Icons: My Inspiration. My Motivation. My Obsession.

Icons: My Inspiration. My Motivation. My Obsession.
Bradley Wiggins

With a foreword by Eddy MerckxThe world of professional cycling is fraught with fierce competition, fervent dedication and unerring ambition, and only a handful of competitors reach iconic status. Among them is Sir Bradley Wiggins – a man uniquely placed to reflect on the history of this remarkable sport and its unforgettable titans.In Icons, Wiggins takes the reader on an extraordinarily intimate journey through the sport, presenting key pieces from his never-before-seen collection of memorabilia. Over the course of his illustrious career, he amassed hundreds of items – often gifts from its greatest and most controversial figures. Each reflects an icon, a race or a moment that fundamentally influenced Wiggins on both a personal and professional level.By exploring the lives and achievements of 21 of the sport’s key figures – among them Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Miguel Induráin and Tom Simpson – Wiggins sheds new light on what professional cycling demands of its best competitors. Icons lauds their triumphs, elucidates their demons and sheds light on the philosophy and psychology that comprise the unique mindset of a cycling champion.

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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2018

FIRST EDITION

© Bradley Wiggins 2018

Jacket design by James Empringham © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018

Jacket photographs (front, left to right) Roger-Viollet/Topfoto, Agence France Presse/Getty Images, Imago Sportfotodienst/Imago/PA Images; (back, left to right) Presse Sports/Off side, Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images, © AGIP/Bridgeman Images, courtesy of Elisabetta Nencini

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Source ISBN: 9780008301743

Ebook Edition © October 2018 ISBN: 9780008301750

Version 2018-10-12

CONTENTS

Cover (#u6fcb12f2-1aee-573a-b8e4-20d82861114c)

Copyright (#ulink_2d70ecb2-4862-5e7c-a552-736366256b96)

Title Page (#u86d598ed-992c-5a3c-b9fc-f1eda3017a13)

Foreword: Eddy Merckx (#litres_trial_promo)

Introduction (#ulink_19b49526-0eff-5069-9b5f-6fa614c44921)

1. Johan Museeuw (#ulink_e8c4cf96-b781-5c09-bb8e-befc824a729f)

2. Franco Ballerini (#ulink_c565d133-6486-5f5e-9209-7b9a0395bb9d)

3. Chris Lillywhite (#ulink_194924d2-78b2-59f7-9779-e17ef3818f52)

4. Miguel Induráin (#ulink_ff4ba4fb-42b6-5627-b05c-b99e274fedc9)

5. Sean Yates (#ulink_5618f057-681d-5690-ae48-80ac623b0bae)

6. Eddy Merckx (#litres_trial_promo)

7. Patrick Sercu (#litres_trial_promo)

8. Tom Simpson (#litres_trial_promo)

9. Barry Hoban (#litres_trial_promo)

10. Phil Edwards (#litres_trial_promo)

11. Francesco Moser (#litres_trial_promo)

12. Gianni Bugno (#litres_trial_promo)

13. Lance Armstrong (#litres_trial_promo)

14. Jacques Anquetil (#litres_trial_promo)

15. Gastone Nencini (#litres_trial_promo)

16. Felice Gimondi (#litres_trial_promo)

17. José Manuel Fuente (#litres_trial_promo)

18. Luis Ocaña (#litres_trial_promo)

19. Hugo Koblet (#litres_trial_promo)

20. Fabian Cancellara (#litres_trial_promo)

21. Fausto Coppi (#litres_trial_promo)

Afterword (#litres_trial_promo)

Glossary of Cycling Terms (#litres_trial_promo)

List of Searchable Terms (#litres_trial_promo)

Picture Credits (#litres_trial_promo)