X-Book

The Accidental Tour-ist

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Bloomsbury presents The Accidental Tour-ist: (Final) Dispatches from the Road, written and read by Ned Boulting

FROM THE WINNER OF THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2024 CYCLING BOOK OF THE YEAR: 1923
Shortlisted for the Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Audiobook of the Year, 2026

'A fascinating and inspiring book … An excellent read' – Phill Liggett MBE

Embark on a whirlwind (and worldwide) tour of cycling stories from one of the nation’s favourite commentators.

Join Ned Boulting once more as he brings his cycling stories up to the present day – full of recollections of chaotic, memorable and sometimes surreal encounters with all the key riders. While the Tour de France takes centre stage, his horizons expand far beyond its confines to take in races across Europe as well as to fascinating locations in the Middle East, China and Malaysia.

There are behind-the-scenes chapters on life at the Giro d'Italia; the growth of women's racing; forays into podcasting; replacing the great Phil Liggett as ITV's main commentator; the Flemish classics; and the life and times of Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish.

Ride along as Ned travels around the UK with a stage show about the Tour de France, and on the many days that he and David Millar have spent quixotically riding folding bikes up and down enormous mountains.

Critics Review

A very unique, insightful, mostly amusing and often hilarious perspective from a point of view that very few see and even fewer have the capacity to divulge to us all
Cadel Evans
A fascinating and inspiring book ... An excellent read
Phil Liggett MBE
The insight of a reporter and the passion of a fan, but still clear-eyed enough to take joy in pro-racing’s absurdities and contradictions
Michael Hutchinson, author of Faster
A joyride of a journey
David Millar
Elegiac
Alexei Sayle
A mature, reflective affair... [Ned] is one of the most prolific writers of books in the cycling business
BikeRadar
An elegy for not just the career [Ned's] fashioned from cycling, but also the way we view sport, its personalities and their often short-lived careers.
The Observer
Memorable
Cyclist Magazine
Exciting
The Bookseller
It invites us to gear up for the ride of our lives
The Sunday Post
Mature, reflective… impeccably timed
Cycling Plus
Author Ned Boulting
Narrator Ned Boulting
Duration 8 hours and 30 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781399419833
Format Audiobook
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre Autobiography: sport, Cycling: general and touring
Availability AU, GB, IE, US

More from the same

Author

Narrator

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.