When Geoff Thomas struggled to play a friendly game of tennis while on holiday in Mallorca in May 2003, he thought little of it. Recently retired as a footballer, he believed it was a sign of ageing and perhaps a pulled muscle. But when the pain wouldn't go away, his wife Julie persuaded him to go to a doctor. He was diagnosed as having leukaemia. RIDING THROUGH THE STORM focuses on his journey round the Tour de France in the summer of 2005, riding the 2,240-mile course in the 21 days it takes Lance Armstrong and all the top cyclists, despite never having cycled much before. Despite the odds against him achieving it, he rode the course and raised nearly 200,000 for charity. As he rides, he looks back on his successful career as a footballer, and the bone-marrow transplant that saved his life. This is a powerful, moving and inspirational story of extraordinary achievement.
Riding Through The Storm
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"Thomas's tone is particularly engaging and chatty... a down-to-earth and compelling account" (BIG ISSUE )
About the Author
Geoff Thomas played for seven clubs in a football career of almost twenty years, but he was most closely associated with Crystal Palace, who he led to the FA Cup Final in 1990. He won nine caps for England. In July 2003 he was diagnosed with leukaemia, and on being given the all-clear decided to ride in the Tour de France in 2005.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By L. Callaghan
Format:Hardcover
This book will appeal to everyone, whether you are a fan of cycling, football, or inspirational stories about battling cancer. Personally I am not a football fan, so my first real "introduction" to Geoff Thomas was seeing an interview conducted throughout the ITV coverage of the 2005 Tour De France. Having read all of the Lance Armstrong autobiographies, I was interested to see Geoff's story compared - and I was equally as inspired by this book.
Each chapter is titled after the corresponding stage of his 2005 Tour and contains a delicate balance of anecdotes about the stage, his football career, his battle against Leukaemia and some of the fellow sufferers he has met since undergoing treatment - done in such a way that it did not make me want to put the book down, or fast forward the discussion of your football career.
I see that Geoff is undertaking another Tour this year and he will certainly be getting my backing again this time round, especially after reading this... Chapeau Geoff!!
Each chapter is titled after the corresponding stage of his 2005 Tour and contains a delicate balance of anecdotes about the stage, his football career, his battle against Leukaemia and some of the fellow sufferers he has met since undergoing treatment - done in such a way that it did not make me want to put the book down, or fast forward the discussion of your football career.
I see that Geoff is undertaking another Tour this year and he will certainly be getting my backing again this time round, especially after reading this... Chapeau Geoff!!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By J. Skinner
Format:Hardcover
Geoff Thomas is without doubt an inspirational character and his ride of the Tour de France route is a superhuman effort. Raising money for cancer and aiding his recovery are feats of pure heroics.
I picked up the book expecting it to be a focus on the ride and the battle against leukemia. It's a mixed bag and I was left with the feeling that it tried to cram to much into too few pages, it was autobiography, ride highlights vs. low points and the cancer battle story.
For me it had too much emphasis on the football, the missed chip against France is an obvious and overstated sore point and in places the narrative repeats itself or contradicts itself in a short space. On meeting Graham Taylor again at Wolves, we are told that he grinned as if to say we meet again Geoff, a few pages later we are told that when they met again Graham Taylor said ahh we meet again. I suppose the editing of the book lets it down.
There are great moments concerning the ride such as when the fans emerge from their camper vans late in the night to cheer the riders up the final climb of the day. You get a sense of the suffering endured everyday and I suppose that the ride is one long punishment with a few noteworthy events occuring every other day.
Just to ride one stage of the Tour is a great achievment for an experienced rider but for Geoff and the team to do it after only six months of cycling and training is a hats-off colossal thing - good for you Geoff.
I picked up the book expecting it to be a focus on the ride and the battle against leukemia. It's a mixed bag and I was left with the feeling that it tried to cram to much into too few pages, it was autobiography, ride highlights vs. low points and the cancer battle story.
For me it had too much emphasis on the football, the missed chip against France is an obvious and overstated sore point and in places the narrative repeats itself or contradicts itself in a short space. On meeting Graham Taylor again at Wolves, we are told that he grinned as if to say we meet again Geoff, a few pages later we are told that when they met again Graham Taylor said ahh we meet again. I suppose the editing of the book lets it down.
There are great moments concerning the ride such as when the fans emerge from their camper vans late in the night to cheer the riders up the final climb of the day. You get a sense of the suffering endured everyday and I suppose that the ride is one long punishment with a few noteworthy events occuring every other day.
Just to ride one stage of the Tour is a great achievment for an experienced rider but for Geoff and the team to do it after only six months of cycling and training is a hats-off colossal thing - good for you Geoff.
By Sydneysider
Format:Kindle Edition
Loved this book, inspired me to put a whole lot more effort into my riding. Have re read it a couple of times now.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not your typical football autobiography
This is a very different sporting "autobiography". Even as a Crystal Palace supporter, Geoff Thomas, although an excellent player for Palace, summed up what English football was... Read more
Published on 6 Sep 2009 by M. Gardiner
5.0 out of 5 stars
A humbling read
Whenever you feel that life is throwing things at you that you can't handle, take a read of this book. Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2009 by Mr. P. Haslam
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not wholly about cycling
Very simply, the book splits into three areas : Geoff's disease and his fight against it, his football career and cycling / Le Tour. Read more
Published on 27 July 2009 by Mr. Neil Warren
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