Riding in the Zone Rouge Audiobook By Tom Isitt cover art

Riding in the Zone Rouge

The Tour of the Battlefields 1919 – Cycling's Toughest-Ever Stage Race

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Riding in the Zone Rouge

By: Tom Isitt
Narrated by: Roger Davis
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About this listen

The Circuit des Champs de Bataille (the Tour of the Battlefields) was held in 1919, less than six months after the end of the First World War. It covered 2,000 kilometres and was raced in appalling conditions across the battlefields of the Western Front, otherwise known as the Zone Rouge. The race was so tough that only 21 riders finished, and it was never staged again.

With one of the most demanding routes ever to feature in a bicycle race, and plagued by appalling weather conditions, the Circuit des Champs de Bataille was beyond gruelling, but today its extraordinary story is largely forgotten. Many of the riders came to the event straight from the army and had to ride 18-hour stages through sleet and snow across the battlefields on which they had fought, and lost friends and family, only a few months before. But in addition to the hellish conditions there were moments of high comedy, even farce.

The rediscovered story of the Circuit des Champs de Bataille is an epic tale of human endurance, suffering and triumph over extreme adversity.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Tom Isitt (P)2019 Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Cycling Sports History World War I Outdoor Military War
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Critic reviews

'An evocatively thoughtful wider history of the race, the war and the peace' GUARDIAN

'Occasionally funny and regularly poignant, brilliantly focused in its research . . . His drive, wit and curiosity inform Zone Rouge . . . gently profound and genuinely moving' HERALD

What listeners say about Riding in the Zone Rouge

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Very Enjoyable for both WW1 & Cycling Buffs

Entertaining through and through. Interweaving the history of this little known but punishing race with a modern day trip along the same route with a solid amount of the history of the Battlefields themselves. Brings out the emotions of the Great War, France’s state of mind directly following it and the writers love/hate relationship with a daunting journey that we cyclists often feel.

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Interesting Twist

Love the way Tom wrapped the story of the race, WW1 history and his own adventure into his tale of the Zone Rouge. You will enjoy it.

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