
Cycling Heroes
The Golden Years
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
David L. Stanley
-
By:
-
Les Woodland
About this listen
Les Woodland climbed aboard his old Carlton bike to take a nostalgia trip across Belgium and Holland to visit some of cycling's greatest riders. Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years tells the story of that journey he took in the early 1990s and the time he spent with some of the finest riders from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. Rik van Steenbergen, Rik van Looy, Jan Janssen, Wim van Est, Hennie Kuiper, and Peter Post were some of the most colorful and dominating riders of an era that produced many of the sport's greatest-ever champions. In this book Woodland has collected their and other riders' precious and fascinating recollections, some going back to a time of leather saddles, cloth caps, and spare tires wrapped over riders' shoulders; when screaming fans packed smoke-filled velodromes to see their heroes up close; when a stage of the Tour de France could take more than 11 hours. Woodland has filled in his portrait of racing's golden years with the stories of those riders who were either too far away or time got there first, including Fausto Coppi, Louison Bobet, Jacques Anquetil, and Raymond Poulidor. Join Les Woodland on a captivating journey back to the golden age of racing.
©1994, 2011 Les Woodland (P)2015 Les WoodlandListeners also enjoyed...
-
A Life Too Short
- The Tragedy of Robert Enke
- By: Ronald Reng
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why does an international footballer with the World at his feet decide to take his own life? On November 10, 2009, the German national goalkeeper Robert Enke stepped in front of a passing train. He was 32 years old. Viewed from the outside, Enke had it all. Here was a professional goalkeeper who had played for a string of Europe's top clubs, including Jose Mourinho's Benfica and Louis Van Gaal's Barcelona. Enke was destined to be his country's first choice for years. But beneath the veneer of success lay a darker story.
-
-
Depression is real, this story brings it home.
- By Bob Seavers on 12-13-19
By: Ronald Reng
-
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Out of the Shadow of Greatness
- By: Michael Hembree
- Narrated by: Robert Sams
- Length: 2 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of NASCAR's legendary racer - newly revised Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s name virtually assured that his life would not be ordinary. Over the past decade, he has fulfilled that destiny. His father, one of the most successful drivers in the history of international motorsports, gave his son more than his name. Dale Earnhardt Sr. placed Dale Jr. in position to follow the footsteps and tire tracks he had left from Darlington to Daytona, from coast to coast, from one championship to the next.
-
-
do better research
- By David Thom on 08-05-22
By: Michael Hembree
-
Sean Yates: It's All About the Bike
- By: Sean Yates
- Narrated by: Clive Mantle
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before Bradley Wiggins, there was Sean Yates. Behind Bradley Wiggins, there was Sean Yates. One of only five Britons to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, Sean Yates burst onto the cycling scene as the rawest pure talent this country has ever seen. After turning professional at the age of 22, he soon became known as a die-hard domestique, putting his body on the line for his teammates.
-
-
A story of a man in love with his bike.
- By E. J. Fronczek on 05-09-17
By: Sean Yates
-
Joey Dunlop
- The Definitive Biography
- By: Stuart Barker
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joey Dunlop's story is one of towering triumphs and desperate tragedies in almost equal measure. Born poor—dirt poor—with no running water, no electricity, he was the definition of the everyman hero, earning the title 'King of the Roads' in what must be considered one of the world's most extreme sports—motorcycle road racing. And as well as being voted Northern Ireland's greatest ever sportsman, he remains the most loved and most successful road racer of all time.
-
-
Well detailed story, and easy to follow.
- By Mark M. on 02-25-25
By: Stuart Barker
-
Go Like Hell
- Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans
- By: A. J. Baime
- Narrated by: Jones Allen
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the early 1960s, Ford Motor Company, built to bring automobile transportation to the masses, was falling behind. Baby boomers were taking to the roads in droves, looking for speed not safety, style not comfort, and Ford didn’t offer what these young drivers wanted. Meanwhile, Enzo Ferrari lorded over the European racing scene, crafting beautiful, fast sports cars that epitomized style.
