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Riding With The Rocketmen

One Man's Journey on the Shoulders of Cycling Giants

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Riding With The Rocketmen

By: James Witts
Narrated by: David Thorpe
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Bloomsbury presents Riding With The Rocketmen by James Witts, read by David Thorpe.

'Humble and very funny' – Ned Boulting

'Essential reading for any Étape rider' – Daniel Friebe, co-host of The Cyclist Podcast

An Everyman dropped into the world of Supermen... Can this amateur cyclist complete L'Étape du Tour?

Tadej Pogacar has 7% body fat, Chris Froome’s resting heart rate is 30bpm, Mark Cavendish reaches sprint speeds of over 50mph. They’re super-human cyclists who ride 3,500km over 21 stages across the Alps and Pyrenees as a matter of course.

James Witts is 45 years old, fatty deposits have begun to nestle on his back and he has a penchant for craft ale. He also rides a little. But not a lot. In his job as cycling journalist, however, he does have unparalleled access to the world’s best riders and their expert support staff.

Which got him thinking: could spending time with the pros, discovering the training, gear and nutritional tricks of the trade, transform this back-of-the-pack sportive straggler into a fit-and-fast frontrunner?

In this entertaining and warm-hearted tale, Witts gains access to the world’s greatest teams and riders to reveal the tricks of the trade. Follow along as he trains, rides and eats using the regimes of the planet's toughest athletes, to conquer a stage of the Tour de France.

Will he sacrifice the pub for stamina-boosting beetroot juice? Can an altitude mask really send his performance soaring? And will his ego cope with a drag-cutting, little-left-to-the-imagination skinsuit?©2023 James Witts (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Cycling Relationships Sports Writing Sports Heartfelt Extreme Sports
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Critic reviews

Humble, very funny, and full of detail.
Essential reading for any Étape rider.
Informative yet amusing, exhaustive yet entertaining, James Witts’ latest cycling tome has much to recommend for both casual cycling fans and grizzled racers alike.
Required reading for anyone who is at that stage in life where their waistline is becoming as concerning as their balding head, and who need a bit of motivation to just get out and do the thing they keep saying they'd love to do.
James's plan to learn how the pros do it and then apply it to his own goal of riding the Étape is educational, informative and entertaining. The education and information come from his in-depth research; the entertainment comes on the day of the Étape.
Entertaining and useful guide
An entertaining read ... it also offers insight into the latest thinking in sports science ... Its real value is how those lessons, learned with great care and expense, can have their principles applied to improve the cycling performance of enthusiastic amateurs.
Recommended for both casual cycling fans and grizzled racers alike.
All stars
Most relevant
Provided you can get over the pronunciation catastrophes this book is excellent, and well read, such an easy listen.

An excellent book well read

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Many mispronunciations by the narrator but if you can get over that he’s actually really good, interesting and entertaining book, I even picked up a few training tips from it

Good book

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Great insight into the world of cycling and the difference from Amateur and professional.
Detail around each each section of programmes and reviewing which one would actually benefit amateur

Interesting and thought provoking

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The book is great I have already recommended it to a few people I know who cycle. It’s got lots of great info around the journey to the event and is a funny listen. The person who narrates I feel has never watched cycling some of the ways of pronouncing even Rob Hatch may question. But it just becomes part of the enjoyment.

We have all been there when it does not quite work or you do something daft and it’s all in here. Well done James for putting this together.

Have a challenge coming up on a bike this is for you

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I was really looking forward to this book based on the reviews and the fact I like cycling..I listened to the whole book but found myself dropping off to sleep on many occasions. There were interesting passages but a lot of boring technical detail which I did not find interesting

Not as enjoyable as I was expecting

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