, and reveals the character, motivation and skills that have led to his domination of elite cycling. Experienced cycling journalist Andy McGrath has documented the versatile superstar’s development from his victory in the Tour de l’Avenir in 2018 to his Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Il Lombardia and Tour of Flanders successes and his historic 2024 season, when he won cycling’s prestigious triple crown of the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the World Championship road race. His victories include four Tours de France (2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025).McGrath explores how this diminutive child from a small, mountainous nation of Slovenia first took up the sport, his emerging talent as a teenager and the role played by his UAE Team Emirates-XRG coaches and management. He also gets the inside story from those close to him, trusted teammates and fierce adversaries. It is not only what Pogacar has won, but the manner in which he wins that also makes him so unique and popular. McGrath gets to the very heart of the cycling phenomenon that is ‘Pogi’ – and the fascinating young man behind the runaway success story.

The Official History of the Tour de France – fully revised and updated for 2023 – is a celebration of one of the greatest annual sporting events, and the premier competition in world cycling.Through more than 300 photographs, rarely seen documents and items of memorabilia, this book covers more than a century of fascinating stories about the Tour and its iconic yellow jersey.This revised and updated edition includes an authoritative narrative account of each major era, up to and including the thrilling 2022 Tour. There are features on superstar cyclists and memorable moments from each period of the event's rich history, plus a foreword from legendary Tour de France champion Bernard Hinault. This is the definitive illustrated book on the Tour.