King of Sports Paperback

"There is no other book in the English language entirely devoted to describing this complex sport. I thought it was high time we had one."

In 1967 Peter Ward crashed in a training ride. While recovering, he wrote the iconic King of Sports: Cycling Road Racing, which hasn’t been republished since – until now.

Sixty years ago, King of Sports provided up-and-comers, trainers and veterans with a tried and tested methodology towards not just training and racing, but the lifestyle to go with it. Ward was ahead of his time – he preached the benefits of clean living, while breaking down exactly what that means; he urged his readers to seek out yoga, for ‘you will discover much that will benefit you as a cyclist, and it will lead you to a fuller life.’

Ward’s detailed graphs, diagrams and meticulous listings of equipment and nutrition offer today’s tech-fiend cyclist a snapshot into the work ethic of a 1960s amateur cyclist. It demonstrates how far the sport has come, yet how much it has remained unchanged.

This new edition, reimagined for a twenty-first century audience, features a Foreword by former UCI and British Cycling president Brian Cookson, an extended biography of the author, and restored original hand-drawn artwork and photography.

‘This book is so comprehensive it could be termed the “Encyclopedia of Cycling’
Peter Buckley (1944-1969), winner of the British & Commonwealth Road Race 1966

‘Every cyclist and keen sportsman will be the poorer without this book on their shelves’
Les West, British Cycling Hall of Fame

‘At last, racing cyclists in this country have an authoritative book to guide them to success’
Eddie Soens (1912-1985), bicycle maker and former coach of British team