100 years, 100 contributors

THE GIRO 100 is a unique – and uniquely personal – evocation of the race for pink. In realising it, award-winning author Herbie Sykes undertook his own Tour of Italy, meeting with one hundred of the race’s constituents. They are the champions and gregari, the superstars and the nearly-men, their wives, lovers and tifosi. Then there are the kingmakers and journalists, the sponsors and officials, those who have loved the race and a few who abhorred it. Together their testimonies represent a journey to the heart of the spectacle, but this is a journey with a difference. In a departure from cycling convention, they were invited to open their scrapbooks, family albums and cupboard drawers. There are no sweeping views of the Dolomites, no cliché portraits of Coppi, Merckx or Pantani, no anodyne agency fodder. Instead the photography conjures the spirit, pathos and beauty of the greatest show on earth. And, more poignantly, it speaks of the lives conditioned by it.

“No matter how many books about the Giro you might have already read, Giro 100 is worth adding to the tally. It's a perfect complement to any other book about the Giro as there is so little overlap – even when covering the same stories. An extraordinary collection of unusual stories about the Giro, told by 100 of its less well known participants.”

– Richard Peploe, road.cc

“The Giro 100 is probably the saddest, sweetest, funniest and most thoughtful cycling book I've yet reviewed for the Café Bookshelf. For English-speaking cycling fans, it's the Giro d'Italia book that effortlessly shows you why the corsa rosa matters.”

– Feargal McKay, Podium Café