At the start of the 137-kilometre Tour de Mont Aigoual, Tim Krabbe glances up from his bike to assess the crowd of spectators. ` Non-racers, ` he writes. ` The emptiness of those lives shocks me.` Immediate & gripping from the first page, we race with the author as he struggles up the hills & clings on during descents in the unforgiving French mountains. Originally published in 1978, The Rider is a modern-day classic that is recognised as one of the best books ever written about the sport. Brilliantly conceived & best read at a break-neck pace, it is a loving, imaginative & passionate tribute to the art of cycle racing.