French Revolutions

I am reading "French Revolutions", not set in centuries past but in the current millennium and is about a British journalist who decides to follow the route of the Tour de France prior to the actual event. I have to say that I haven't laughed so much while reading a book for ages, and I have been receiving weird looks on the train whilst reading it.

The subject matter would generally not be of interest to me but the fact that the author had no previous experience of cycling, did not know all the terms and was not familiar at all with all the technical wizardry associated with a high spec racing bike all struck a chord with me. He was also as unfit as I am now and he's managing to get round so far (I'm only on chapter 3) but it's giving me encouragement for May. It's very well written and highly amusing, although the French are not coming out of it too well at the moment; the author has a particular disdain for the Tour de France press office....and rightly so due to their obstructive ways!

I'm also reading The Cloudspotter's Guide which I would recommend as an occasional dip. It's also very well written and amusing. Not cycling related but there again I would now recognise an approaching storm cloud and that could come in handy when in Northern France.