Ventoux

"A propulsive reading experience" -The New York Times

"Wise, funny, eminently quotable" -Kirkus Reviews

"Wagendorp's book manages to be funny, shrewd and moving, with a complex structure that never feels cumbersome, and a finale so intense that you want to read it very slowly, almost one word at a time" -The Guardian

"Mont Ventoux, the legendary 'Giant of Provence' stands alone and apart from the Alps to which it belongs geologically. It is a magnet for amateur cyclists, including a group of Dutch friends who are the protagonists of the novel Ventoux, a fictional account of how one ride changes lives forever." -PEZ Cycling News

"Bert Wagendorp keeps his readers firmly in tow in this glorious tragicomedy about friendship" -De Morgen

"Where the novel succeeds most is in its wonderful blend of humour, suspense and poignancy, which will appeal to non-cyclists as well as those of us who understand what it takes to scale a mountain as evocative, daunting and symbolic as Mont Ventoux" -Felix Lowe, author of Climbs & Punishment

"Hilarious, stirring, feel-good" -NRC Handelsblad

"Takes in the nature of friendship, musings on the nature of time, and the small choices we make that can change our lives; very funny, and often very touching" -Cyclo

"Twists, unforeseen developments, and heart-breaking truths the plot is peppered with moments that urge you to read on" -Life in the Saddle

"Within the main story, there are plenty more relatable sub-plots woven in: of personal journeys, triumphs, of tragedies, humour, success and of disaster-and of course, of cycling. It's a novel which grips you, it's a novel which makes you think, and it's a novel which makes you reflect on your own choices. And it is a novel well worth reading" -Road Cycling UK

"A touching and well-crafted novel about friendship and life, that's also got some bikes in it" -Road.cc

"Ventoux is a stunningly accurate depiction of male friendship told in a subtle and sensitive style. This feel-good novel about old friends who find their way back to each other is a delightful and easy read. Especially recommended for cycling aficionados who will recognise Mont Ventoux as the scene of many classic races through the years" -Battle Books

"Instantly likable, the heady mix of angst in Wagendorp's characters, and their love of cycling and music coupled with a desire to leave lasting, revered legacies instantly resonated" -Seven Day Cyclist

"A fictional cycling story with camaraderie, romance, love, intrigue and treachery. Quite brilliant!" -The Bike Lane

"Ventoux is so convincingly written that contrivance is a factor that never once rears its potentially ugly head. The story line is well conceived with an unsuspected twist as it draws to a close. The characters are thoroughly and naturally believable, as are their various interactions, while the book's 285 pages provide compulsive reading from page one" -The Washing Machine Post