So, my second book review, if I may
This book is by Jean Bobet and is another translation from French completed by Adam Berry. The book is called, 'Tomorrow, we ride'.
This book is about the brothers, Louison and Jean Bobet and their shared cycling career. Louison won the Tour de France 3 years in a row in the post-war era. His Brother, a scholar and keen anglophile was also his team-mate for most of Louison's career.
Jean Bobet puts a lot of very well written and insightful words around their experiences and triumphs, he also does this in quite an understated and humourous way. One of the nice things about the book is his play on words, plus his own thoughts and feelings regarding his time riding with his famous brother.
The book is, in my own opinion, very good. Really good.
Jean was invited to the Tenth world University Games in Budapest, in which he won the road race. He plays it down quite a bit but one of his memories is the train journey.
"Our train stopped at the first Hungarian railway station in order to receive the local serenade of a military fanfare and a welcome from the local populace"... "such a warm welcome could not be ingored, and that we ought to show the crowds our appreciation with a popular song, if not with an official anthem. And so it was, at the fourth station, that our hosts, standing to attention, were treated with a rendition of 'O Balls of our fathers'. A good half-dozen of Hugarian stations were made to echo with the glory of our ancestors' testicles, and thus came to experience a particular sub-section of the French intelligentsia".
A bit like the Paul Fournel book, he has very emotive feelings about the bike and his joy and pain with it. His 'La volupté' explanation is, again, important to those who find the bike a bit more than just chugging along trying to lose weight or a means to an end.
Genuinely, a good book. It is romantic, saddening and great all rolled into one. Worth a read.
Incidentally, its one of the few books I handed to my SO to read, and yeah, she really got on with it.
ISBN: 978-1-874739-51-7