French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour de France

Paperback - 01 June, 2003 - St. Martin's Griffin
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By: Tim Moore
ISBN: 0312316127

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Reviews by readers

Engaging travelogue-torture test

I think Tim Moore is a very funny writer, and this book is quite engaging, and thoroughly enjoyable. Mr. Moore takes it upon himself to follow the exact 2000 Tour de France route. Much hilarity ensues. As a fellow cyclist, I'm deeply impressed by his ability to climb the fearsome cols of Galibier and Ventoux; I suspect he wasn't as ill-trained as he claims. That aside, the history of the Tour de France is covered quite well here, along with rotten hotel rooms, excruciating pain, abdominal mishaps, and frank surprise at his ability to finish the route. I give this four stars only because I think his "Travels with a Donkey" is superior. This is a fun read for anyone with a passing interest in cycling, road racing, and France.

Entertaining but with caution

Tim Moore writes an good commentary of touring France on his trusty bicyclette. His descriptions are witty and humourous, he makes light of what could have been a pretty tiresome experience. Moore's insights in to Tour de France history are well researched. A good book for anyone interested in knowing the "true" no-glamour France. One word of caution - it is disappointing for a writer who is focusing on somewhat of a fun event in his life, riding a bike around france - that Moore uses so many out of context explatives and blasphemies. After all this is not a story about pedalling drugs in the criminal underworld. For a writer who musters up good descriptive imagery, to at times drop in the "F-bomb" and Blasphemies shows how hard Moore must have been flipping through a Theasurus to look impressive as a writer. Swear words do not sell more books, they do not add value to the reading experience, they infact cheapen it.

Whining one's way through the Tour de France

While a light and overall enjoyable read, there's rather too much of the age-old English ambivalence, if not outright antipathy, towards everything French. It's amusing at first, but a little goes a long way -- in this case all the way to the end of the book. One begins to wonder if the author really enjoyed this epic ride, or if it wasn't overshadowed by an endless parade of disagreeable people and situations encountered at every stage. A bit more elation, a bit less suffering, would have made for a better read.

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