Tour de France: The Illustrated History

If you live for the Tour de France and have become infatuated with its rich history or simply love to watch the peloton kill the hills of the French countryside, Marguerite Lazell's Tour de France: The Illustrated History, is the book for you. This vibrant, chronologically-ordered work lists everything from the Tour's origins to its infamous drug scandals. It encapsulates the magnitude of the Tour de France with stunning photos, in-depth biographies and intriguing quotes from some of the largest players in the event's history.

This year is the Tour's 100th birthday. Only the Olympics and the World Cup are bigger in the sporting world. It consumes a country for three weeks and is the biggest bike race on the planet. July 5 is when all eyes in the cycling community will begin to focus on France.

The Tour de France's popularity has soared to unprecedented heights in the United States over the past half-decade, in part because of cancer survivor, climber extraordinaire and homegrown Texan, Lance Armstrong. Many of the four-time champion’s highlights are included in The Illustrated History like "the look" he gave German Jan Ullrich in 2001’s climb up the Alpe d'Huez.

Even if you only hit the road to get to the trailhead, this book will still entertain you. Lazell does a brilliant job of collecting information, creating wonder and presenting the facts; The Illustrated History is beautifully arranged. From the Tour's conception as a publicity gimmick by French newspaper mogul Henri Desgrange in 1903, to the domination of its greatest rider ever, Eddy Merckx, Lazell leaves nothing out. Tour de France: The Illustrated History is a must for any fan of competitive cycling.--Pat Corran