Dimensions
153 x 234 x 1mm
Mont Ventoux, the Giant of Provence, is a legendary and extreme mountain climb. The terrible ascent of Ventoux's south side - famed for the death of Tom Simpson in the 1967 Tour - encapsulates both the gladiatorial brutality and epic beauty of this cruel sport, but also highlights cycling's ongiong battle to exorcise its demons.
Revealing the little-known history of racing on Ventoux in races other than the Tour, Whittle tells the story of a special and extreme climb that has driven riders to near-hysteria and also to wild excesses of doping. In interviews with Chris Froome, Eddy Merckx, Greg LeMond, Lance Armstrong, Bernard Hinault, Dave Brailsford, Tyler Hamilton and many others, he explores the elemental fear of the Giant of Provence.
The author, who spends some of his year living in the shadow of the Giant, also details the cycling paradise that Ventoux's foothills have now become, while also exploring the bloody history of plagues and world wars scattered across its lower slopes. Giant is a book that brings the reader close to the essence of what cycling is all about.
