The Rider

 The Rider

By Tim Krabbè

I actually bought this book. It was recommended to me by Mark Ericson, a new teacher at our school with

whom I've gone a few bike rides. He is a die-hard. He came to Vermont from LA, where he commuted to work everyday, a tradition he's kept up in Woodstock.

The book is a 150-page account of a 150-kilometer bike race through the mountains of France. It is told from the perspective of one Tim Krabbè; it is a little unclear how autobiographical it is. It is almost stream of consciousness, toggling back and forth between the rider's "sporting history" as a child and young man and thoughts about racing strategy. Krabbè very much wants to win this race. 

It is a slim novel, but I will say that I found it a bit of a slog at times. It is filled with suffering, emotional and physical as Krabbè tries to pull off his first win at a well-known race. But while reading the last thirty pages, I found my palms sweating and my heart racing. I, too, desperately wanted Krabbè. Spoiler alert: He doesn't, falling 10 cm short after a sprint to the finish. It is heartbreaking, and the reader is left wondering: will Krabbè get back on the bike?

This one left me: A) Pretty firm in my belief that bicycle racing isn't for me; and B) Wanting to read some of Krabbè's other work.