Book Review
Book Review
March 2017 | 71
Circus : Inside the World of Professional Bike Racing
This beautifully-produced book reveals some of the many stories career cycling photographer Camille Mcmillan has witnessed . It is an exclusive anthology , with many never seen images , spanning two decades of life at the sharp end of professional cycling .
It takes the shape of an entire year in the saddle from the Spring Classics , through Grand Tours to the World Championships . Viewpoints are often at the hub of the action : trackside at Ghent ’ s Six-Day races ; across the unforgiving cobbles of Monuments , amongst the crazed roadside fans of the Tour . Similarly , we see behind the scenes , beyond the gloss and glamour : exhaustion within hotel rooms ; changing behind vans , battling the elements in the dusty heat of Kansas or the drenching hills of North England . Some glorious photos of the Tour of Britain are featured here .
Camille has pedigree as both a cyclist and an image maker . A graduate from St . Martin ’ s Art College , former editor-at-large of Rouleur magazine , he was also a bike racer , competing as a junior in the UK and Europe . Passion , originality and respect for the sport seep from his photos . The occasional texts by Camille , short essays and interviews , are informative and provide context for such a diverse set of images .
table ' book due to its large size and weight . However , this category is often used to denigrate a publisher ' s overproduction of what could be a more simplistic publication . This is certainly not the case . These art quality printed pages
' inside the world of professional bike racing '.
In his forward ex-pro David Miller tells us “ When you ’ re in it , you don ’ t see it .” Perhaps cycling fans have drifted too far into the sport , becoming swamped with magazines , books and phone images ; it can dull the joy of cycling photography . This book is sure to awaken the eye and rekindle the pure pleasure of immersion into a photo .