Chasing Lance: The 2005 Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's Ride of a Lifetime

by Martin Dugard

Book Overview

A unique combination of travelogue, humor, and insider cycling critique, "Chasing Lance" brings into focus the entire Tour de France experience. 8-page photo insert. 2 maps.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316166235
• ISBN13: 9780316166232
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Another great book from Dugard

As a biker and Armstrong fan this book was more about the tour and Dugards experiences than Lance Armstrong. Armstrong was the focal point but all the details about the tour and Dugards experiences made this a very good read.

Great Book About The Tour Experience

Marty Dugard does a great job capturing the ambience of this amazing race in print. I've been to the last 10 Tours and what I remember most about my trips to France are the kinds of episodes Mr. Dugard shares with his readers in this book. For those who love the race, it's more than just 189 guys in tight pants crawling up the Galibier; it's the countryside and the food and the spectators and the publicity caravan and 342 days of looking forward to the next Tour. Dugard captures all of it. I'll be there again this year and CHASING LANCE has already got me stoked.

Backstage Glimpse at the Tour

I've never been to the Tour, but now I feel like I have after reading this excellent work by Martin Dugard. The fascination of pro cycling comes through when you discover what goes on behind the scenes and understand the personalities of the riders. Dugard's book is a fun read because he adds the personal touch of relating his own adventures following the Tour. He also has great access to key observers and participants, including Lance and other top athletes. Highly recommended for any cycling fan or anyone who wants to understand deeper what Lance and his Tour de France reign was all about.

Chasing Lance, The 2005 Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's Ride of a Lifetime

One expects a respected author like Martin Dugard to cover the sporting event of the 2005 tour thoroughly and interestingly. But the bonus in "Chasing Lance" is Dugard's magnificently reasoned and masterfully written reason why Lance has transcended sport to become an international icon. One later chapter is great travel writing. Dugard parallels his process of self-discovery of why HE is chasing Lance with a description of his first-time visit to Lourdes. He interweaves his two thought trains so skillfully that when he finishes his tour of the grotto and winds up his personal and painful train of remembrance and reason, I was gifted with a new insight about myself. The chapter brought me through Lance's struggles to not only renew my appreciation for my cancer surviving wife, but also to see my own dreams and struggles, however meager, in both a more realistic light, and at the same time an even brighter one. At the time of Armstrong's record 7th straight Tour win, I heard a major American TV business news anchor scoff at Armstrong's advertising appeal saying, "Hey, come on, it's BICYCLE racing!" as if no one cares much about it, not like baseball, for instance. But Dugard convinces the reader (like we needed convicing) that the Lance personna is far bigger than the man--and almost everywhere. What Dugard does so well is not only to describe both the race and the phenomenon, but what it is in US that causes us to hold the IDEA of Lance so special. So far, Lance has published two volumes of autobiography and his mother's memoirs are also available. Beyond these, teammate Michael Barry offers us a look "Inside the Postal Bus" and outdoor writer Daniel Coyle tracks Lance's 2004 season and the genesis of his darker moods in "Lance Armstong's War". Both are easy reads and have much to offer Lance fans, especially fans of bike racing. "Chasing Lance", however, is the only one that tries to get at what it is about US, making it a multidimensional examination of this the first mega sports legend of the 21st century, and the first time that cancer survivorship has deservedly resulted in fame and reverence as great or greater than any other human accomplishment.

Not just a book. An all-access pass behind the scenes of Le Tour.

Whether you've had the opportunity to witness the excitement and spectacle of the Tour de France in person, or have always dreamed of doing so, this book is the definitive word on the experience. Granted a coveted all-access pass to the Tour, Martin Dugard takes us on a thrill ride from the Prologue on the shores of Fromentine through the mammoth peaks of the Alps and Pyrenees and on to the finish on the hallowed Parisian cobbles of the Champs. The thing that makes this book so different from any previous works on Lance or the Tour is the way Dugard paints a vivid picture of the French people and places, fans from around the world, and most importantly of the man himself - Lance Armstrong. If you want to re-live your own personal Tour excursion (as my wife and I did), or have always wondered what it would be like - it's all here. As Martin takes us with him in his trusty Citroen along the roads and goat trails of France, you can almost smell the burning clutch as he conquers the Galibier; and you can almost taste the food as he enticingly describes a late-night meal at a rustic inn. Mixed in with his adventuresome stories are very interesting bits of history on the towns and the regions. He also effectively illustrates why the Tour has become the greatest sporting event in the world. Best of all, it's a very up close and personal view of Lance on his farewell Tour. Never before has a book so succinctly captured the spirit of the world's greatest athlete and his incredible life that has inspired hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of followers to travel across an ocean (like my wife and I) just for a glimpse of this man who simply loves to ride a bicycle. Quite simply, it's a must-read that you won't be able to put down. Se magnifique!

Finally, A true "On the Road" book of the Tour de France.

Mr Dugard has written an incredible book about the Tour with Lance as his centerpiece. Great background history of both France and the their tour. Insightful interviews, strategy and tidbits. This book is interestingly laid out with each chapter devoted to a stage of the race which adds to the drama, impressive in itself, seeing as we all know what the outcome was. I highly recommend this book!