23 Days in July: Inside the Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's Record-Breaking Victory (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Armstrong's record sixth Tour de France victory didn't cause much of a stir in the U.S., but Wilcockson's account shows why the "Tour has always fascinated writers," even if it hasn't always captured the attention of Americans. The author, whose work has appeared in the New York Times, draws on conversations with Armstrong, his race team and his challengers before, during and after the race for an intimate glimpse of this particular world's friendships, rivalries and scandals. The resulting portrait of Armstrong, from his recovery from cancer to his exhausting training methods, unmatched physical strength and mental toughness, is that of a newly single dad, with no memories of his own father, and a sporting "legend." The book's structure, with its day-by-day account of the Tour, allows readers to appreciate what an arduous undertaking the race is. As the race revisits stages and locations from previous Tours, Wilcockson smartly looks back at some of the Tour's great moments and explores how it has changed because of its recent "Lance-ification." While Wilcockson mostly celebrates Armstrong and the Tour, he doesn't shy away from the doping scandals and accusations that have haunted both Armstrong and the race over the years, and he does give Armstrong a chance to answer his critics. A thorough appendix further explaining cycling's subtle intricacies ends this well-crafted book. Map, photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Literate and insightful ...well-researched and entertaining...a lively account...personal and replete with 24-carat inside information." -- International Herald Tribune6/27/05

"More than just a day-by-day accounts of the Tour de France...engaging nuggets of history...vivid descriptions of the geography." -- BicyleRadio.com6/27/05

"Wilcockson is one of the top cycling writers... He puts that experience to good use." -- Austin American-Statesman 7/1/05

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Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (June 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306814552
• ISBN-13: 978-0306814556
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #723,681 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great tale, and then some, January 18, 2005

By	Andrew Kent (Westborough, MA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: 23 Days In July: Inside Lance Armstrong's Record-breaking Tour De France Victory (Hardcover)

I was expecting a blow-by-blow account of the 2004 Tour, and that's certainly in here, but there is much more here, as well. The behind-the-scenes stuff, the elaboration around major recent cycling events, the history seamlessly interweaving into the present, and the profiles of riders both famous and obscure combine to place this book at the HC level of cycling journalism. Wilcockson deserves a lot of credit for getting out something this good so quickly after the event. In book publishing, that's tough. Because he's reaching for a broad audience, there is a sentence here and there explaining things that most cyclists know. No problem. It's a great book. If you're a cycling fan, get it.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Time Of Your Life , January 14, 2005

By	prisrob "pris," (New EnglandUSA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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This review is from: 23 Days In July: Inside Lance Armstrong's Record-breaking Tour De France Victory (Hardcover)

Lance Armstrong won his sixth Tour de France in "23 Days in July". John Wilcockson, well known cycle sports writer has given us the story of these days. Drawn up in yellow, red and purples, the colors of the Alps and Pyrenees. We are allowed a visit into the most famous cycle race in the world Le Tour De France.

John Wilcockson has written a masterly tale of life on the road, so to speak, of five of the most competitive cyclists in the business. There is Lance Armstrong, the American with the story of testicular cancer who becomes obsessed with cycling and goes on to win six yellow jerseys of the Le Tour. He overcomes all he needs to in his life to make this win. Jan Ulrich, the German, who has the best chance of anyone to overcome Armstrong and win Le Tour. Ivan Basso, who proves that He has what it takes and is the man to watch in the future. Tyler Hamilton, the young American, who is one of the better cyclists from the States- he has a young team, but he has a chance to win. And, Iban Mayo, who reaches out to try and make this Tour his to lose. These are the stories of the men and women and the people who make the race. There are interviews with Chris Carmichael, Lance Armstrong's coach, and the man who builds winners. An interview with the tour director, Jean-Marie Leblanc, who brings understanding to the role of the French. We feel the majesty of the Alps, the sameness of some of the hotels, the day to day crunching and moving on and the excitement of those days of Le Tour. The doping scandal is addressed and it is not glossed over. John Wilcockson takes to task everyone who has a questionable reputation. The pre-cycle preparation and the lives and loves of those who participate. I thought I had a fairly good knowledge of the Le Tour, but I really felt I have come to know the lives of those who participated in the tour by reading this book.

John Wilcockson has been writing about cycle life for over thirty years. He has written several books about cycling. He goes to the head of the class with this book. Highly recommended. prisrob

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars kudos to Da Capo Press and the best cycling writer around, December 14, 2004

By	Alex Kershaw "alex kershaw" (bennington, vermont) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: 23 Days In July: Inside Lance Armstrong's Record-breaking Tour De France Victory (Hardcover)

This was a very enjoyable, well written account of an historic race. What was so enjoyable was learning so much about the tour along the way. It was brilliantly structured to tell not only the story of Armstrong's record win, but of the tour's history and fascinating aspects too. It must have been a race against the clock to put this book out so soon and yet its production and quality are very high. No ripped from the headlines stuff here, just a master sports writer at his best. Great stuff.