Jeremy Whittle
â€˜Theyâ€™re all scared. Everybodyâ€™s afraidâ€™ â€“ Eddy Merckx,â€˜Nothing compares to the Ventouxâ€™ â€“ Lance Armstrong,'Heart-stirring and jaw-dropping in equal measure' â€“ Tim Moore,The French call Ventoux â€˜the killer mountainâ€™ and in 1967 it claimed its most famous victim, as former world champion Tom Simpson died near the summit during that yearâ€™s Tour de France. The terrible ascent of Ventouxâ€™s south side encapsulates both the brutality and beauty of this cruel sport, but also highlights cyclingâ€™s ongoing battle to distance itself from its demons. ,Yet it was the legendary and extreme climb of Mont Ventoux that first inspired award-winning author Jeremy Whittleâ€™s love of cycling, so much so that he bought a house in its shadows. Ventoux is his memoir to the Giant of Provence in which he reveals the little-known history of the Ventoux, and tells the story of a monstrous climb that has driven riders to near-hysteria and also to wild extremes of doping. It has provided the spectacular backdrop to some of cyclingâ€™s most titanic contests, exposing the true character of those who take on the challenge.,Through a series of revealing conversations with Lance Armstrong, Dave Brailsford, Alastair Campbell, Nicole Cooke, Tyler Hamilton, Eddy Merckx, Simpsonâ€™s daughter, Joanne, and many others, Whittle details the poignancy of bitter memories, flawed obsessions and ruthless ambition that have made the Ventoux so feared and so infamous.
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Ventoux