For twenty-three days in July 2004, an enthralled global audience watched Lance Armstrong battle to victory in the Tour de France. Armstrong had pledged to win a record-breaking sixth consecutive Tour; a feat no one had achieved in the event's 100-year lifetime. But with stiff competition from Jan 'the Kaiser' Ullrich and others his success was by no means guaranteed.

The resulting Tour was riveting as, following a nervous opening week of multiple crashes, Armstrong bulldozed his way to the lead. But the American cyclist is no stranger to single-minded determination. After being diagnosed with cancer in 1996, it took only 518 days before he was back racing, revealing the mental resources that make him a cycling legend.

Veteran cycling writer John Wilcockson uses his intimate knowledge of the participants and interviews with the major players to tell the human side of the Tour from the perspective of the principal contenders. His vivid description of life inside the most challenging and popular sports event in the world draws on an unparalleled knowledge of the Tour.