From Lance Armstrong's incredible comeback from cancer to Tom Simpson's death on the slopes of Mont Ventoux, the Tour has been the stage for some of sport's most monumental triumphs and the scene of some of its darkest hours.

Since Maurice Garin's inaugural victory in 1903, hundreds of thousands of kilometres have been covered in pursuit of the yellow jersey - cycling's holy grail - and few have been without incident or drama.

This is a no-holds-barred look at the wheeling and dealing, the rivalries and controversies that have given the race its unique colour, not to mention neck to thigh slippery Lycra, gaudy alien headwear, aerodynamic neoprene pixie boots and space age carbon fibre bicycles weighing less than a dinky toy but costing more than a family car.

Matt Rendell's vivid and entertaining narrative chronologically combines the Tour's golden legends with tales from its dark side, capturing the true and often surreal spirit of the world's most arduous race.

(Quercus, paperback, £7.99)