Brian Robinson, Pioneer
Mousehold Press, 2010, 2014
The authorised biography of a British cycling hero. Brian Robinson, the first Englishman ever to complete the Tour de France, went on to make a career as a professional cyclist in what is generally regarded as one of the toughest eras in a very tough sport. He adapted to French life, the continental style of racing and the taxing demands of a long season with clear-headed tenacity. For all the British riders who later followed him to Europe – and there have not been many since his days as a lone coureur anglais, still a comparatively rare breed – he was, without dispute, the great pioneer.