The Complete Fan's Guide To Pro Cycling

GCN Presents THE COMPLETE FAN’S GUIDE TO PRO CYCLING By Peter Cossins, the award-winning cycling author explains the different races, gives insight to the many types of rider and reveals the tactics that go into making today’s top-level bike racing work. 

Superficially, bike races are simple: all the riders set off together and the first across the finish line wins. But scratch the surface and there are myriad stories, specialisms and sub-competitions to enrich our experience – and perhaps – confuse us. We’ll explain how it works, and what to look out for.

• Over 230 pages packed with essential insight to get the most from watching pro cycling
• From the Classics and Monuments to the Grand Tours and beyond, the entire race season is detailed and explained
• Comprehensive guide to understand teams and riders. From the domestique to the sprinter, the time trial specialist to the rouleur this is your guide to understand the roles of everyone in the team and what it takes to get on the podium
• Exclusive insight from the riders themselves, including Mark Cavendish (sprinter), Dowsett (time trial specialist), George Bennett (climber), Michael Wood (Classics specialist), Lucinda Brand (CX racer) Geraint Thomas (Tour de France winner) Michał Kwiatkowski (one-day races), Michael Mørkøv (lead-out specialist), Alessandro De Marchi (breakaway star) and Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (Esports champion), all these and more providing you with a unique understanding of their specialism
• Answering all your questions about the business end of the sport. How much do riders earn, how teams are financed, what is the prize money and how different team budgets affect the sport
• The innovations in cycling explained, and how new technologies are affecting the sport for riders and fans. A historic and comprehensive guide to the bikes ridden by today’s best pro’s giving you everything you need to understand the bikes and technology that you see win the world’s biggest races
• From stage races to one-day classics, the tactics change for every race and every team. Whether it be a day for the sprinters or the climbers, a chance for the break or a crucial stage for the GC Contenders on the road bikes or in a time trial, you’ll find everything you need to know to understand the race tactics that the teams and riders use to finish on the podium 
• Secrets from inside the peloton reveal some amazing facts. From how much do riders train to how many calories do they consume in a race through to the weird rituals of some riders and the training secrets of the pro’s giving you a unique insight into these amazing athletes