This book is the story of the making of a cycling champion. It follows Roche's growth from home-town Dublin boy into a young European, famous in every city where cycling is a major sport, and the astonishing series of wins in 1987 that were to make him a sporting legend. The Agony and the Ecstasy takes us behind the scenes of triumph and into the mysterious world of cycling, showing us what life for top professionals is really like. It covers the roads, the races and the riders themselves - how they live and train, their battles with the elements on great marathons, the crowds and their role in morale, the dangers of the sport, and the elation or despair when the finish line is reached.