{"product_id":"god-is-dead-the-rise-and-fall-of-frank-vandenbroucke-cyclings-great-wasted-talent-9780552176040","title":"God Is Dead: The Rise and Fall of Frank Vandenbroucke, Cycling's Great Wasted Talent","description":"\u003cb\u003e-SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2022-\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'How doping killed cycling's 'golden boy'. A shocking, clear-sighted and sympathetic account of a talent destroyed by drugs.' \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Sensitive yet compelling.' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThey called him God. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eFor his grace on a bicycle, for his divine talent, for his heavenly looks. Frank Vandenbroucke had it all, and in the late nineties he raced with dazzling speed and lived even faster.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe Belgian won most of cycling's most prestigious races, including Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Paris-Nice, enthralling a generation of cycling fans. Off the bike, he only had one enemy - himself. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHis rise to prominence coincided with a rampant period of doping and Vandenbroucke had a wayward streak. He regularly fell out with team managers and had all-night party sessions mixing sleeping pills and alcohol. A drugs scandal started a long fall from grace, leading to addiction, car crashes, court appearances, marital problems and suicide bids, punctuated by sporting comebacks. His life was like a soap opera and its premature ending shocked many. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn October 2009, aged thirty-four, Vandenbroucke was found dead in a Senegalese hotel room - in mysterious circumstances. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLed by candid contributions from his closest family, friends and associates, William Hill award-winning author Andy McGrath lays bare Vandenbroucke's turbulent life story. \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGod is Dead\u003c\/i\u003e is the compelling biography of this mercurial cycling prodigy.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e-\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'With his talent, Frank is the Johan Cruyff of cycling. He could win anything.' \u003cb\u003eEddy Merckx\u003c\/b\u003e, FIVE TIMES WINNER OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Captures the charisma and chaos of Vandenbroucke's short life perfectly.' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCyclist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'A cautionary tale. Gripping yet harrowing.' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBikeradar\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Transworld\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/27\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780552176040\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 304\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.48lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.90h x 5.08w x 0.81d","brand":"Andy McGrath","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52715386405045,"sku":"9780552176040","price":19.54,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/god-is-dead-the-rise-and-fall-of-frank-vandenbroucke-cyclings-great-wasted-talent-9780552176040","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}