Climbers: Pain, Panache and Polka dots in cycling’s greatest arenas

When a journalist asked Marco Pantani during the 1998 Tour de France why he climbed so fast, the Pirate simply replied: “To shorten my agony.” That single line captures the essence of cycling’s purest specialists — the climbers. The men and women who dance up mountains, suffer more than anyone, and somehow make it look beautiful.

In Climbers, award‑winning cycling writer Peter Cossins explores the psychology, mythology and evolution of the sport’s most captivating athletes. Why do we revere them? What sets them apart? And how do they see themselves as they battle gravity, weather and their own limits on the world’s hardest roads?

Working chronologically, Cossins traces the development of mountain‑climbing from its earliest heroes to the modern era. He blends contemporary race reporting with fresh interviews from the last 50 years — including Cyrille Guimard, Hennie Kuiper and Andy Schleck — offering rare insight into what it takes to excel on the steepest slopes. Unlike many cycling histories, Climbers also shines a light on the women who have defined the discipline, from Ashleigh Moolman‑Pasio and Annemiek van Vleuten to Fabiana Luperini and Amanda Spratt.

The book digs deep into the personalities behind the performances, revealing how climbing is both a physical and psychological battle — a solitary struggle fought in unforgiving terrain, where every pedal stroke demands absolute commitment.

Captivating, insightful and rich with cycling lore, Climbers is the ultimate guide to understanding the athletes who turn suffering into art.