In France bicycle-racing is as popular as baseball is in America, and the "Big Loop," or Tour de France, takes the place of our World Series. For twenty-one days more than a hundred contestants race 3000 miles in a big loop around France. Festivity and tense excitement follow them wherever they go.

This is the story of André Girard, who grew up in La Mouff, a poor section of Paris, and whose dreams of being a great bicycle-racer finally came true. The story begins when he is a schoolboy of twelve, when rivals tease him and say he will never be strong enough to be a professional racer, and when André himself doesn't know when he will ever have the money to buy a bicycle. But determination can overcome great obstacles, and in the end, due to his character and self-discipline, due to training and teamwork, André is the champion of Tricolores.

More than just thrilling sports reporting, this is the story of daily life in La Mouff; of André's school; of his friends Jack and Michel and Miquette; of the workers in the factory where he got a job; and of his hard-working Maman, who helped in every way she could. It is a story of generosity and sacrifice, of loyalty and solidarity, and of "victory over oneself". Like all Claire Bishop's books, it is written with style and verve and with a deep feeling for humanity.

From the dust jacket