
If there is one mountain climb that embodies the spirit & magic of the Tour de France, it is the Alpe d` Huez. Its twenty-one hairpin turns & average gradient of 8.1 percent over 13.1 kilometers have become legendary, changing the careers of Americans Greg Le Mond & Lance Armstrong, & nearly destroying Jan Ullrich & Marco Pantani. Here at last is the definitive history & unforgettable story of cycling`s greatest challenge.” In The Tour is Won on the Alpe: The Classic Battles of the Tour de France”, cycling historian Jean-Paul Vespini tells the story of this celebrated climb & the mountain that so often acts as the ultimate arbiter for cycling`s biggest prize. Each chapter covers one ascent, starting with Fausto Coppi`s astonishing victory in 1952. Cycling`s most famous names are all present & accounted for: Coppi, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Pedro Delgado, Miguel Indurain, Marco Pantani, & of course the American victors Greg Le Mond & Lance Armstrong. Jean-Paul Vespini`s riveting descriptions of each battle to the top include candid interviews with riders, new insight into epic rivalries, & little-known but fascinating facts about the climb that has become a rite of passage for every rider in the peloton.