Review: Road Book 2021

Edited by Ned Boulting

Words: Andy Thornley
Images: Road Book

Review: Road Book 2021

If you’re looking for that perfect Christmas gift for the obsessive cycling fan, then you’d do well to find something better than the Road Book 2021.

Cycling is a sport driven by numbers; time gaps, watts, heart rate, speed, wind - the list goes on. So, a book that covers the key facts from every World Tour race (both men’s and women’s) gives plenty to pour over.

The word almanac conjures up images of Biff Tannen in the movie Back to the Future. The Road Book, edited by Ned Boulting, is so much more than just a list of results, however.

As well as statistics from each race, the book is peppered with contributions - or ‘essays’ from an impressive host of experts; from journalists like Daniel Friebe to champions like Dame Sarah Storry, Tom Pidcock and Tadej Pogačar. It really is the authoritative record and commentary of top-level cycle racing in 2021.

Another nice touch is the obituaries section, each page chronicling in some detail the life of those we lost over the past year. It's a reminder that life is both finite and fragile.

Celebrating the highest level of achievement, the book features awards for male and female riders of the year (Julian Alaphilipe and Lizzie Armistead respectively), voted for by a panel including Tour de France Chief, Christian Prudhomme. There is also a fans award, handed to Mark Cavendish - something that will no-doubt make up for the mind-boggling decision to omit him from the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award this year.

Upon receiving a copy to review, Simpson was in touch with one World Tour order’s dad  - sharing a picture of the page showing his son’s achievements in the Tour. The response that came back was that they already had the book on order as he too wanted this comprehensive record. We think there’s no better endorsement of the book than this.