New Lance Armstrong book documents 2009 return to cycling

Following the end of the season in which he made his high-profile return to the peloton – and perhaps not by coincidence published in the run-up to Christmas – Lance Armstrong has launched a new book, My Comeback – Up Close and Personal.

The 208-page hardback has been published under the name Comeback 2.0 in the United States – a reference to this being the second time the Texan cancer survivor has revived his career after his earlier return from illness second – the book promises a behind-the-scenes look at the cyclist’s year.

The book is based on a series of journal entries written by Armstrong throughout the season, each accompanied by four pictures taken by sports photographer and photojournalist Elizabeth Kreutz, whom publishers Simon & Schuster say was “granted unparalleled access to Lance's day-to-day world in this, his most triumphant season.”

Cycling fans may have something to say about the last four words of that sentence, given his seven Tour de France wins from 1999 to 2005, not to mention his World Road Championship victory in 1993.

And we don't know about you, but we're particularly looking forward to reading Armstrong's first-hand reaction to getting his bike nicked following the Tour of California prologue, plus, of course, the rift within Team Astana at last summer's Tour de France.

The book is published in the UK by Yellow Jersey Press this Thursday and has a cover price of £20, although we’ve found it for a wallet-friendlier £12.09 on Amazon.co.uk.