'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?' (publisher blurb)
