Synopses & Reviews
Bob Roll, lovingly known by his fans as Bobke (correctly pronounced "BOOB-kuh"), is best described as the gonzo voice of professional cycling. With wry wit, Roll captures the very essence of the sport and gives us an insider's guide to what it takes to ride in the peloton.
Bobke II revisits all of the original Bobke journals of Roll's wild rides and crazy tales about cycling's uncensored side as well as his crazed poetic commentary following his retirement from the peloton. His newest additions cover topics held reverent in cycling as well as those hardly related to the sport. Bobke tips his cap to the classic riders and races, takes us on a grueling week of training with Lance Armstrong, tells the sport as he sees it, and entertains us with plenty of ditties and rants in between. Hold on, because it's a zany, often absurd, yet compelling commotion.
Bob Roll is a man of many pursuits: former Tour de France racer and mountain bike competitor; training partner of Lance Armstrong during his comeback from cancer; columnist in VeloNews; television commentator, interviewer, and writer for the Outdoor Life Network; and a sometime coach, TV commercial star, bit part movie actor, storyteller, and inspirational speaker. He currently resides in Durango, Colorado.
Review
"Not a day passes in the life of Bob Roll without a little good time commotion."--
Outside magazine"Bob has a fine eye for the absurd nature of racing a bicycle for a living." --Ned Overend, professional mountain bike racer
"All things considered, Bob is a pretty damn good writer."--Daryl Price, professional mountain bike racer
"Bob Roll is the consummate team player and one of the most 'gentlemanly' riders that I know of in the peloton. He has suffered through countless races helping riders such as Andy Hampsten win the Giro with nary a whimper about little exposure he gained for his toils. He follow the 'code of respect' that the European 'profis' demanded of their peers. Bob was always there when you needed him but never in the way! The consummate professional."--Alex Stieda, former 7-Eleven teammate of Bob Roll
Synopsis
This new collection from cyclist Bob Roll reflects his unique perspective on the professional racing circuit and his own brand of dry humor. Straightforward yet sly, funny but perhaps a little crazy, Roll calls it like he sees it. Here are anecdotes about the Tour de France, international mountain-bike tournaments, training struggles, heart-stopping fascinating inside look at the world of championship cycling.
Synopsis
Bob Roll--former Tour de France racer, well-known scribe, and race announcer--is back to cause a ruckus!
Bobke II (correctly pronounced "BOOB-kuh") revisits all of the original journals of Roll's wild rides and crazy tales about cycling's uncensored side.
When Bobke retired from competition, his pen continued the crazed poetic commentary, and Roll's newest additions cover both topics held reverent in cycling and also those that are hardly related to the sport. Bobke tips his cap to the classic riders and races, takes us on a grueling week of training with Lance Armstrong, tells the sport as he sees it, and entertains us with plenty of ditties and rants in between. It's a zany, often absurd, yet compelling commotion.
About the Author
Bob Roll, known to racing fans as Bobke (boob-ka), is a former Tour de France racer and member of the U.S. Cycling Hall of Fame. He is the author of two books on the wild side of racing, Bobke and Bobke II, and is a wildly popular bicycling commentator for the Outdoor Life Network.Dan Koeppel has been writing for more than 20 years about bikes, bike racing, and outdoor adventure for National Geographic Adventure, Bicycling, Men's Journal, and ESPN: The Magazine. He was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 2003.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Dan Koeppel
Way Out West
The Day the Big Men Cried
One Racer's View
Believe or Leave
Blind Faith Was my Motto at the '86 Tour
Springtime in Hell
Bobke on the Defensive
Lostin the Jemez
Bobke Takes to the Dirt
Deep Down Ditty with Bobke
Living in a Lactic-acid Crippling Haze
Euro' Trashed
Dream Season
Nerves + Neurosis
Rhythm is a Racer
The Watch
The Sport According to Bobke
The "Water Hole" Revisited
One Heli Tour
Bobke's Back!
Dry Bread Wants a Harley
Lance and the Dipped in Ding-dong Doodle Down in Dixie
Nine Guesses
A Day at the Fair
The Night before Amstel
Into the Twenty-first Century
51 Things to Do before You Die
Eurotrash and the Texas Tornado
Training Tips with Bobke
Il Becca Bartalese, Following in Coppi's and Bartali's Tracks
About the Author