Joe Barr has established himself as a legend of the endurance scene in the autum of his career; a period that is perhaps proving his most successful and certainly his most enjoyable.
And now Gill Books is publishing the story of Barr's life in 'Going the Distance: The Making of a world class endurance cyclist'.
Barr is no ordinary Irish cyclist as his career is simply more storied and varied than most other riders. He also grew up during The Troubles in the North; the only catholic boy in an all-protestant school.
Later in life, after his racing days in the domestic and international peloton, Barr first tried endurance racing to raise funds for cancer care after his young since had been diagnosed with the disease.
All of those twists and turns are featured in the new book, which is published today and which Barr has written with Robin Sheeran, a BBC journalist for over 20 years. Sheeran has worked in radio, television and online and is a member of Kings Moss Cycling Club.
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The book sounds like an ideal Christmas present for yourself or the cyclist in your life and you can order a copy now by following this link.
Gill publishers say of the book:
In 2012, Joe Barr almost died from altitude sickness on the infamous 11,000-ft Wolf Creek Pass in a Race Across America attempt. The infamous 3,200-mile race is non-stop, ultra-cycling at its most extreme. In 2014, Joe returned and received the coveted Finisher’s medal, and in 2019, at the age of 60, he went back again and won his category.
This story of extreme perseverance begins on a yellow Raleigh Chopper on the streets of Co Derry, where Joe, trying to escape the harsh everyday reality of the Troubles as a young Catholic boy in an all-Protestant school, went on long bicycle rides into the countryside, dreaming of one day taking part in cycling’s grand tours.
When his baby son was diagnosed with cancer, Joe got on the bike with a different purpose and won his first endurance race, the 1,300-mile, non-stop Race Around Ireland. Since then, Joe has won major World Cup races all over the world. This is a story of unimaginable grit, and of what it takes to keep going despite countless obstacles and to persevere when failure seems inevitable.
