Back in the heady summer of pre-covid 2017, our now editor and paragon of sports journalism virtue, Ned Boulting and a friend were sat having a coffee, discussing the state of cycling. They arrived at a startling revelation. Despite the beauty of road racing, its long and storied history, and its legions of dedicated fans; there did not exist a publication, in the style of the supremely successful Wisden Books, for cycling.
The sport was tailor made for this kind of publication, “It is so full of differences, anomalies, and peculiarities, but it is actually quite esoteric, and patterns emerge over the years. So, to pull it all together in a beautiful kind of hardback form and then pop it away for posterity seemed to be a good idea that would do great service to a sport that a lot of people admire greatly but don’t always understand.” (Ned Boulting speaking to Rouleur Magazine in 2023).
And so, Ned and The Road Book’s soon to be Managing Director Jonathan Marks, took the idea to several publishing houses who, despite loving the idea, couldn’t find a practical method of producing the book. However, indefatigable and irrepressible as ever, Boulting and Marks decided that they would just have to do it themselves. After some long and hard-fought debates (mostly on what colour it should be), The Road Book was born.
A comprehensive breakdown of the cycling season, placing it within its socio-political and historical context to ensure that no fact, statistic or event is ever forgotten. Not even the location of the closest Lidl to Lidl-Trek stage victories goes unmarked. The Road Book is a completely unique publication and a must have for any true cycling fan.
The Road Book, What is it?
Printed just 7 days after the final race of the WorldTour, the only comprehensive review of the cycling season is beautifully constructed by our team annually with care and flare.
Cumulatively to date, we have delivered nearly 6000 pages of in-depth race reports, exclusive essays, team profiles, infographics and much more that honour the season gone. This deep dive into the cycling calendar and its history from the pens of those who write it, is truly the love letter that the sport has long deserved and craved for.
Our stubbornly analogue hardback cycling almanack full of essays which truly are love letters to the sport. Our palmares of authors is one to match even the most prestigious of races and includes: Tadej Pogačar, Matej Mohorič, Mark Cavendish, Tom Pidcock, Lizzie Deignan, Marriane Vos, Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering.
Not just current pros have contributed, but also authors, journalists and cycling legends including Sean Kelly, Katy Magdwick, Edward Pickering, Peter Cossins, Matt Rendell, Daniel Friebe, Kit Nicholson, Max Leonard and many more. Whats more, we are immensely proud that each year, a different selection of contributors get to submit their work for publication, meaning that every year, our content is as fresh and forward thinking as possible.
Red vs Blue
We publish two versions of our almanack: the original, Red version, a staple of the calendar and covering each year chronologically since 2018; and Red’s little sibling the Blue Book. Our newest series, and soon to be released biannually, our blue books take the much-adored Road Book template and apply it to a monumental year from the sport’s history.
Ned hands over editorial duties, and another star name takes up the story, sharing their passion for the sport. Our first edition of this series was released in 2023 and focused on 1989: the year the Berlin Wall fell, and Greg LeMond won the Tour de France by 7 seconds, the smallest ever margin of victory. With essays penned by a pantheon of greats including a touching and incredibly personal piece by Kathy LeMond on her husband’s victory, our first Blue Book was a hit.
Join us for the Ride
We aren’t just a book, we’re a family. Members of our Road Book Society get exclusive content, early access to the latest books and maybe a few more treats in the near future! Ned did once promise to cook all 10,000 members dinner, but we’ll let him off that 10-pint post Tour de France promise for the moment!
Sign up here to get all the latest Journal content and Road Book related material.
