May has been a book month. I’m writing one about the Tour de France and it requires a huge amount of research, so that’s kept me fairly quiet. It is an amazing race that has grown up in its own world, with a unique culture and set of values. The tale I’m writing isn’t always a comfortable one, but I’m still staggered by the passion and on many occasions the true heroics of those involved. The Tour is a bit like War, you can make it glorious but scratch at the gloss and it’s intensely human. I hope I’m doing both.

I’ve also got a paperback version of Tour
Climbs, coming out on May 28. It’s a
guide to every climb with over 400 metres
of height gain that has ever been used by
the Tour de France. And I’ve a series of
three other book projects in the planning
stage, which also requires quite a lot of
work. Sometimes writing a book is the
easiest part.

For the rest of the time I’ve been doing articles for magazines. The ride features I do for Cycling Weekly have been beset by a dodgy British Spring, but our subjects have battled through and kept smiling for the camera. I’ve stuck a few pictures of them on here to break up my ramblings.

Anyway, better get on as I’ve got a strict monthly word count for the Tour book that must be stuck to. It will be finished by December then out in the shops by about this time next year.

Cheers

Chris

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