The view from the inside of one of the great sporting events

Although I am probably the least sporty person you will ever meet, I do very much enjoy watching professional road cycling. The climax of the season is always the Tour de France – three weeks of fantastic views and everyday drama. For many years the best way to watch this was via a nightly highlights show on Channel 4 which featured, as commentator, the journalist Ned Boulting. When Channel 4 announced that it would no longer make the nightly show it felt like the end of an era for the viewers and for the presenters too. It was at this point that the author wrote The Accidental Tour-ist which is about his coverage of the 2025 race but also his memories of the race and his connection with cycling over the years.

I think that someone coming to this book without a knowledge of the Tour might find themselves adrift a lot of the time. The author assumes that you have seen the show and that you know the main cyclists over the past twenty years or so. His anecdotes and stories about the Tour are amusing and often insightful. He doesn’t make light of the sporting achievements of the competitors but doesn’t delve too deeply into the dark and murky world of doping, etc. This is designed to be a feel good book and a tribute to a unique sporting spectacle and the author’s participation in the event.

Things that the author covers in the book include the careers of Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish – two of the recent great riders who ride as British although technically one is Manx and the other is Kenyan. The author also considers the other two great tours, but especially the Giro d’Italia on which he has also commentated. He discusses the rise of women’s cycling and the pleasure of the Flemish Classic one day races. He also talks about the logistics of commentating while following the tour and the need for fold up cycles on which he can try to cover parts of the route himself.

I loved this book because I have watched the race, with enjoyment, for over twenty years. This book will suit those who enjoy the Tour and want to celebrate it rather than to analyse it.