Icons: My Inspiration. My Motivation. My Obsession.

by Bradley Wiggins

Overview

With a foreword by Eddy Merckx

The world of professional cycling is fraught with fierce competition, fervent dedication and unerring ambition, and only a handful of competitors reach iconic status. Among them is Sir Bradley Wiggins – a man uniquely placed to reflect on the history of this remarkable sport and its unforgettable titans.

In Icons, Wiggins takes the reader on an extraordinarily intimate journey through the sport, presenting key pieces from his never-before-seen collection of memorabilia. Over the course of his illustrious career, he amassed hundreds of items – often gifts from its greatest and most controversial figures. Each reflects an icon, a race or a moment that fundamentally influenced Wiggins on both a personal and professional level.

By exploring the lives and achievements of 21 of the sport’s key figures – among them Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Miguel Induráin and Tom Simpson – Wiggins sheds new light on what professional cycling demands of its best competitors. Icons lauds their triumphs, elucidates their demons and sheds light on the philosophy and psychology that comprise the unique mindset of a cycling champion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780008301750
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/01/2018
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishers
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	80 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Sir Bradley Wiggins grew up in Kilburn in London. He won the World Junior Pursuit title before going on to win eight Olympic medals including five golds spanning five games, and seven World Track Championship titles. In 2012 he became the first Briton to win the Tour de France. He was awarded the OBE in the 2005 New Year’s honours list and the CBE in 2009, before being knighted in 2012. He currently lives in the north-west of England with his wife, Cath, and their two children, Ben and Isabella.

Herbie Sykes is a British sports journalist and writer specializing in the history of road bicycle racing. His fourth book, The Race Against the Stasi, won the Cycling Book of the Year at the Cross British Sports Book Awards, and was nominated in the outstanding general sports writing category. In addition, it was among the Observer sports books of the year.

Bradley Wiggins is one of the leading lights in British cycling today having won three Olympic medals in Athens in 2004. With this success swiftly followed by an OBE, he is now also a columnist for The Observer and will be the face of the 2007 London Tour tie-in.

Table of Contents

Foreword Eddy Merckx 6

Introduction 8

1 Johan Museeuw 12

2 Franco Ballerini 26

3 Chris Lillywhite 42

4 Miguel Induráin 54

5 Sean Yates 70

6 Eddy Merckx 82

7 Patrick Sercu 100

8 Tom Simpson 112

9 Barry Hoban 128

10 Phil Edwards 142

11 Francesco Moser 156

12 Gianni Bugno 170

13 Lance Armstrong 184

14 Jacques Anquetil 198

15 Gastone Nencini 214

18 Felice Gimondi 228

17 José Manuel Fuente 242

18 Luis Ocana 256

19 Hugo Koblet 268

20 Fabian Cancellara 282

21 Fausto Coppi 294

Afterword 308

Glossary of Cycling Terms 312

Index 314

Picture Credits 320

Editorial Reviews

‘If, like me, you’re a fan of cycling, you must have this book… Bradley’s collection of iconic jerseys is breath-taking and includes the 1949 yellow jersey of a personal hero of mine Fausto Coppi.’ – Paul Smith

‘Rather beautiful and an intriguing blend of cycling history and personal snippets.’ – The Guardian

‘An intriguing blend of historical research, fanboy memoir and candid confession’.’ – Cyclist

‘If you ever wanted to know about the events and people that influenced Bradley Wiggins' early cycling career and led to his love of the sport, then Icons is the book for you.’ – Road.cc

From the Publisher