The Breakaway

The Breakaway

Publishing The Breakaway was a case of wresting victory from the jaws of defeat. One of the book’s sub-plots is the breakdown in my relationship with fellow traveler, “Drew” (as he’s known in the book). The trip wasn't entirely to blame for the friendship’s failure but it certainly exacerbated, and opened my eyes to, differences that existed between us.

Drew was my best friend and the end of the friendship was pretty depressing. It over-shadowed my opinion of our trip, and it took me a while (and a good deal of nagging from my girlfriend, Gaby) to come back around to the idea of publishing the diary as a book.

As I say in the introduction, the mountains of the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia truly left their mark. They changed me, mentally, physically and emotionally (helping me to see through the grief I was suffering as a result of my father’s death from cancer). I’d watch Tours and Giros on TV and recognise (even indistinct sections of) the roads up which Drew and I had suffered and soared. 

Eventually time passed,the summer sunshine burnt away the cloud and I could more clearly see the positives. I took Gaby’s advice and returned to the trip diary. A read-through left me buzzing with pride, often laughing out loud, shedding a tear or two, amazed at what we’d achieved and pining to be back on the high roads of Europe. This, I realised, really is a story worth telling.

And hopefully others will find that it’s a story worth reading.

Click here to preview or purchase The Breakaway on Amazon (you can read it on a Kindle, or on a laptop, iPad, etc using the Kindle app).