We Were Young and Carefree

Oct 6, 2024 12:13 PM

Author:Laurent Fignon

'Ah, I remember you: you're the guy who lost the Tour de France by eight seconds!'

'No monsieur, I'm the guy who won the Tour twice.

The international bestselling autobiography of the legendary French cyclist Laurent Fignon

Two-time winner of the Tour de France in the early eighties, Laurent Fignon became the star for a new generation. In the 1989 tour, he lost out to his American arch-rival, Greg LeMond, by an agonising eight seconds.

In this revealing account, the former champion spares nobody, not even himself, and pulls back the curtain on what really went on behind the scenes of this epic sport - the friendships, the rivalries, the betrayals, the parties, the girls and, of course, the performance-enhancing drugs. Fignon's story bestrides a golden age in cycling: a time when the headlines spoke of heroes, not doping, and a time when cyclists were afraid of nothing.

‘Sports book of the year: He's ruthlessly honest, about himself and about cycling, and he provides a gripping insight into an unrelenting hard world’ Independent

Reviews

Astonishing. The twice winner of the Tour de France bares his soul, exploring the ups and downs of life as a champion, the world of competitive cycling, and his own failings

—— Libération

Sports book of the year: He's ruthlessly honest, about himself and about cycling, and he provides a gripping insight into an unrelenting hard world

—— Independent

This book is both a poignant farewell and as well as a rare glimpse of Fignon and his world in his own words

—— London Cyclist

Sports book of the year: magnificent, baffling, wonderful

—— Sunday Herald

Often touching and, above all, very funny

—— L'Equipe

The most poignant sports book of the year

—— Metro

Full of marvellous anecdotes about aching leg muscles, the drive to win, defeat and pride - the essence of competitive cycling

—— le Monde

William Fotheringham's translation is, like Fignon himself, elegant and vivid

—— Guardian

In this sympathetic portrait he comes across as clever, warm and witty man

—— Independent on Sunday

A revealing account of friendships, rivalries and doping scandals from one of the giants of modern cycling

—— Cycling Weekly

A fine account of a sparkling career in the saddle

—— Sunday Business Post

A fine account of a professional sport on the verge of fundamental change

—— Times Literary Supplement

A gripping insight into an unrelenting hard world

—— Independent

A stylish, whimsical and ultimately tragic jaunt through one of cycling’s golden ages

—— Daniel Friebe , Outdoor Fitness

Laurent Fignon gives cycling fans a fascinating glimpse of what really went on behind the scenes of this epic sport

—— Cycle Sport

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