Land of Second Chances

Fascinating… not a typical rags to riches, triumph against adversity tale… Lewis does a fine job of unpicking a tangled narrative * Observer *
A remarkable story… attempts to import the Lycra-clad, precision-engineered world of the Tour de France into rural Africa form the heart of this absorbing book…Team Rwanda’s story could have been edited into an uplifting tale of unlikely success, with Niynoshuti’s Olympic appearance as the rousing finale. Instead this is a more complicated, darker, account. * Financial Times *
It’s a book that successfully melds many facets and characters. At times deeply shocking, always moving and occasionally very amusing, The Land of Second Chances is ultimately an uplifting story of hope * Wheelsuckers *
His meticulously researched work merits a wider audience than appealing to devotees of the biking fraternity – and will surely get one…. A good cycling tale and this one is a cracker * Birmingham Post *
An eloquent and compassionate tale by Observer author Tim Lewis. Perfect for: sport lovers after a leftfield underdog story – Sam Dansie * Bike Radar *
Lewis presents the reader with a factual account of the genocide and doesn’t sugar coat it. But the cycling story is both heart-warming and shows how the Olympic legacy spread beyond the UK, to inspire a team who inspired a nation – Rachel Nicoll * Compass Magazine *
Excellent – Jonathan Liew * Telegraph *
A century after the Race for Africa ended, a century after Imperial Europe carved up Africa into colonial enclaves, the race is on to find Africa’s first black world-class cyclist. Land of Second Chances is an important chronicle of just some of the early stages of that race. It’s not just a book about what has happened in the past, it’s a book about what is just around the corner for cycling as the long, slow project of mondialisation approaches another milestone. If being a fantastic read isn’t enough for you then that ought be a good reason to read Lewis’s book * Podium Cafe *
This is not a book solely about cycling. it is a book that combines hope with tragedy and success with failure. But ultimately it’s a book that holds a mirror to our western sporting ideals * Washing Machine Post *
Lewis is a reporter of rare skill and he writes with wit and verve… It is by turns horrifying, moving and unexpectedly funny. It’s also the sports book of the year by a backcountry mile – Alex Bilmes * Esquire *

TIM LEWIS is a feature writer at the Observer and contributing editor of Esquire. He has previously been editor of both the Observer Magazine and Observer Sport Monthly, Britain’s most prestigious sports magazine. Prior to that he was editor of the Independent on Sunday’s Sunday Review and deputy editor of Esquire.

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