Cadel raced at world level mountain biking and I think he won a few championships along the way. Then he transitioned into pro bike racing with all that shaved leg and bunch riding etiquette.

After a few diversions on some less than supported teams, a few broken collar bones and against all odds Cadel almost won the Tour de France twice. He then went on to win the world road championships this year.

I’m sure this book will be a good read. And if not you can tear out the photographs from the middle, frame then up in some Ikea picture frams and hang them on your wall.

Offical blub...

Few noticed Cadel Evans in his first Tour de France when in the last week he was photographed on the final climb of the stage alongside the leaders Lance Armstrong and Ivan Basso. But he was determined to succeed, and that year he finished eighth. By 2006 he was fifth overall and in 2007 he lost to Alberto Contador by a mere 23 seconds.

But who is this dedicated sportsman? And what has been his formula for success?

Cadel was first noticed in 1994 when he rode to fifth position in a cross country race. Since his teens he has been a professional cyclist - half his life. He is a competitor who refuses to allow ego to dictate strategy. These days he receives a monthly program that sets out his schedule day-by-day. It outlines in intricate detail the required elements that are to be fulfilled: how many hours, what percentage should be spent at what heart rate, specific cadences and the length of time he should be climbing. Nothing is left to chance. No matter what the weather the regime is followed to the letter.

Cadel gives us a glimpse of the physical and psychological tests that are required to be the best, whilst giving an illuminating and fascinating look at the Tour de France – the teams; the climbs; the politics and the opponents that make it the most renowned cycling race in the world.