Review
How much would you be willing to sacrifice for a chance at achieving your life's dream? Would you be willing to destroy someone you love in the process?
For most of us the dream of achieving Olympic glory goes no further than wishful thinking. For the characters in Chris Cleave's
Gold, however, Olympic success is more than just a daydream; it's almost assured. Jack, Kate and Zoe are world-class bicyclists who've trained all their adult lives for a shot at winning gold in the biggest competition there is. Jack – at the top of his field – is hoping to keep his top spot on the UK men's team, Kate and Zoe are looking for one on the women's. At the same time, there's a heated personal competition, pitting one friend against the other, as both women jockey to win Jack's love. It goes without saying that in both love and world-class competitions, there can be...
Beyond the Book
The first velodrome was built around 1870 in Brighton, England. The word velodrome derives from
velocipede (Latin: fast foot), which is the term used to describe any human-powered land vehicle with one or more wheels; and
drome, from the Latin
dromus meaning racecourse.
There are thousands of velodromes in the world, both indoor and outdoor, located everywhere from Europe to Tahiti which vary in shape, size and materials used - inexpensive tracks are usually made out of concrete, tarmac or even cinder, while world class tracks tend to be made out of timber or synthetics; but to be considered an Olympic or World Championship velodrome the track must be 250m, consisting of two steeply banked semi-circular bends connected by two straight stretches....
