CYCLING IN THE GREAT WAR

A surprising view of the First World War as seen through the eyes of the early cycling champions with outstanding historical pictures and illustrations that have never been published before. On 28 June 1914, there were two almost simultaneous shots. In Paris, the 12th Tour de France was about to start, while in Sarajevo the Austrian crown prince Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. Professional cycle racing came to a halt, but the first cycling heroes continued to race. The Belgian cycling author Patrick Cornillie takes us through the wartime editions of the Tour of Flanders, which were ridden on a velodrome just north of Ghent. With humour, the book tells the stories of a champion who was a spy, a one-legged Italian cyclist, some famous British and German idols, and the perilous bike adventures of a well-known Belgian author. With sadness, we learn about the fate of a French winner of the Tour, killed in battle, Gustaaf Mus shot by firing squad, saboteurs, Crupelandt and his flight from Berlin to Roubaix, a renowned cyclist held hostage, the death rider from Lichtervelde, the brave Black Devils, and the many military cyclist-soldiers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada who died at the front. Plus crashes and races and cycling reporters, tour winners dying for their country, bridegrooms, and the female ex-racer who designed an air ambulance. Superbly well illustrated extra large 208 page paperback.