Beast, the Emperor and the Milkman

Cycling is wildly popular all over Belgium, but in the northern, Dutch-speaking half of the country it is part of the psyche. Tiny Flanders boasts a population of just 6 million, yet this small corner of northwest Europe has produced eight winners of the Tour de France, five times as many professional riders as Italy or Spain.

Blending reportage, interviews, observation, biography, and history, and written with affectionate humor by a committed Belgophile, The Beast, the Emperor and the Milkman tells the story of Flanders' neurotic love affair with bike racing, from tough early heroes such as Jules Vanhevel--wounded by mortar fire in World War I and leading the world championship road race until he collided with a cow--to latter-day ironmen such as Tom Boonen, three-times winner of the Tour of Flanders and owner of a pet donkey named Kamiel.

Ciclismul este extrem de popular in toata Belgia, dar in nordul tarii care vorbeste olandeza face parte din psihic. Tiny Flanders se mandreste cu o populatie de doar 6 milioane de locuitori, totusi acest mic colt din nord-vestul Europei a produs opt castigatori ai Turului Frantei, de cinci ori mai multi calareti profesionisti decat Italia sau Spania. si scris cu umor afectuos de un belgofil angajat, Bestia, imparatul si laptele spune povestea aventurii nevrotice a Flandrei cu cursele de biciclete, de la eroi timpurii duri precum Jules Vanhevel - ranit de focul de mortar in primul razboi mondial conducand cursa rutiera a campionatului mondial pana cand s-a ciocnit cu o vaca - la oameni de fier din zilele din urma, precum Tom Boonen, de trei ori castigator al Turului Flandrei si proprietar al unui magar animal de companie pe nume Kamiel.