God Is Dead

<b>-SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2022-</b> <p/>'How doping killed cycling's 'golden boy'. A shocking clear-sighted and sympathetic account of a talent destroyed by drugs.' <i><b>The Times</b></i><br>'Sensitive yet compelling.' <b><i>The Observer</i> <p/>They called him God.</b> <p/><b>For his grace on a bicycle for his divine talent for his heavenly looks. Frank Vandenbroucke had it all and in the late nineties he raced with dazzling speed and lived even faster.</b> <p/>The Belgian won most of cycling's most prestigious races including Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Paris-Nice enthralling a generation of cycling fans. Off the bike he only had one enemy - himself. <p/>His rise to prominence coincided with a rampant period of doping and Vandenbroucke had a wayward streak. He regularly fell out with team managers and had all-night party sessions mixing sleeping pills and alcohol. A drugs scandal started a long fall from grace leading to addiction car crashes court appearances marital problems and suicide bids punctuated by sporting comebacks. His life was like a soap opera and its premature ending shocked many. <p/>In October 2009 aged thirty-four Vandenbroucke was found dead in a Senegalese hotel room - in mysterious circumstances. <p/>Led by candid contributions from his closest family friends and associates William Hill award-winning author Andy McGrath lays bare Vandenbroucke's turbulent life story. <b><i>God is Dead</i> is the compelling biography of this mercurial cycling prodigy.</b> <p/><b>-</b> <p/>'With his talent Frank is the Johan Cruyff of cycling. He could win anything.' <b>Eddy Merckx</b> FIVE TIMES WINNER OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE <p/>'Captures the charisma and chaos of Vandenbroucke's short life perfectly.' <b><i>Cyclist</i></b> <p/>'A cautionary tale. Gripping yet harrowing.' <b><i>Bikeradar</i></b>