London Sports Writing Festival

11:00-12:00: BIKE FIT: OPTIMISE YOUR BIKE POSITION WITH PHIL BURT

The last day of the Festival is devoted to cycling. We start with an unmissable opportunity to meet Phil Burt, Head Physiotherapist at British Cycling and Team Sky Consultant. This is your chance to hear from the expert on how to maximise your bike position, performance and avoid injury. Phil’s book, Bike Fit, just published, will prove to be an invaluable resource for all cyclists, whether professional or keen amateurs.

12:30-13:30: THE CYCLING ANTHOLOGY

Professional cycling is a rich, dynamic and often controversial sport that lends itself to great writing. Some of the most famous and illustrious races were founded by newspapermen and The Cycling Anthology continues this tradition by bringing together the best in the business. Join the contributors of the most recent volume, Ellis Bacon and Lionel Birnie, as they talk about this year’s competitions including the Tour de France, Vuelta and Giro. Between them, these writers have covered hundreds of Tours de France and written dozens of excellent books and some have even ridden the Tour. Here, their work is showcased together in an unmissable event.

14:00-15:00: BLOWING THE LID ON LANCE ARMSTRONG AND CYCLING’S DOPING CULTURE

Thought you’ve heard everything you need to hear on this subject? Think again. Emma O’Reilly was the soigneur (masseur) to Lance Armstrong and so witnessed first-hand the scandal that surrounded him. Today, she has rebuilt the relationship. In her recently published book, which has attracted widespread praise from a cycling community already overrun with memoirs, Emma talks about the labour of the soigneur which is exhausting and frenetic. Hosted by Jeremy Whittle, this event will be insightful, and will offer an opportunity to re-evaluate one of the most explosive moments in cycling history.

15:30-16:30: THE RACE AGAINST THE STASI

Amidst the cynicism and justifications comes this heartbreaking memoir of how one of the world’s most talented cyclists risked it all for love. Dieter Wiedemann looked set to rule the world in 1960. He was the pin-up for socialism in his native East Germany, a podium finisher in The Peace Race (the equivalent of the Tour). But it all changed when, in 1964, he was selected as part of the qualifying team for the Tokyo Olympics. Dieter seized the moment and defected to the West. Whist he fulfilled his lifetime ambition of racing in the Tour de France, the Stasi sought to repatriate him. The family he had left behind him would go on to suffer years of interrogation and fear. This is his story, told by Herbie Sykes. Join Dieter and Herbie, as they talk to The Guardian’s Richard Williams about how the sacrifices he made continued to have repercussions for decades.

17:00-18:00: A CLEAN BREAK

Christophe Bassons is a former professional cyclist. His career was a successful one albeit never in the full glare of the media. That all changed when, in 1998, the Festina doping scandal broke and Bassons shot to fame as one of the handful of clean riders in the peloton – and as the only professional who dared to speak openly about the topic. Join him in conversation with Daniel Friebe as Bassons’ talks about how his decision saw an end to a promising career and a life in exile. The event will be hosted by Jeremy Whittle.

18:30-19:30: THE BREAKAWAY

A retirement statement from a sports star rarely causes a flicker, but Nicole Cooke went out as she rode her bike: giving it her all. Nicole took aim. The only rider ever to have become World and Olympic champion in the same year, and the first British cyclist to have been ranked World No.1, but as a woman in a man’s sport, her exploits gained little recognition and brought no riches. Like many of her male counterparts, she too had ridden through this dark period for the sport when drug-taking was everywhere. Nicole Cooke spoke up for those who had taken a very different path to. In her frank and outspoken autobiography, Cooke reveals the real story behind British cycling’s rise to global dominance. With a child’s dreams of success, she left home at 18 to pursue her goals in Italy. Broken contracts, unpaid wages, a horrendous injury and drugs cheats were just some of the challenges she faced, even before she lined up to take on her opponents. The Breakaway is a book that will inspire and challenge. Nicole will be joined on stage by Brendan Gallagher.

20:00-21:00: RIDING THE GRAND TOURS

A triumphant end to our Festival as cycling’s own Tim Moore, Max Leonard and Richard Moore close the weekend with a look at Riding the Tour. This event will be hosted by Sky’s Orla Chennaoui.

This looks unmissable
http://www.londonsportswritingfestival.com/?page_id=66

It's today.
Anyone here going to this?
( @lynx you still going?)

Damn! I would have gone to this, but I spent the day at a race organisers' meeting.

There's always next year I suppose.

Great day!

Most moving book goes to Herbie Sykes for Race Against The Stasi:

Cycling hero of the day: Christophe Bassons

The Lance award for saintliness goes to Emma O'Reilly

The marginal gains award to Phil Burt

British Tour de France showing goes to Paul Watson

More pics