The Race Against Time by Edward Pickering, book

Cycling Weekly Verdict

The Scot suffered from depression but always hid it by playing the quirky inventor. Similarly, Boardman did nothing to change the public's perception of him as the emotionless robot. The Race Against Time goes in search of what was really going on behind the scenes.

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By Cycling Weekly

published 11 July 2013

It was an unwritten rule that only great champions could attempt the Hour record: Desgrange, Petit-Breton, Coppi, Anquetil and Merckx. But on July 17, 1993, an unknown Scot on a bike made out of bits of old washing machine broke that rule and the record.

Six days later, a Liverpudlian - better known for winning the Olympic pursuit - on a space-age carbon-fibre bike, stole it from him.

Twenty years on, the time is right to tell the story of the men who rode the machines. Ex-Cycle Sport journalist Edward Pickering tracks down all the key figures, including Chris Boardman and Graeme Obree themselves, to examine the legendary rivalry. ?A very human tale emerges: ?two men apparently diametrically opposed in their approaches are in the end not so different in their desire to succeed.

Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.