The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing Free

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Seller Rating:. About this Item: Paperback. Condition: Good. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Seller Inventory GOR More information about this seller Contact this seller 1. Condition: Fine. More information about this seller Contact this seller 2. About this Item: Condition: As New. Unread book in perfect condition. Seller Inventory More information about this seller Contact this seller 3. About this Item: Condition: New. Seller Inventory n. More information about this seller Contact this seller 4. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. More information about this seller Contact this seller 5. Published by Mousehold Press About this Item: The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing Press, Condition: Brand New. In Stock. More information about this seller Contact this seller 6. More information about this seller Contact this seller 7. More information about this seller Contact this seller 8. Seller Inventory zk More information about this seller Contact this seller 9. Ships with Tracking Number! May be re-issue. May not contain Access Codes or Supplements. May The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing ex-library. Buy with confidence, excellent customer service!. More information about this seller Contact this seller Published by Mousehold Press, United Kingdom Condition: New. Language: English. Brand new Book. For a century professional cycle racing on the Continent has been shaped by a complex relationship between three groups: newspapers and television which organised the races and reported them; industry which sponsored the teams of riders; and the riders themselves. They have always needed each other but, because their interests are different, they have continually been in conflict with one another. The one interest they do share is in endowing cycle racing with its unique character - its emphasis on heroism and an extraordinary willingness on the part of the rider to suffer. So, the stories about the races and the riders have always been somewhat taller than the reality. In this most elegant and insightful book, Dutch sociologist Benjo Maso identifies the truth behind the legends of cycle racing, and the Tour de France in particular, as he effortlessly weaves this compelling history of the sport. Seller Inventory ACD The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing added to your basket View basket. Proceed to Basket. View basket. Continue shopping. Title: sweat gods myths legends bicycle. Results 1 - 11 of United Kingdom. Search Within These Results:. Add to Basket New Condition: New. Create a Want Tell us what you're looking for and once a match is found, we'll inform you by e-mail. Create a Want BookSleuth Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. The Sweat Of The Gods: Myths And Legends Of Bicycle Racing by Benjo Maso

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. And so another Tour The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing France draws to a close. The excitement of three weeks of racing gives way to reflection. Old myths are already being reappraised. New myths have already been defined. Some traditions have been defied. Some traditions have been reasserted. But how do the sport's myths and traditions take hold? And how do they hold on for so long? Benjo Maso's The Sweat of the Gods goes back to the earliest bike races in an attempt to answer those questions. He's equally strong on the massive changes the sport went through in the eighties. Weaknesses : Maso is perhaps a tad too Tour-centric for this to be considered a real history of bike racing in general. The chief model for every sports journalist ought be Homer: a poet who knew how to turn a fight between two bands of robbers over a slut into an immortal epic. Evert Straat. If you're ever in Paris, pop along to the Parc St Cloud. The St Cloud races were not the first in France, merely the first widely reported. And the race won by Moore was the second to be held that May day, the first being won by some now-forgotten The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing. As Maso points out: "In the history of cycle sport, fabrications crowded out the facts from the very outset. What should have been a monument to the birth of bicycle racing is in reality The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing monument to its first myth. Where do cycling's myths come from? How do they survive? These questions are central to The Sweat of the Gods but don't let that lead you to believe that this is a dry, dull academic tome. It isn't. Yes, it doesn't dwell on an awful lot of on-the-bike action, and in those instances where it does it does so only to point out why what we think we know is wrong. But Maso is by no means a killjoy, determined to destroy the sport's myths. He is well aware of the positive power they exert. That is the reason, too, why it continues to renew itself today without losing its special character. In scarcely any other sport does tradition seem to play a more important role. Maso's view is based on seeing cycling as a constant struggle between three different interest groups: newspapers and television which organises the races and reports them; industry which sponsors the teams of riders; and the riders themselves. The way these three groups operate together is easily illustrated with reference to the Paris-Rouen, generally accepted to have been the first proper point-to-point road race. The organising journal saw its circulation rise in the run up to the race and immediately afterwards. The bicycle manufacturers who put up the prize money and, in some cases, sponsored The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing, were able to piggyback on the popularity of the event to publicise themselves. And the riders had the chance to win in one day a sum of money it would have taken a school-teacher a year to earn. Immediately it was clear that, working together, all three groups would gain. But the issue of who would gain the most