The Escape

‘The Escape is a book about one of Britain’s greatest cyclists and their hidden struggle — how they tried to run away from their dysphoria but wouldn’t find peace until it was dealt with. It is about one of cycling’s greatest journalists and his love for the race, despite the Armstrong years. It is also about the greatest sporting spectacle on earth, the Tour de France, and there are few better people to explore it with than with York and Walsh, in what is a tremendously engaging read’. – The Times
‘[The Escape] is a freewheeling, fascinating read that defies genre: part travelogue and part memoir, it dances between present and past, sporting observation and self-reflection, drugs that help you cheat and drugs that help you live. And for all the pain and anguish that gets unlocked here, this is a book without a bitter or hateful bone in its body.’ – Jonathan Liew, Guardian’s Best Sports Books of 2025

Robert Millar was a professional racing cyclist through the 1980s and into the 90s. One of the most successful British riders of all time, they were the first English speaking rider to win a Tour de France classification, taking home the polka dot jersey of the King of the Mountains and achieving fourth place overall in 1984. That remained the highest British placing until 2009. Millar retired in 1995 and five years later began the process of transitioning to female. She has now lived as Philippa York for over two decades.

David Walsh is chief sportswriter at the Sunday Times and one of the most respected sports journalists working today. His previous books include Inside Team Sky and Seven Deadly Sins – one of the key texts in the takedown of Lance Armstrong.

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