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news
2013 Tour of Oman Stage 6 Chris Froome at start (© Bruno Bade:Muscat Muncipality)Chris Froome autobiography to come out before Tour de France
One of the more remarkable backstories in cycling forms the background to a book called The Climb that will be published ahead of next year’s Tour de France Grand Départ in Yorkshire – the autobiography of the man who will defend his title in that race, Chris Froome.
Described as “extraordinary, revealing and life-affirming,” it is being co-written by Sunday Times chief sports writer David Walsh, who has just published his book Inside Team Sky – suggesting he may have had a pretty impeccable source for that story about Sir Bradley Wiggins breaking with tradition and excluding Froome from the team mates with whom he shared his Tour de France winnings in 2012.
Froome finished runner-up to Wiggins in that race, and his account of his public rivalry with his team mate, downplayed by Sky and both riders at the time, is likely to be one of the more eagerly anticipated parts of the book.
Much of it will focus on the unique journey that took Froome from his birthplace Kenya, via South Africa, to the top step of the podium on the Champs-Elysées this July in the yellow jersey of Tour de France champion.
The 28-year-old says: “Many people have come to know my name through my achievements over the last year, but I feel that there are not many people who know who I really am.
“I hope that this book will give people a bit of insight into me and my obstacle-ridden journey to the top, and inspire them to push on despite any challenges they may face in achieving their own goals.”
The Climb will be published by Penguin imprint Viking as a hardback and in ebook format in June 2014.
Viking editor Ben Brusey comments: “Chris Froome is the future of cycling.
“His incredible victories this year have helped make cycling in Britain more popular than ever, and we are thrilled to be publishing his book in time for the start of the 2014 Tour in Yorkshire.
“His story is hugely inspirational and I know that it will be enjoyed by sports lovers as well as an even wider audience.”
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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11 comments
I'm pretty bored of all things Team Sky, rather read something about cycling and not petty squabbles.
Froome was not the best rider in 2012 - look at what Wiggins won -
TDF
Paris-Nice
Romandie
Dauphine
Olympics TT
Even if Froome was allowed to win the TDF - Wiggins would have had the better palmares
I think Froome is an impressive talent, but i can never forgive his c#@k waving exercise at the 2012 Tour. He was, FOR SURE, the best climber, but thats why Sky bought his services, and he was paid handsomely for that job; he knew what he'd signed up for!
It was an absolute outrage the way he rode atop 'that' stage in the mountains and, for me, he devalued (in the eyes of the wider cycling world) Wiggins' otherwise stellar season and his history making 1st (...and in my eyes, currently only..) British TDF victory. I just can't bring myself to watch Froome race, let alone read a snorrr-tobiography about the guy. Last year was the first Tour i haven't watched live, or recorded stage by stage since 1988! Sad times..
On the flip side and for balance, so as not to appear completely 'wiggo-fied', the way Brad has conducted himself over the last season in relation to matters Team Sky and Froome has been a discrace as well.
WTF. Fine he hasn't got an 'English' accent, Wiggins has despite being half Australian and born in Belgium. Take your casual (weird reverse) racism elsewhere.
Let's not beat around the bush Chris Froome was the best rider hands down in 2012, team orders stink.
Yawn, another book. He's only won it once after all ..
It will be interesting to see what he says about Wiggins. I guess he's got to balance his continuing working relationship at Sky with Wiggo (no idea if there actually is one, so this may not concern him much) and the publishers' desire for him to dish the dirt and increase sales.
Can't say i would've been particularly interested in this until i read a BBC piece recently which looked into his formative years in Kenya in a bit of depth - clearly a promo interview for the book - but it sounds like Froome has a good story to tell.
Of course, reading stories of him training as a young lad in the Rift Valley may make him seem even less British - but that is what it is, and is a separate issue!
better wait for the 2nd edition which will include all about his 2nd TdF win, in shops shortly before Xmas 2014
Arguably he should be going for his third
Look forward to it, gotta be better than Wiggo's paint drying exercise. I'd be more interested in Walsh's view of the entire Sky machine after his year behind the scenes.