Teams – a group of domestiques, climbers and sprinters led by an all-rounder star – are the basic unit of road race cycling, but there is so much more to a team than matching lycra and a logo.

How to Build a Cycling Team reveals the art and practices of the manager and the directeur sportif (head coach) who recruit the riders – a tricky balancing act in itself – and decide which races to enter, who should ride them and what tactics to use during the race.

This is a world where sporting dreams co-exist – or clash – with hard-nosed finance. Explore what success really looks and feels like through illuminating interviews with key figures and top riders, including Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Chris Froome, Remco Evenepoel, Geraint Thomas, Fabian Cancellara and Christian Prudhomme

How to build a Cycling Team offers a unique perspective on creating a successful cycling team – and what to do when it all comes crashing down. From the boardroom to the back seat of the team car, it’s full of characters and colour, eye-opening anecdotes and opinions, and entertaining facts and surprises about the world’s best cycling teams.