There’s a hush in the crowd as the mayor lifts his gun, then an ear-splitting Bang! and the race has begun, with a flashing of goggles and pale cyclists’ knees, and a murmuring sound like the bumble of bees.

Monsieur Albert enters the Grand Cycle Race, but he’s up against Francois, the champion of France. Can he possibly win?

Witty text by Pete Smith and gentle, funny illustrations by Bob Graham make this story a classic, ideal for reading aloud to young and old.