I received this e-book ARC of Speed Read Tour de France: The History, Strategies, and Intrigue Behind the World's Greatest Bicycle Race by John Wilcockson through Net Galley from Quarto Publishing Group in exchange for a truthful review.

Perfect timing for reading this book, as July is Tour de France season (at least in my household).. Informative non-fiction about various aspects of the Tour de France; audience seemed to be middle grade to adults interested in cycling history of the Tour de France.

The book is not too long, but is chock full of interesting facts and history. The boxed entry in each section which included a Fun Fact, an Historical Tidbit and a Key Person was especially entertaining.

I was constantly reading aloud passages to the avid cyclist in my household, but they were already familiar with the facts I found fascinating.
That same avid cyclist reports that the "magic wrench" is more commonly known as the "magic spanner".

This book is packed with interesting facts about the Tour de France. Following the introduction there are seven sections: Race structure; Tour History; Technology; Teams and Racing; Contests; On the Road; and The Dark Side! As an avid watcher of the Tour de France I was fascinated to read all the fun facts and tidbits. This would make a fantastic gift for anyone interested in road cycling. I love it! Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher, Motorbooks, The Quarto Group for an ARC.

The title of this book is aptly chosen - it is definitely a “speed read”. At a quick 103 pages, this short book packs a lot of information as practically any topic that involves the Tour is covered. From training to team cycling to TV coverage to sprinting, it’s all here. That last point is especially relevant as the reader will feel like he or she just did a sprint to read the book.

For someone who can’t really ride a bike (any sense of balance that I am supposed to have is utterly non-existent), I am weirdly obsessed with competitive road cycling.
Like, crazily obsessed.
Like, grandma needs to stay out of the house all May, July and September because nothing else is allowed on the television level obsessed.
But, unfortunately, because of the fact that I am not twenty years older, or able to keep track of the constant switcheroos of teams, sponsors and riders that are constantly happening (it was literally only the other day that I clicked on to the fact that Team CCC used to BMC), I need a little help in the form of extra reading.
Like through a guide, or a cheat-sheet, or some sort of diagram.
Which, of course, is where John Wilcockson’s Speed Read Tour de France came in but unfortunately, instead of endowing me with even the slightest bit of extra information, it seems to only cater to an audience that has never watched a single bike race in the entirety of their lives.
It was overly simplistic; the kind of information you could gain from switching on Eurosport and listening to the commentary for about ten minutes. And this was made even more apparent by the fact that, the little ‘fun facts’ that popped up every page or so, started to repeat themselves.
Seriously, guys, I would pass on this one. Because, despite its super cute illustrations, you would probably be better off checking out the main wikipedia article or scrolling through the ITV website.
After-all, you would probably leave them, more knowledgable than you would leave this.

It's bigger than a brochure, but it's loaded top-to-bottom with rundowns on the various dimensions of the race (some more prevalent/sensational than others, but nonetheless important) that'll put a reader in a great position to realize just what in the world's going on when the Tour starts.

I've been watching the TdF for basically a decade now, with much of my knowledge accumulating as I encountered certain situations (e.g. Why's the winner getting a plush lion? What's the white jersey mean, again?). This read would've saved me a bit of a headache on the front end, no doubt. Wilcockson digs from deep within the race's history to give us perspective of just how drastically the event has evolved, the various costs and burdens of shouldering a competition of this size, and we're provided a list of precedents to keep us in the know; there's also mention of some of the bigger faux pas one could commit during a stage, a rogue's gallery of the wrongdoings that the Tour has to address--all packaged with some illustrations of cyclists that...sort of look like notable athletes within the sport? I wasn't sure if this was a stylistic choice or if it was to divert any potential lawsuits for using likenesses.

The structure of each chapter is great, as the book has things divided apart very cleanly: You have some explanation, followed by an array of factoids, and then an illustration. Rinse and repeat. Flip the page and then learn about the next thing. Pretty simple.

The only thing that struck me as weird is that final chapter...the guide literally ends on the recollection of Lance Armstrong's fall from grace in the cycling world. No conclusion, epilogue, or summary. Just straight to the index. I found that to be a most curious point to finish up on. The work would've benefited better by restating some of the prestige the Tour has stood for over the near-120 years it's been in existence instead of shutting up shop on that dour note.

It's a valuable resource. I learned a great deal, and I'm more prepared for the 2019 Tour de France than I was prior to reading.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Motorbooks for the advance read.

You might not know this about me but I love watching the Tour de France, especially over the past four or five years as I've watched it religiously. I adore the scenery and I am in awe of the physical abilities of the riders so I naturally had to request this e-book on Netgalley. The book is split up into tiny sections with various facts about individual riders, the origin of the Tour de France, the technology involved, crashes and more, all of which was very interesting and had me screenshotting facts to read to others. It explained terms well (even if you aren't very familiar with the tour) and provides so many interesting facts that I had no idea about. If you're looking for an easy but comprehensive book about the biggest cycling race in the world then definitely pick up this book, especially as the tour starts soon.

Speed Read Tour de France is a tutorial guide and survey history of Le Tour de France. Released 7th May 2019 by Quarto on their Motorbooks imprint, it's 160 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.

Every summer the world tunes in for the pageantry of the competition and the incredible scenery of the French countryside. For many spectators, especially casual watchers, having some background information and strategy would greatly enhance the experience. This book provides an incredible amount of history and detail in a clear and accessible manner.

The book is divided up logically, starting with the structure of the actual race and moving on to the history and development of the competition. So much has changed over the race's 116 year history, including the technology and materials of the bikes and gear the riders and teams use for racing, training, and equipping the riders. There is a chapter discussing all the behind the scenes communications and commentary as well as how the race data is compiled, interpreted, and presented to the viewers. There are chapters covering the teams, the different jerseys and what they represent, the differences between the stages and a very informative chapter on the darker side of cycle sports (doping and scandals).

The ebook version includes a handy interactive table of contents and hyperlinked index.

All in all, a very balanced and objective informational guide which can be enjoyed by reading cover to cover as well as a handy encyclopedia to consult whilst watching the race.

Four stars. Lots of great info here, well organized and understandable.