Cycling is incredibly popular throughout Belgium, but in Flanders it's almost part of the soul of the people, of national identity.

Sports journalist and Belgium connoisseur Harry Pearson takes us on an unforgettable journey through this epicenter of cycling passion. It goes through cozy beer bars and freezing rain, across endless polders and brutal, tooth-picking cobblestones, past fans dressed up as chickens and shop windows full of laxatives, while the British author pours a glorious, squishy Spring tirelessly rushes from bike races to bike races – big ones, small ones and much smaller ones.

With a fine power of observation and warm-hearted humour, Pearson tells of extraordinary encounters with just such people. His fast-paced travel and sports reporting brings to life the history and stories of this special land, exploring the characters, myths and rivalries that make Flanders a place where cycling is a religion and every pro a priest in skin-tight lycra.