Put Me Back on My Bike: In Search of Tom Simpson

Tom Simpson wasn’t just a great British cyclist — he was the trailblazer. Olympic medallist, world champion, the first Brit to pull on the iconic yellow jersey… and a rider whose fierce will to win pushed him to legendary heights and, tragically, to his early death during the 1967 Tour de France.

In Put Me Back on My Bike, bestselling cycling writer William Fotheringham digs deep into Simpson’s life, career and contradictions. From his charm and style to his openness about banned substances and the controversies that followed, this is a gripping look at the man behind the myth.

Fotheringham retraces Simpson’s steps, revisits the people who knew him best, and unpacks why “Major Tom” still casts such a long shadow over British cycling. This fully updated edition includes a new foreword and postscript that shed even more light on the truth behind the legend.

If you’re into cycling history, sporting drama or simply a powerful human story, this is the definitive Simpson biography — and one of the most celebrated cycling books ever written.