The Invisible Mile

This first novel tells the story of the Australian and New Zealander riders who took part in the 1928 Tour de France. One member of that team is the first-person, present-tense narrator, who also has a personal tale to tell, gradually divulged over the course of the story, about his World War I veteran brother and deceased sister. The remains of the war and memories of it hover over the story, as the riders complete superhuman rides, stoked on drugs of all sorts. The narrator is supposed to meet his long-lost cousin from England during the race, but she never shows and he instead becomes involved with a woman named Celia who is following the event, supplying drugs, and at times seems to become his cousin. The competition, which is based on actual events, takes its toll, as many drop out, some die, and those who are left carry on toward the end.