L A N C E / The Making of the World's Greatest Champion

John Wilcockson, author of Lance

John Wilcockson has reported the Tour de France for more than forty years, written for publications as diverse as Outside, Men’s Journal, and The Times of London, and edited the world’s leading competitive cycling magazine, VeloNews.

He is the author of a dozen books, including 23 Days in July, one of ESPN’s “Top 10 Sports Books of the Year.” He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

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cover of '23 Days in July' - click to read more

Praise for 23 DAYS IN JULY by John Wilcockson

“Whether you are one of those Americans who got turned on to international cycling with the incredible ascendancy of Lance Armstrong or a long-time cycling geek, you will enjoy "23 Days in July" by Boulder's John Wilcockson, a detailed portrait of the Texan's triumphant, record-breaking win in the 2004 Tour de France…it's a nice examination of the race's history and, in Wilcockson's vivid prose, a kind of travelogue for the lovely country traversed by the world's top cyclists every summer”
—Boulder Daily Camera

“Wilcockson smartly looks back at some of the Tour’s great moments and explores how it has changed because of its recent "Lance-ification." While Wilcockson mostly celebrates Armstrong and the Tour, he doesn’t shy away from the doping scandals and accusations that have haunted both Armstrong and the race over the years, and he does give Armstrong a chance to answer his critics. A well-crafted book.”
—Publishers Weekly

“It's very much like one of Samuel Abt's books about individual Tours, and that's high praise indeed.”
—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“[With] unabashed ease Wilcockson chronicles Lance Armstrong’s unprecedented sixth straight victory…scandals and intense rivalries are also a part of the Tour’s appeal, and Wilcockson weaves them all together in an entertaining account of the race----20 stages, and 2107 miles of madness and magic.”
—Sports Illustrated

"Filled with expert detail and rich with history, Wilcockson knows the Tour as well as any journalist alive."
—ESPN

“John Wilcockson knows the race inside and out. This day-by-day account of the 2004 Tour is rich in technical detail, yet remains accessible to the casual cycling fan.”
—USA Today