Disclosure : This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
Higher Calling: Road Cycling`s Obsession with the Mountains
Why do road cyclists go to the mountains?After all, cycling up a mountain is hard ‘“ so hard that, to many non-cyclists, it can seem absurd. But, for some, climbing a mountain gracefully (and beating your competitors up the slope) represents the pinnacle of cycling achievement. The mountains are where legends are forged and cycling’s greats make their names.Many books tell you where the mountains are, or how long and how high. None of them ask ‘Why?’Why are Europe’s mountain ranges professional cycling’s Wembley Stadium or its Colosseum? Why do amateurs also make a pilgrimage to these high, remote roads and what do we see and feel when we do?Why are the roads there in the first place?Higher Calling explores the central place of mountains in the folklore of road cycling. Blending adventure and travel writing with the rich narrative of pro racing, Max Leonard takes the reader from the battles that created the Alpine roads to the shepherds tending their flocks on the peaks, and to a Grand Tour climax on the ‘highest road in Europe’. And he tells stories of courage and sacrifice, war and love, obsession and elephants along the way.
Related Products:
Adventures in Mind: A Personal Obsession with the Mountains
The Mountains are Calling: Running in the High Places of Scotland
The Call of the Road: The History of Cycle Road Racing
Escape by Bike: Adventure Cycling, Bikepacking and Touring Off-Road
The Official Tour de France Road Cycling Training Guide
Cycling Atlas Europe: The 350 Most Beautiful Cycling Routes in Europe
City Cycling Europe Boxset
Higher Performance Sailing
Great Cycling Climbs: The French Alps
Hellingen: A Road Cyclist`s Guide to Belgium`s Greatest Cycling Climbs
The Calling: A Life Rocked by Mountains
The White Road: A Journey Into Obsession
1001 Cycling Tips: The essential cyclists` guide
Lake Constance – Swabian Mountains Cycling Map 25
The Great British Cycling: The History of British Bike Racing, 1868-2014
Cycling Climbs of South East England: A Road Cyclist`s Guide
100 Greatest Cycling Climbs
A Golden Age of Cycling: A Gentleman`s Adventure on Two Wheels, 1924-1933
Big Rides: Great Britain & Ireland: 25 of the best long-distance road cycling, gravel and mountain biking routes
Between the Sunset and the Sea: A View of 16 British Mountains
Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination
100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of Italy: A guide to the famous mountains of the Giro d`Italia and beyond
The New York Times Explorer. Mountains, Deserts & Plains
On the Road Bike: The Search For a Nation`s Cycling Soul
Ultimate Cycling Trips: World
The High Mountains of Portugal
Europe High 5 Edition Road Atlas
Cornwall Cycling Guide
Amarok Adventure Guide: Off-road in Europe
The Rough-Stuff Fellowship Archive: Adventures with the World`s Oldest Off-Road Cycling Club
City Cycling London
City Cycling Paris
City Cycling Copenhagen
City Cycling Amsterdam
City Cycling Berlin
City Cycling Barcelona
City Cycling Milan
City Cycling Antwerp & Ghent
Go Wild in the Mountains
Among the Mountains: Travels Through Asia
