Icons: My Inspiration. My Motivation. My Obsession.
Written by Bradley Wiggins
Narrated by Bradley Wiggins and Tom Watt
4.5/5
()
About this audiobook
With a foreword by Eddy Merckx
The world of professional cycling is fraught with fierce competition, fervent dedication and unerring ambition, and only a handful of competitors reach iconic status. Among them is Sir Bradley Wiggins – a man uniquely placed to reflect on the history of this remarkable sport and its unforgettable titans.
In Icons, Wiggins takes the reader on an extraordinarily intimate journey through the sport, presenting key pieces from his never-before-seen collection of memorabilia. Over the course of his illustrious career, he amassed hundreds of items – often gifts from its greatest and most controversial figures. Each reflects an icon, a race or a moment that fundamentally influenced Wiggins on both a personal and professional level.
By exploring the lives and achievements of 21 of the sport’s key figures – among them Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Miguel Induráin and Tom Simpson – Wiggins sheds new light on what professional cycling demands of its best competitors. Icons lauds their triumphs, elucidates their demons and sheds light on the philosophy and psychology that comprise the unique mindset of a cycling champion.
Bradley Wiggins
Bradley Wiggins grew up in Kilburn in London. As a junior he won the World Junior Pursuit title before going on to win seven Olympic medals including four gold medals spanning four games, and seven World Track Championship titles. In 2012 he became the first Briton to win the Tour de France, a feat that Sir Chris Hoy described as 'the greatest sporting achievement' by a British athlete. He was awarded the OBE in the 2005 New Year's honours list and the CBE in 2009. He currently lives in the north-west of England with his wife, Cath, and their two children, Ben and Isabella.
Related to Icons
Related audiobooks
The Call of the Road: A Complete History of Cycle Road Racing Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Draft Animals: Living the Pro Cycling Dream (Once in a While) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jan Ullrich: The Best There Never Was Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Obsessive Compulsive Cycling Disorder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Descent: My Epic Fall from Cycling Superstardom to Doping Dead End Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shut Up, Legs!: My Wild Ride On and Off the Bike Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5MIKE REILLY Finding My Voice: Tales From IRONMAN, the World’s Greatest Endurance Event Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Run to Overcome: The Inspiring Story of an American Champion's Long-Distance Quest to Achieve a Big Dream Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It's All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Relentless: Secrets of the Sporting Elite Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Break: Life as a Cycling Maverick Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAround the World on a Bicycle Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Race of Truth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Year of Running Dangerously Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Laura Trott and Jason Kenny: The Inside Track Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Training for the Uphill Athlete: A Manual for Mountain Runners and Ski Mountaineers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lights Out, Full Throttle: The Good the Bad and the Bernie of Formula One Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Boy: Stirling Moss: A Life in 60 Laps Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Cycling Plus: Power List: Episode 6 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDriven: A pioneer for women in motorsport – an autobiography Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Cycling Plus: Hammer and Cycle: Episode 9 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRunning Smart: How Science Can Improve Your Endurance and Performance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cycling Plus: Britain's Scot Talent: Episode 14 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMurray Walker: Unless I’m Very Much Mistaken Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5C. C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race: The True Story of the 1928 Coast-to-Coast Run Across America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Best Seat in the House Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ask a Pro: Deep Thoughts and Unreliable Advice from America's Foremost Cycling Sage Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Cycling For You
Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Miles from Nowhere: A Round the World Bicycle Adventure Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Around the World on a Bicycle Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bicycle/Race: Transportation, Culture, & Resistance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It's All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Brompton: Engineering for Change Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The World's Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's First Black Sports Hero Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pro Cycling on $10 a Day: From Fat Kid to Euro Pro Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Shut Up, Legs!: My Wild Ride On and Off the Bike Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ask a Pro: Deep Thoughts and Unreliable Advice from America's Foremost Cycling Sage Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Slaying the Badger: Greg LeMond, Bernard Hinault, and the Greatest Tour de France Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Road I Ride: Sometimes It Takes Losing Everything to Find Yourself Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Break: Life as a Cycling Maverick Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMountain Biking: The Ultimate Guide to Mountain Biking For Beginners MTB Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Ride: Racing 2,725 Miles to Mexico Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry's Extraordinary Ride Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Daring Book for Girls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cycling King Alfred's Way: A Piece of Cake? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBiking Across America: My Coast-to-Coast Adventure and the People I Met Along the Way Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One More Croissant for the Road Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Descent: My Epic Fall from Cycling Superstardom to Doping Dead End Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sprinting Through No Man's Land: Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo: A unique climbing and cycling adventure to the summit of Ecuador Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Did Not Finish: Misadventures in Running, Cycling and Swimming Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5End of the Road: The Festina Affair and the Tour that Almost Wrecked Cycling Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Icons
6 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I started watching the Tour just after Sir Bradley retired so never saw him compete in person. His book piqued my interest not only because of my scant knowledge about him but also because of his portrayal of those cycling legends whose prowess and personality built up the allure of the sport. These 21 brief sketches filled out quite a few gaps in my knowledge and succeeded in making me want to learn more. Some of these icons are still fraught with controversy (Lance Armstrong, for example) but Wiggins defends their place in his list by contextualizing their performances during their own eras and by sharing his own perspective as a former professional cyclist. Big props to the narrator for his characterization of Wiggins as that of a regular bloke from humble beginnings whose cycling dreams came true...almost.