-
-
Goldern age of racing
- By Dan R. on 01-26-15
By: A. J. Baime
-
The Secret Race
- Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs
- By: Tyler Hamilton, Daniel Coyle
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is an explosive book that takes us, for the first time, deep inside a shadowy, fascinating, and surreal world of unscrupulous doctors, anything-goes team directors, and athletes so relentlessly driven to succeed that they would do anything—and take any risk, physical, mental, or moral—to gain the edge they needed to win. The Secret Race is a riveting, courageous act of witness from a man who is as determined to reveal the hard truth about his sport as he once was to win the Tour de France.
-
-
Gripping and fascinating
- By Alan on 09-09-12
By: Tyler Hamilton, and others
-
A Life Too Short
- The Tragedy of Robert Enke
- By: Ronald Reng
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why does an international footballer with the World at his feet decide to take his own life? On November 10, 2009, the German national goalkeeper Robert Enke stepped in front of a passing train. He was 32 years old. Viewed from the outside, Enke had it all. Here was a professional goalkeeper who had played for a string of Europe's top clubs, including Jose Mourinho's Benfica and Louis Van Gaal's Barcelona. Enke was destined to be his country's first choice for years. But beneath the veneer of success lay a darker story.
-
-
Depression is real, this story brings it home.
- By Bob Seavers on 12-13-19
By: Ronald Reng
-
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Out of the Shadow of Greatness
- By: Michael Hembree
- Narrated by: Robert Sams
- Length: 2 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of NASCAR's legendary racer - newly revised Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s name virtually assured that his life would not be ordinary. Over the past decade, he has fulfilled that destiny. His father, one of the most successful drivers in the history of international motorsports, gave his son more than his name. Dale Earnhardt Sr. placed Dale Jr. in position to follow the footsteps and tire tracks he had left from Darlington to Daytona, from coast to coast, from one championship to the next.
-
-
do better research
- By David Thom on 08-05-22
By: Michael Hembree
-
Sean Yates: It's All About the Bike
- By: Sean Yates
- Narrated by: Clive Mantle
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before Bradley Wiggins, there was Sean Yates. Behind Bradley Wiggins, there was Sean Yates. One of only five Britons to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, Sean Yates burst onto the cycling scene as the rawest pure talent this country has ever seen. After turning professional at the age of 22, he soon became known as a die-hard domestique, putting his body on the line for his teammates.
-
-
A story of a man in love with his bike.
- By E. J. Fronczek on 05-09-17
By: Sean Yates
-
Joey Dunlop
- The Definitive Biography
- By: Stuart Barker
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joey Dunlop's story is one of towering triumphs and desperate tragedies in almost equal measure. Born poor—dirt poor—with no running water, no electricity, he was the definition of the everyman hero, earning the title 'King of the Roads' in what must be considered one of the world's most extreme sports—motorcycle road racing. And as well as being voted Northern Ireland's greatest ever sportsman, he remains the most loved and most successful road racer of all time.
-
-
Well detailed story, and easy to follow.
- By Mark M. on 02-25-25
By: Stuart Barker
-
Go Like Hell
- Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans
- By: A. J. Baime
- Narrated by: Jones Allen
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the early 1960s, Ford Motor Company, built to bring automobile transportation to the masses, was falling behind. Baby boomers were taking to the roads in droves, looking for speed not safety, style not comfort, and Ford didn’t offer what these young drivers wanted. Meanwhile, Enzo Ferrari lorded over the European racing scene, crafting beautiful, fast sports cars that epitomized style.
-
-
Goldern age of racing
- By Dan R. on 01-26-15
By: A. J. Baime
-
The Secret Race
- Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs
- By: Tyler Hamilton, Daniel Coyle
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is an explosive book that takes us, for the first time, deep inside a shadowy, fascinating, and surreal world of unscrupulous doctors, anything-goes team directors, and athletes so relentlessly driven to succeed that they would do anything—and take any risk, physical, mental, or moral—to gain the edge they needed to win. The Secret Race is a riveting, courageous act of witness from a man who is as determined to reveal the hard truth about his sport as he once was to win the Tour de France.