soon saw them trying to assert their authority over one and other. Something they continue to do to this day. The British riders were amateurs and as a condition of entry they insisted that professional riders be excluded. While the Corinthian spirit ruled in Britain - it was the best way of keeping working class oikes out of sport - in France, if you were any good you turned pro and earned a living from sport. By refusing to race against pros, the British riders were not defending the Corinthian spirit, they were simply making sure that the best French riders of the day wouldn't have the chance to upstage them. Excluding the French pros also left them free to be picked up to act as pacers for the British riders, with the sponsors underwriting this cost. Those sponsors didn't want to see British-made bikes being beaten by French-made ones. So shortly after he set about organising the 1,km Paris- Brest-Paris. Giffard was nonplussed by the fact that this would leave him only a handful of French pros who could truly be considered potential winners: "Giffard actually wrote that it was altogether possible that victory would go to a complete unknown, a Sunday cyclist with better understanding and more stamina than the trained athletes. This notion of creating heroes The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing heretofore heroes had not existed was picked up by the writers at l'Autowhen they came to organise the Tour de France. The sponsors had no problem with The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing - it was cheaper to sign-up some unknown than a reigning champion. For the riders, either you were one of the new heroes and so saw only an upside, or you were one of the older heroes who saw no threat from an endeavour as crazy as the Tour. L'Auto 's success in creating giants of the road demonstrated the power of the written word. But it wasn't just the written word that created cycling's myths and legends. But that photo helped see Vietto declared the moral winner of the Tour. No matter how much even Henri Desgrange tried to make nonsense of this notion, the myth endured. As George Briquet noted: "A legend is born and no one will dare to attack it. It is too effecting. Even film can generate new myths, as Maso points out when he considers an exploit from the Tour. The clip Maso looks at is of Hugo Koblet. Nothing like Brive-Agen had ever happened before, and it has never happened again. This image is cut with "chaotic images of the pursuing group. What Maso finds when he digs beneath the surface is a peloton completing the stage not broken up by a high-speed chase but in close formation. Still photographs show Koblet's Swiss team-mates at the front of the pelotoncontrolling the pace, slowing things down. He finds that Louison Bobet lost three minutes to a mechanical fault yet was still able to regain the chasing peloton. So why didn't the other riders protest at this false portrait? Because it flattered them as much as it flattered Koblet. If you are going to be beaten, it is better that you be seen to be beaten by a supreme, super-human effort rather than to have lost because you took your eye off the ball and failed to chase when you should The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing. As long as all sides The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing benefit from a myth, then that myth will endure. TV images have, in some ways, robbed the sport of its myths. Why is Eddy Merckx considered inferior to Fausto Coppi? With him, what you got was what you saw. Even so, the TV age can still misrepresent reality. What a gesture! That was fantastic! The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing putting his arm on that shoulder! That smile! Oh, how beautiful this is! How beautiful sport can be! How splendid this is! It's fantastic to be seeing this! It's magnificent! It's fantastic! The only reason Hinault and LeMond were holding hands that day was to stop them stabbing each other in the back. Beyond the role of the media, Maso has a lot to say on other subjects. He is particularly strong on the early struggles between sponsors and race organisers, particularly in the Tour but also in the Giro d'Italia. Of more recent years, he argues that the arrival of big money - which he dates to Francesco Moser's hour record in - reduced the importance of the post-Tour criterium circuit. This in turn has resulted in Tours in which riders undertake fewer exploits, no longer needing to gain the attention of the criterium organisers. Consequently, the Italian catenaccio system has been able to take hold: "The hope of a victory is often completely overshadowed by the fear of a loss. All risks are to be avoided. Every unnecessary exertion is forbidden, especially because the differences in strength are so small. Cycling's power structures have changed and the role of the sport's governing bodies needs to be added into the mix. The roles of sponsors and race organisers have evolved, the one lessening in import the other growing. Maso's take on doping in the sport "Riders didn't want to talk about it, journalists didn't want to write about it and fans didn't want to know about it. But until someone comes along and writes that book, then Maso's book is the next best thing. You'll find an interview with Benjo Maso on the Cafe Bookshelf. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. By choosing I Acceptyou consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Filed under: Cafe Bookshelf. Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. Loading comments Share this story Twitter Facebook. The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing by Benjo Maso | LibraryThing Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. An elegant history of Continental cycle racing by Dutch sociologist The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing Maso. He explores the relationship between the newspaper organisers of the races, industry which sponsors the teams, and the riders themselves. They have always needed each other but, because their interests are different, they have continually been in conflict. Get A Copy. More Details Original Title. Other Editions 3. