Master Japanese: How to Learn Japanese through Anywhere Immersion, Fotheringham John

Автор: Fotheringham Alasdair
Название: Reckless
ISBN: 1408846020 ISBN-13(EAN): 9781408846025
Издательство: Bloomsbury
Цена: 18800.00 T
Наличие на складе: Поставка под заказ.
Описание:

Luis Oca a seemed doomed to live in the shadow of cycling's greatest ever rider, Eddy Merckx-"The Cannibal." Their rivalry defined Oca a's entire career, yet he was the one rider capable of beating the all-conquering Merckx in his prime. After an impoverished upbringing he flourished at the sport he loved and in 1970 secured his biggest victory on home soil, winning the Vuelta a Espa a, and confirming his status as a Grand Tour challenger. But it was in the 1971 Tour de France that the battle between Merckx and Oca a reached its peak when, at the Orci res-Merlette stage, he inflicted on Merckx the worst defeat he would suffer in a major Tour, with an astonishing 120 kilometre solo breakaway through the Alps.

But then came one of most gut-wrenching crashes in Tour de France history when Oca a fell heavily on a Pyrenean descent, losing his leader's jersey, and with it his best chance of destroying Merckx's reputation of invincibility. In the midst of a torrential downpour, with minimal visibility, rider after rider crashed into the injured rider as he lay prone. The following day Merckx refused to wear the leader's jersey out of respect.

It was only when Merckx was missing from the start-line in 1973 that Oca a became Spain's second ever Tour de France winner. If Merckx had been present, Oca a's chances of success would have been far slimmer. Further triumphs amassed before his swansong in 1976, but Oca a's decline in later life reflects the immense struggle he embraced during the height of his career. An enigmatic outsider to both the Spanish and French throughout his career-never truly accepted in either country-he died in mysterious circumstances aged just 48.

A fascinating, complicated character both on and off his bike, Oca a's fierce determination, impetuosity and-some would say-recklessness created some of the most beautiful and gripping episodes in the history of the sport. This is the first ever biography in English of "the Spanish Merckx" who remains one of the most fascinating Tour de France champions.

Автор: Fotheringham William
Название: Half Man, Half Bike: The Life of Eddy Merckx, Cycling`s Greatest Champion
ISBN: 1613747268 ISBN-13(EAN): 9781613747261
Издательство: Неизвестно
Цена: 19610.00 T
Наличие на складе: Есть у поставщика Поставка под заказ.
Описание: Leading cycling writer William Fotheringham presents the biography of the greatest cyclist in history, Eddy Merckx--the extraordinary man who is to cycling what Muhammad Ali is to boxing. This definitive history chronicles his life, examining both the ups and the downs. Throughout his professional career Merckx amassed an astonishing 445 victories and exhibited a remorseless sense of domination that created his legend. But his triumphs only tell half of a story that includes horrific injury, a doping controversy, and tragedy. To discover the background of the Belgian cyclist's former invincibility, the author spoke with those who were there at the time and those who knew Merckx best. This is the singular tale of a man whose fear of failure would drive him to reach the highest pinnacles before ultimately destroying himself.