Professional cyclists are unlike most other sporting heroes. They spill their guts, speaking with a refreshing candour, and deliver blistering comments and memorable quotes.

Nowhere is this more evident than at the Tour de France, the world’s greatest annual sporting event. Three intense weeks of drama, suffering, spectacle, controversy and, ultimately, glory. Well over 100 editions of the race have produced heroes, villains, incidents and countless anecdotes that give the Tour an unparalleled tradition.

This book goes to the heart of the race through the reactions, humour, jibes and pearls of wisdom of the legends of the Tour: the climbers, sprinters, rouleurs and domestiques of the peloton, but also coaches, sporting directors and journalists who scrutinise every second of the captivating competition.

In over 400 quotes, accompanied by classic photography from over a century of races, the book gives a personal take on every aspect of the race, from teamwork to bitter rivalry, the suffering of mountain stages to the adrenaline of sprint finishes and the anguish of defeat to the elation of victory.