P. Bouvet, P. Brunel et S. Laget. L'Équipe, 224 p., 2005.

As far as I'm concerned, these are the Tourmalet, the Aubisque, the Galibier and the Izoard. For others they're the Puy de Dôme, l'Alpe-d'Huez, the Ventoux or the Ballon d'Alsace. It all depends. What they have in common is that they're all mythic – because the History (with a capital H!) of the Tour de France was written there. Mythic too because we don't know too much. We're not sure what it really means to pass over them on the bicycles of former times – or equally those of tomorrow – before thousands of crazy spectators. Totally crazy. But we know that the hairpins which mark their suffering have magically made the difference between the great and the even greater. The mountains give birth to idols : Coppi, Bahamontes, Van Impe and Virenque.

Three guys from l'Équipe who know what they're talking about have got together to produce this magnificent large format book, abundantly illustrated : everything you need to inspire your dreams. So what do we have here? Spectacular feats of arms, presented with poetry and emotion; in short, sweat, magnificence, epics, dramas.

Guy Thibault