Roule Britannia

For the first time, a team of British cyclists took part in the Tour de France, the most gruelling event in all of sport. Today, the recent triumphs of British cycling heroes Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish have brought the Tour to a whole new generation of fans.

---

Fifty years ago, ten Britons crossed the Channel and made history. For the first time, a team of British cyclists took part in the Tour de France, the most gruelling event in all of sport. Only two of those riders completed that 1955 race; only one British newspaper bothered to send a correspondent. Today, the recent triumphs of British cycling heroes Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish have brought the Tour to a whole new generation of fans. While men like Tom Simpson, Robert Millar and Chris Boardman have written their names into the record books alongside the sport's acknowledged greats.

In Roule Britannia, William Fotheringham, acclaimed biographer of Tom Simson, gives us the definitive account of British cycling's achievements in the Tour, through exclusive interviews with and profiles of all those who have completed the event. From Brian Robinson to Bradley Wiggins, Roule Britannia celebrates a nation's half-century-long affair with the greatest race of all.