Ned Boulting

Ned Boulting on 1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession

This August, renowned commentator of the Tour de France, Ned Boulting joins us in St Andrews to discuss his latest book, 1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession.

When Ned Boulting bought a length of Pathe news film featuring a stage of the Tour de France from 1923 he set about learning everything he could about it. Once restored it became clear it was a short sequence of shots from stage 4 of the 1923 Tour de France. No longer than 2.5 minutes long, it featured half a dozen sequences, including a lone rider crossing a bridge.

1923, in parts travelogue, history, and mystery story, follows Boulting as he explores the history of cycling and interwar France - meeting characters like Henri Pelissier, who won the Tour that year, but who would later meet a tragic and shocking fate, and Theophile Beeckman - that lone rider on the bridge.

This will be the perfect event for all cyclists and modern history buffs.

Ned Boulting is the UK's best known voice of cycling - he commentates on the Tour de France for ITV, and all other major cycling races. Ned is the author of five books, including the bestselling How I Won the Yellow Jumper and On the Road Bike. He lives in London with his wife and two children.