Bobke II

By Dain Zaffke

Cost: $17

Contact: 800-234-8356; www.velopress.com

With all the televised glamour of Lance Armstrong’s multimillion-dollar contracts, numerous homes and rock-star girlfriend, Bob Roll’s new book offers a great reminder—Professional bike racing isn’t about fame and fortune; it’s a blue-collar tough guy’s sport. Written by a man that’s gained more recognition from recent television commercials and Tour de France commentating then he ever had racing; the book reveals what makes him tick and why the industry admires him.

Bobke is the nickname Roll picked-up while in Belgium; Bobke II is the 195-page collection of journal entries and columns created after his eight-years of professional racing on the road and in the dirt. He’s served on the world’s biggest teams, raced the Tour de France four-times and suffered “like an inquisition hunchback” the entire time. But he’s most famous for his bitter humor and exceptional misfortune. While his team leaders were busy buying-up real estate, Bobke was crashing, “bleeding all over” and enduring the toughest races, all while flashing that famous gap-toothed grin.

Bobke II takes critically honest insight into professional racing and doses it with side-aching humor. Bobke has been around, and thanks to his journal-like compilation we can all enjoy his out-there experiences.