Robert Dineen Knihy

Dive into the thrilling world of the Olympics ahead of the Paris 2024 Summer Games

From detailed portraits of the icons of the sport, to statistical breakdowns of the greatest road races and potted histories of its most enduring records, this collection of superbly entertaining infographics includes everything you need to know about professional cycling. Whether it is the tallest and shortest champions, oldest and youngest Tour riders, or the richest in the peloton, Velopedia has it covered. Examining nearly all of the sport's most intriguing stories, it also includes the most memorable rivalries, heroic losers, most controversial stars and biggest scandals, not to mention the best punch-ups and mid-race mishaps. The eccentric side of the sport is here too, with kitsch kits, the strangest superstitions and most elaborate facial hair. Charting every generation from the Victorian age to the present day, Velopedia is the perfect book for both the most devoted amateur cyclist and the armchair fan.

Amateur cycling in the UK has never been so popular and the interest is ever growing. In the wake of Bradley Wiggins' success in the 2012 Tour de France, sportives (non-competitive cycling events) attracted more than 75,000 entrants while competitive events doubled that figure. In Kings of the Road, Robert Dineen explores this cultural shift through his own attempt on the most iconic sportive of all, the Étape du Tour. Regarded as the pinnacle of amateur cycling, the Étape follows the route of the torturous stage 18 of the 2014 Tour de France â?? Pau to Hautacam, taking in the killer climb of the Tourmalet. This personal challenge will be offset against the backdrop of the sport's history, professional and amateur, by dramatizing its defining moments over the past 150 years and profiling (where possible) its most compelling and influential personalities.