This essay explores by Jorge Zepeda Patterson , a high-stakes thriller that uses the grueling world of the Tour de France as a backdrop for a complex murder mystery. Introduction
Zepeda excels at showing the dual nature of the competition:
The story follows , a "domestique" (a support rider) for the world’s top cyclist, Steve Panata. When a series of "accidents" begin to claim the lives of riders in the peloton, the French police realize a killer is among the competitors. Moreau is recruited to act as an undercover informant because, in the insular world of the peloton, only a rider can see what happens in the heat of the race.
: The peloton is a place of omertà (silence) and rigid hierarchies. The killer exploits this, using the inherent dangers of the race to mask cold-blooded murder. Themes: Ambition and Ethics
: The shadow of performance-enhancing drugs provides a perfect smoke-screen for foul play.