The Island Race

This Island Race tells of the lifelong feuds and personal animosities, the fear, jealousies and suspicion that have riddled British cycling for 135 years, from the days of the penny-farthing. It could almost be a crime novel. But this is British cycling - seen from the inside.

Why did Reg Harris want to become a professional road racer? Why did Britain's top time-triallist sit on a dustbin to annoy the RTTC? Why did Jacques Anquetil want to put the British '25' record on the shelf for three decades? And what stopped British cycling being as great as it could have been? How could people passionate about bike-racing, and dedicated to the sport they loved, have made sure that it never became a major sport in Britain, and that British cycling never became a force in the world?
This Island Race has the answers  and all the fascinating anecdotes and insights that go with them. It tells of blood on the carpet, of lifelong feuds and personal animosities, and of the fear, jealousies and suspicion that have riddle