-
-
Gripping and fascinating
- By Alan on 09-09-12
By: Tyler Hamilton, and others
-
Catching the Sky
- By: Colten Moore, Keith O'Brien
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dust and prairie were abundant on the Texas Panhandle, the land that gave birth to generations of Moores. But instead of working the land or the cattle that fed upon it, the Moore brothers, Colton and Caleb, heeded another call. Their dreams, paired with hard work and family sacrifice, eventually became reality. The Moore brothers, with their boundary-exploding athleticism, innovation, and appetite for risk, became stars on the burgeoning freestyle ATV and snowmobile circuits.
-
-
Pulled at my heartstrings
- By Gloria on 01-25-16
By: Colten Moore, and others
-
Magic Spanner
- The World of Cycling According to Carlton Kirby
- By: Carlton Kirby, Robbie Broughton
- Narrated by: Carlton Kirby
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With a candid authority that comes from over 25 years commentating on the world's biggest cycling races, legendary Eurosport commentator Carlton Kirby isn't afraid to tell it like it really is. Witty, outrageous and often outspoken, Magic Spanner is an insider's view of life on cycling's Grand Tours, including the Tour de France, Giro D'Italia, Vuelta a España and the classics, all delivered in the inimitable style for which Carlton has become globally famous.
-
-
Engaging Delight
- By Amazon Customer on 05-30-24
By: Carlton Kirby, and others
-
My World
- By: Peter Sagan
- Narrated by: Sy Thomas
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Peter Sagan, at just 28 years of age, is already one of cycling's greatest riders of all time. With four Tour de France points jersey victories, three road-race world championships, the 2018 Paris-Roubaix, and multiple spring classics among Sagan's palmares, the world of cycling agrees that this intense, yet fun-loving rider is among the most dominant and fun-to-watch riders of his generation. In My World, for the very first time, bike racing fans will have the opportunity to glimpse behind the scenes of Sagan's cycling life.
-
-
The epilogue was awesome
- By BaldBrendan on 03-13-19
By: Peter Sagan
-
The Climb
- The Autobiography
- By: Chris Froome
- Narrated by: Patrick Doherty
- Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of the revealing, inspirational memoir from the British winner of the Tour de France. The Climb tells the extraordinary story of Chris Froome's journey from a young boy in Kenya, riding through townships and past wild animals, and with few opportunities for an aspiring cyclist, to his unforgettable yellow jersey victory in the 2013 Tour de France.
-
-
Lengai
- By michael on 08-21-14
By: Chris Froome
-
Slaying the Badger
- Greg LeMond, Bernard Hinault, and the Greatest Tour de France
- By: Richard Moore
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bernard Hinault is "Le Blaireau", the Badger. Tough as old boots, he is the old warrior of the French peloton, as revered as he is feared for his ferocious attacks. He has won five Tours de France, marking his name into the history books as a member of cycling's most exclusive club. Yet as the 1986 Tour de France ascends into the mountains, a boyish and friendly young American named Greg LeMond threatens the Badger - and France's entire cycling heritage.
-
-
A must read 4 cycling fans. Beware language.
- By James C. King on 12-02-18
By: Richard Moore
-
Jan Ullrich
- The Best There Never Was
- By: Daniel Friebe
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1997, Jan Ullrich announced himself to the world by obliterating his rivals in the first mountain stage of the Tour de France. So awesome was his display that it sent shockwaves throughout the world of cycling and invited headlines such as L’Équipe’s ‘The New Giant’. He went on to become Germany’s first ever Tour winner, storming to victory in that edition by almost 10 minutes, a result that was greeted as an era-defining changing of the guard. Everyone agreed: Jan Ullrich was the future of cycling.
-
-
Great account and valuable insights of a (sport) hero and his era
- By Louis M. on 07-27-23
By: Daniel Friebe
-
The Comeback
- Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France
- By: Daniel de Vise
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Greg LeMond stunned the sporting world by becoming the first American to win the Tour de France in 1986, defeating French cycling legend Bernard Hinault. Nine months later, LeMond lay in a hospital bed, his career as a bicycle racer seemingly over. And yet, barely two years after this crisis, LeMond mounted a comeback. In 1989, he once again won the Tour - by a narrow margin of eight seconds. It remains the closest Tour de France in history. The Comeback chronicles the life of this great American athlete, from his roots in Nevada and California to the heights of global fame.
