Roche and Cromwell at tonight’s ceremony with their trophy
Nicolas Roche’s autobiography ‘Inside the Peloton’ has this evening, Thursday, been announced winner of the Bord Gais Energy ‘Sports Book of the Year’.
The book, written by Roche with journalist Gerard Cromwell, beat of some tough competition to take the prize, which was awarded at a ceremony in Dublin’s RDS tonight.
The coveted title is likely to ensure vital added sales over the lucrative Christmas market, though it has already been in the bestsellers list, climbing to third position a few weeks back.
The book was short-listed last month by a panel of judges. However, the competition is then run on the basis of an online public vote, with ‘Inside the Peloton’ clearly a popular choice with sports fans.
Advertisement
Related News
The significance of the victory by Cromwell and Roche is underlined by calibre of the journalists and sports starts – most of them from much more mainstream sports – who were also on the short list.
Sunday Times writer and former professional Paul Kimmage was on the list for his book ‘Engage: The Fall and Rise of Matt Hampson’. It’s the story of the rugby player who dislocated his neck and was paralysed in an England training session.
Kimmage has used his anti doping stance to become arguably the most successful sports writer of his generation in Ireland and Britain and along with Roche and Cromwell was one of the favourites for the award.
Aside from the Kimmage and Roche-Cromwell offerings, there are also very big names from other sports on the short-list.
Champion jockey AP McCoy’s creatively titled life story ‘My Autobiography’ was there, as was ‘Walk On: My Life in the Red’ by Ronnie Whelan and Tommy Conlon.
Irish rugby international Donncha O’Callaghan’s autobiography ‘Joking Apart’ was also nominated, as was Philip O’Connor’s ‘A Parish Far From Home’, which tells the story of the first season of the Stockholm Gaels.
Well done to the lads.
Topics
