Ventoux - Softcover

"His book manages to be funny, shrewd and moving, with a complex structure that never feels cumbersome, and a finale so intense that you want to read it very slowly, almost one word at a time." --The Guardian

"If only my every pedal stroke up Ventoux was as enjoyable as every turn of the page of its namesake book. Where the novel succeeds most is in its wonderful blend of humour, suspense and poignancy, which will appeal to non-cyclists as well as those of us who understand what it takes to scale a mountain as evocative, daunting and symbolic as Mont Ventoux. Every cyclist should take on Ventoux - both the mountain and the book - at least once in their lives. In my eyes, Ventoux is right up there with Tim Krabbe's The Rider and yet it's not such a solitary, brutal and bleak experience - for the raft of characters conjured up by Wagendorp gives you the impression that Ventoux is a journey you're experiencing with a group (or in my case, a gruppetto) of friends. I would recommend this to anyone - especially as an accompaniment to the Tour de France." --Felix Lowe, author of Climbs & Punishment (Bantam Press)

"For years [Tim Krabbe's The Rider] stood alone, but this month has seen the publication of fellow Dutch writer Bert Wagendorp's Ventoux... The reviews suggest that Krabbe finally has some competition." --Daunt Books Blog

"The contrast is made between cycling ordered, mechanical, just you and the bike and the treacherous uncertainties of life. The group's first cycle up Ventoux was just supposed to be fun, but instead it changed their lives profoundly. The novel Ventoux is the story of how another ride might help to set the characters' lives on a new (and better) course." --We Love This Book

"Ventoux is a stunningly accurate depiction of male friendship told in a subtle and sensitive style. This feel-good novel about old friends who find their way back to each other is a delightful and easy read. Especially recommended for cycling aficionados who will recognise Mont Ventoux as the scene of many classic races through the years." --Battle Books

"A beautifully rich story with cycling at its heart... It's an extraordinary novel that stands out as a great piece of fiction." --Ride Velo

"A touching and well-crafted novel about friendship and life, that's also got some bikes in it." --Road CC

"It's a book about lost friends and lost friendships... I loved the references to cycling and music at the time." --Winstonsdad's Blog

"Personal journeys, triumphs, of tragedies, humour, success and of disaster and of course, of cycling. It's a novel which grips you, it's a novel which makes you think, and it's a novel which makes you reflect on your own choices. And it is a novel well worth reading." --Road Cycling UK

"If you think of yourself in any way as a road cyclist, you need to acquire and read a copy of this book." --The Washing Machine Post

"One of those books I just know I shall read again one wet winter's afternoon." --Wheel Suckers

"A captivating, inspiring, humorous, yet saddening, real life account." --Life in the Saddle

EENMALIGE, MOOI GEBONDEN CADEAU-EDITIE

'Het is ruim dertig jaar geleden dat de foto werd gemaakt, op de camping van een klein plaatsje in de Provence, een dag voor Joost, Peter en ik de Mont Ventoux beklommen. Achterop staat: "Kamperen in Bédoin, juni 1982. V.l.n.r. David, Peter, Laura, Bart, Joost, André." Op de achtergrond zie je een blauwe bungalowtent en een klein oranje trekkerstentje. Tegen een hek staat een racefiets. Het meisje draagt een rode bikini en witte teenslippers. Er speelt een verlegen lachje om haar lippen, alsof ze er niet helemaal gerust op is dat juist dit moment wordt vereeuwigd.'

Op 25 juni 1982 verongelukt de jonge, veelbelovende dichter Peter Seegers op de Mont Ventoux. Dertig jaar later gaan zijn vijf beste vrienden, vier mannen en een vrouw, terug naar de Provence. André heeft een loopbaan als cokedealer voor de betere kringen achter de rug. Joost is natuurkundige en winnaar van de Spinozapremie, maar hij wordt beschuldigd van fraude. De Achterhoekse Surinamer David is eigenaar van een avonturenreisbureau, misdaadjournalist Bart werkt aan een boek over Spinoza en fietsen. Laura, die na de dood van Peter spoorloos verdween, blijkt toneelregisseur in Arezzo.
Wat is er dertig jaar geleden gebeurd? Kun je keuzes teniet doen? Wat doet de tijd? Wat ís de tijd? Kan liefde een hechte vriendschap breken? Kun je schuld hebben aan het noodlot? Wat moet je nog, als de vijftig nadert?
Waarom gaan ze terug?
En verder: word je gelukkig van de snaartheorie, wat had de actrice Dominique Sanda met Friedrich Nietzsche en hoe ziet de inrichting van Caffè San Marco in Triëst eruit?
Loopt in het leven wel eens iets goed af?