-
-
Good book. Flawed reading.
- By david savage on 07-23-18
By: Daniel de Vise
-
The Limit
- Life and Death on the 1961 Grand Prix Circuit
- By: Michael Cannell
- Narrated by: Fred Stella
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Phil Hill, a lowly California mechanic who, defying all expectations, became the first American to win the Grand Prix championship. In the tradition of Seabiscuit and The Right Stuff, Cannell’s high-octane narrative evokes the lives of the daredevils who tempted fate each Sunday by driving well over 150 mph without benefit of seat belts or roll bars.
-
-
Great Intro to F1 History
- By Aser Tolentino on 01-19-13
By: Michael Cannell
-
Two Hours
- The Quest to Run the Impossible Marathon
- By: Ed Caesar
- Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two hours to cover 26 miles and 385 yards. Its running's Everest, a feat once seen as impossible for the human body. Now we can glimpse the mountaintop. The sub-two-hour marathon requires an exceptional feat of speed, mental strength, and endurance. The pioneer will have to endure more, live braver, plan better, and be luckier than any who has run before. Ed Caesar takes us into the world of elite runners: the greatest marathoners on Earth.
-
-
I liked it!
- By Amazon Customer on 05-07-16
By: Ed Caesar
-
Shut Up, Legs!
- My Wild Ride on and off the Bike
- By: Jens Voigt, James Startt
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beloved German cyclist Jens Voigt isn't a superstar in the traditional sense of the word. Although he won three stages of the Tour de France - and wore the yellow jersey twice - Voigt never claimed an overall victory. He became a star because he embodies qualities that go beyond winning and losing: sacrifice, selflessness, reliability, and devotion. European and American crowds were drawn to his aggressive riding style, outgoing nature, and refreshing realness.
-
-
Unlike Jensie, the performance lacks
- By Brian Muncy on 03-12-19
By: Jens Voigt, and others
-
The Art of Cycling
- By: Cadel Evans
- Narrated by: Alan King
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The autobiography of a cycling legend that will become a much-loved classic. The much-anticipated autobiography of the greatest Australian cyclist of all time. Famous in the sport for his meticulous preparation and an athlete who prided himself on his ability to leave it all on the road, Evans writes about the triumphs, the frustrations, the training, the preparation, the psychology of the sport, his contemporaries, the legends and his enduring love of cycling. A riveting and forensic account of his life on the bike....
-
-
A Favorite For Sure.
- By S. Gray on 04-14-21
By: Cadel Evans
-
The Way of the Runner
- A Journey into the Fabled World of Japanese Running
- By: Adharanand Finn
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It may come as a surprise to many people, but Japan is the most running-obsessed country on Earth. A 135-mile relay race, or ekiden, is the country's biggest annual sporting event. Thousands of professional runners compete for corporate teams in some of the most competitive races in the world. The legendary "marathon monks" run a thousand marathons in a thousand days to reach spiritual enlightenment. Yet so much of Japan's running culture remains a mystery to the outside world, on par with many of the unique aspects of contemporary Japan.
-
-
Learning the way of the Runner
- By techieguy on 11-10-16
By: Adharanand Finn
What listeners say about Cycling Heroes
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ger
- 01-20-16
dreadful storyteller
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
no,sorry most of the info I already knew,the man reading the story sound like a robot.
Would you ever listen to anything by Les Woodland again?
NO
How could the performance have been better?
GET A GOOD NARRATOR
Was Cycling Heroes worth the listening time?
NO
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- artur elias
- 04-23-16
bizarre punctuation
Perhaps it's just me, and English is not my mother tongue.
I would advise you to listen carefully to samples before buying anything from this particular narrator.
I found his habit of "putting commas" after almost every second word to be a major obstacle to enjoying this book, sometimes even to following the story line.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!