Tour Fever: The Armchair Cyclist's Guide to the Tour De France
  Are you coming down with the FEVER?
Then look no further than this comprehensive guide to all things Tour de France—including history, strategy, stages, scoring, and stars. Catch a full-blown case of Tour Fever—and discover the je ne sais quoi that has made the Tour de France a cultural phenomenon.
Swing a leg over the saddle and learn...
- The varied stages—from snaky time trials to killer mountain stages
- Team strategies—and the role each team member plays
- How the Tour is scored
- What the Yellow, Green, White, and Polka-Dot jerseys stand for
- The meaning of peloton, tifosi, "mountain goats," "hot spots," and flamme rouge
- The characteristics of a racer, whether a patron or domestique—and the real reasons they shave their legs
- How riders eat, drink, change clothes, and heed the call of nature without getting off their bikes
- How to follow the Tour online, on TV, in the papers, and in person
You’ll find all the answers in Tour Fever, the only guide you need to one of the most popular sporting events in the world. Click into your pedals—it’s going to be a great ride!
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- Introduction
- Naturally Epic
- Les Equipes
- The Racer
- The Route
- The Jerseys
- Race in Motion
- Le Caravane Publicitaire
- The Tech Tour
- Catching the Tour
- Glossary
- Appendix A: Americans at the Tour
- Appendix B: Tour Podiums
- Appendix C: Resource Guide
- Of Interest on the Web
About the Author
J.P. Partland has had "the Fever" since he was in the seventh grade. A journalist since 1991, he is the author of both Mountain Bike Madness and The World of BMX and a regular contributor to Asphalt magazine. An avid racer, Partland medaled in the team pursuit at the U.S. National Cycling Championships in 2002. He has also ridden the Irish Milk Ras, the de facto national tour of Ireland. He lives in New York City.
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