Bloomsbury to re-publish cycling classic The Rider

Bloomsbury Publishing is to re-publish Dutch author Tim Krabbé’s cycling classic The Rider in June, with the aim of bringing it to a "whole new audience".

The publisher will release the book simultaneously in a "stunning" hardback edition including a special fold-out jacket in the shape of bicycle wheel (priced at £18.99) and a new paperback edition (priced at £8.99).

Originally published in Holland in 1978, The Rider has since been translated into 10 languages, with Bloomsbury the first to publish in English.

"Charting a gripping 137-kilometre race from the narrator’s perspective, it is a loving, imaginative and passionate tribute to the art of cycle racing that is best read at a break-neck pace", the publisher said.

Editor Nick Humphrey said: "Tim Krabbé’s The Rider is already beloved by cyclists and non-cyclists alike and is regularly listed as one of the best sports books of all time. We’re confident that these stunning new editions, published in perfect time for the cycling season, will confirm its reputation as a modern classic."

Bloomsbury will publish on 16th June.