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Heerlijk als je een terechte klassieker pas later ontdekt! Over de verschillen tussen Italiaans en Frans wielrennen, heroiek en tragedie en tegelijk gewoon een uitstekend overzicht van de ontwikkeling van het wielrennen, actueel tot aan de Girowinst van Tom Dumoulin in ! Klassieker in de wielerliteratuur, die voor het eerst lezers een ander perspectief over het wielrennen gaf ipv van alleen de helden verhalen die je van buiten zag. In die zin is het een van de oerboeken van de Nederlandse wielerliteratuur. Zelf vond The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing vooral de hoofdstukken over het verre verleden interessant, want over de echte oertijd wist ik nog weinig. De recente hoofdstukken na horen er uiteraard bijook voor de spiegel die z Klassieker in de wielerliteratuur, die voor het eerst lezers een ander perspectief over het wielrennen gaf ipv van alleen de helden verhalen die je van buiten zag. De recente hoofdstukken na horen er uiteraard bijook voor de spiegel die ze geven over de latere jaren. Maar voor een beetje wielervolger staat er weinig nieuws in. Bescheiden klassieker onder de Nederlandse sportboeken. Vooral de eerste hoofdstukken, over het ontstaan van de wielersport en de machtige hand van de scribenten, zijn memorabel, hoewel ook achterin pareltjes zijn aan te treffen: van wielernamen als Knut Knudsen en Choppy Warburton tot een staande uitdrukking als 'een Poulidor', het Franse equivalent van 'Adri van der Poel'. De recente geschiedenis - van de nadagen van Merckx tothet jaar van verschijnen van Het zweet der goden The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing is soms a Bescheiden klassieker onder de Nederlandse sportboeken. De recente geschiedenis - van de nadagen van Merckx tothet jaar van verschijnen van Het zweet der goden - is soms achterhaald, hoewel Maso het dan al nakende failliet van de wielersport niet alleen aankondigt - The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing, commercie, uitholling van de schrijvende pers - maar ook duidt. Een van de Pelissier geldt volgens socioloog Maso als stijlicoon: hij 'ontdekte' hoe The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing witte wielersokken en bruine spierbundels combineren. Mar 03, Akin rated it it was amazing Shelves: non-fictionsports. Idiosyncratic and extremely enjoyable survey of continental cycling and, it should be noted, another excellent translation from the independent Mousehold Press. Cycling has always been pulled between national chauvinism and crude albeit inevitable commercial considerations, the author argues. The press, in its inimitable The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing serving manner, has often exacerbated rather than mediated these tensions. Benjo, a Dutch sociologist, does not concentrate on the traditional heroes understandable, g Idiosyncratic and extremely enjoyable survey of continental cycling and, it should be noted, another excellent translation from the independent Mousehold Press. Benjo, a Dutch sociologist, does not concentrate on the traditional heroes understandable, given the book's subtitle but evokes the spirit of the age through revealing sketches of equally influential sidemen - Henri Desgrange, the irascible Pelissier brothers, Bernard Tapie, Raymond Riotte Along the way, he explains exactly why Greg LeMond shanked Jonathan Boyer in the Worlds - and why no one cared; the enduring and enhanced myth of Anquetil and Pou-Pou; and sticks pins, convincingly, into any number of treasured stories. Feb 02, Chris Harrison rated it really liked it. As Maso quotes journalist Evert Straat, "The chief model for every sports journalist ought be Homer: a poet who knew how to turn a fight between two bands of robbers over a slut into an immortal epic" and this tome is full of such insight. A brief history of the racing world on two wheels, Maso's central premise isn't that history is written by the winners, it's that history is written by the winner's sponsors and that we get the stories that are paid for and that would sell newspapers, make goo As Maso quotes journalist Evert Straat, "The chief model for every sports journalist ought be Homer: a poet who knew how to turn a fight between two bands of robbers over a slut into an immortal epic" and this tome is full of such insight. Probably one for the purists and with much background knowledge is assumed, this is a valued addition to my cycling library. Aug 26, Aaron rated it liked it. The Sweat of the Gods has some interesting history about bicycle racing especially on the Tour de France. The most interesting parts of the book concerned the early pre-Tour riders and also the true stories behind some of the myths of road cycling. It only covers races up to Mar 18, Khalid Chaudhry rated it it was amazing. Look p. Jun 28, Cyclingart rated it it was amazing. One of my favorite books on the Tour, captivatingly written leaving you wanting more. Jul 23, Andreas rated it really liked it Shelves: fakta. Mont Tombleson rated it liked it Sep 19, Sam rated it it was ok Sep 06, Marnix rated it liked it Sep 27, Floris rated it really liked it Jul 26, Eddy rated it really liked it Oct 28, Jo rated it really liked it Jun 24, Richard rated it really liked it Aug 10, Roger rated it really liked it Dec 28, Jeroen Pont rated it really liked it Dec 04, Joris Bakker rated it really liked it Mar 23, Cb rated it it was amazing Nov 07, Theo rated it really liked it Mar 27, Richard rated it really liked it May 18, Diedjr Vermeulen rated it really liked it Jul 27, Connie Leliveld rated it really liked it Jul 24, Lennart rated it really liked it Jul 22, Mertelam rated it really liked it Nov 28, Klaas Bottelier rated it liked it Dec 14, Alessandro Sutcliffe rated it really liked it Feb 22, Nichiless Dey rated it really liked it Nov 11, Rob rated it really liked it Sep 26, There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Readers also enjoyed. About Benjo Maso. Benjo Maso. Books by Benjo Maso. 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