The Story of the 1926 Tour de France

We Rode All Night tells the incredible story of the 1926 Tour de France – the longest, toughest Tour ever ridden – through the voices of those who experienced it. The eagerly awaited sequel to Gareth Cartman's first novel, We Rode All Day, this is a stunning portrait of loss, endurance and the indomitable human spirit.

June 1926: the 20th Tour de France. A brutal 5,745km race from Evian to Paris, a Tour that will test the limits of human endurance. Thunder and rain are lashing the Pyrenees. Riders – muddied, bloodied and beaten – start to drop out of the race. Men are found shivering in cabins as night falls, and race organiser Henri Desgrange has to make a call. Does he leave them to their fate, turn a blind eye or mount a rescue operation? We Rode All Night is the story of those who took part in that fateful Tour – told in their own voices. We ride with Lucien Buysse, grieving father and erstwhile domestique as well as with two-time champion Ottavio Bottecchia. Andre Drobecq, the lanterne rouge of the Tour, riding to save his bike shop while his pregnant wife wires him funds to survive. Tactician and future national team manager Marcel Bidot, riding his first Tour. And Desgrange himself, losing control over the Tour he created. This is a story of fathers and daughters, of sacrifice and salvation – of riding through the darkness until you find the light.