Cycling History
uncovered like never before
From riders drinking wine mid-stage and surviving blizzards on the Gavia, to epic peloton betrayals and the modern chaos of Chris Froome on Mont Ventoux.
Drawn from decades of archives, The Cycling Iceberg is a 432-page chronological deep-dive into the sport's most obscure and scandalous moments. It leaves no cobblestone unturned, bringing the hidden layers of cycling history to the surface.A definitive guide for both lifelong fanatics and newcomers to the peloton.
Inside the Iceberg
The Hardest Milan-San Remo Ever
It was 6 a.m. on April 3, 1910, in central Milan. The fourth edition of Milan-San Remo was about to begin, but the weather was horrendous. Heavy rain poured down, and reports of a snowstorm on the route loomed over the riders. Of the 256 registered cyclists, only about 70 showed up for the start.
As the competitors approached the foot of the Turchino Pass, the rain turned to hail and snow. The riders were woefully unprepared for such conditions, dressed in wool jerseys and short bibs. The 26-km-long climb turned into a true nightmare. The unpaved roads quickly became impossible to ride. Many riders dismounted, pushing their heavy bikes up the climb through snow and icy slush.
Frozen to the bone, the leaders began to crash on the descent. French rider Eugène Christophe was rescued by the owner of a roadside tavern, who undressed him and tried to warm his half-frozen body. The race was over for almost everyone. But Christophe made up an excuse to the innkeeper, put on a fresh pair of trousers, and stepped back out into the blizzard...
Noah van Putten
About THe author
Growing up in Sweden, Noah van Putten’s connection to professional cycling was limited to summer afternoons watching the Tour de France on TV with his grandmother. That all changed in 2011. While attending classes in a Dutch Rabobank building, he walked to see Thomas Voeckler overshoot a corner on the big screens and fly onto a parking lot. That moment got him hooked for life.
For the next decade, the sport became his passion. Noah joined his local cycling club, and spent nearly every weekend racing across the country with his family by his side. Even after stepping away from the competitive Junior ranks, his love for the peloton, and its rich, obscure history, remained stronger than ever.
What started as a fun brainstorming session with friends soon turned into a massive historical project on social media. Noah spent three years diving into archives to map over 200 of the sport's greatest hidden tales. The Cycling Iceberg is the culmination of that journey, turning a lifelong passion into a 432-page flight through cycling history.