Synopses & Reviews
A funny and frank account of falling in love with the Tour de France by television's quintessential roving reporter, Ned Boulting.
Follow Ned Boulting's (occasionally excruciating) experiences covering the world's most famous two-wheeled race. His story offers an insider's view of life behind the scenes of the Tour, as well as detailing the complexities and absurdities of reporting on the race and confronting the most celebrated riders -- Cavendish, Wiggins, Armstrong et al -- seconds after they cross the line. Eight Tours on from Ned's humbling debut, he has grown to respect, mock, adore and crave the race in equal measure. What's more, he has even started to understand it.
Funny and frank, How I Won the Yellow Jumper is the account of Ned's journey -- that same journey undertaken by many tens of thousands of cycling enthusiasts -- from tour trainee to incurable fanatic.
Review
"Candid, insightful and often hilarious. . . . Anyone who likes France, cycling, media coverage of sport, obsessives and above all the magic that is the Tour de France will enjoy this book." —Alastair Campbell
Review
"At last, a book about the Tour that's just great fun." —Matt Rendell, author, Blazing Saddles: The Cruel & Unusual History of the Tour de France
Synopsis
A funny and frank account of falling in love with the Tour de France that explores the highs, the lows, and the occasional absurdities of broadcasting live sports Paris, 4 July 2003: My first Tour de France. I had never seen a bike race. I had only vaguely heard of Lance Armstrong. I had no idea what I was doing there. Yet, that day I was broadcasting live on television. I fumbled my way through a few platitudes, before summing up with the words, . . . Dave Millar just missing out on the Yellow Jumper. Yes, the Yellow Jumper. Following Ned Boulting's (occasionally excruciating) experiences covering the world's most famous two-wheeled race, this story offers an insider's view of life behind the scenes of the Tour, as well as detailing the complexities and absurdities of reporting on the race and confronting the most celebrated riders--Cavendish, Wiggins, Armstrong and more--seconds after they cross the line. Eight Tours on from Ned's humbling debut, he has grown to respect, mock, adore, and crave the race in equal measure, and what's more, he has even started to understand it. This is a funny, frank account of Ned's journey--that same journey undertaken by many tens of thousands of cycling enthusiasts--from tour trainee to incurable fanatic.
Synopsis
'Paris, 4 July 2003: My first Tour de France. I had never seen a bike race. I had only vaguely heard of Lance Armstrong. I had no idea what I was doing there. Yet, that day I was broadcasting live on television. I fumbled my way through a few platitudes, before summing up with the words, "...Dave Millar just missing out on the Yellow Jumper." Yes, the Yellow Jumper.'
Follow Ned Boulting's (occasionally excruciating) experiences covering the world's most famous cycling race. His story offers an insider's view of what really goes on behind the scenes of the Tour. From up-close-and-personal encounters with Lance Armstrong to bewildered mishaps with the local cuisine, Ned's been there, done that and got the crumpled-looking t-shirt.
Eight Tours on from Ned's humbling debut, he has grown to respect, mock, adore and crave the race in equal measure. What's more, he has even started to understand it.
Includes How Cav Won the Green Jersey: Short Dispatches from the 2011 Tour de France
Synopsis
Follow Ned Boultings (occasionally excruciating) experiences covering the worlds most famous two-wheeled race. His story offers an insiders view of life behind the scenes of the Tour, as well as detailing the complexities and absurdities of reporting on the race and confronting the most celebrated riders—Cavendish, Wiggins, Armstrong et al—seconds after they cross the line. Eight Tours on from Neds humbling debut, he has grown to respect, mock, adore, and crave the race in equal measure. Whats more, he has even started to understand it. Funny and frank, How I Won the Yellow Jumper is the account of Neds journey—that same journey undertaken by many tens of thousands of cycling enthusiasts—from tour trainee to incurable fanatic.
About the Author
Ned Boulting started his broadcasting career at Sky in 1997, working as a reporter alongside Jeff Stelling on the now legendary show
Soccer Saturday. In 2006 he was given the Royal Television Societys Sports Reporter of the Year Award. He has presented two Tours of Britain for ITV, as well as the inaugural Tour Series, and contributed features and live reports on eight Tours de France.