God is Dead

Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2022, a sports book of the year by The Times and The Guardian, this is the remarkable untold story of the mercurial cycling prodigy Frank Vandenbroucke, written by William Hill award-winning author Andy McGrath. They called him God for his grace on a bicycle, for his divine talent, and for his heavenly looks. Frank Vandenbroucke had it all, and in the late Nineties, he raced with dazzling speed and lived even faster.

The Belgian won several of cycling's most illustrious races, including Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Paris-Nice, and Ghent-Wevelgem. He was a mix of poise and panache who enthralled a generation of cycling fans. Off the bike, he only had one enemy—himself. Vandenbroucke dabbled in nocturnal party sessions mixing sleeping pills and alcohol and regularly fell out with team managers. By 1999, his team had suspended him, marking the start of a long, eventful fall from grace.

Depression, a drug ban, addiction, car crashes, divorce, and countless court appearances subsumed his life. He threatened his wife with a gun and tried to commit suicide twice. When police found performance-enhancing drugs at his house, Vandenbroucke claimed they were for his dog. It seemed he had finally learned from his mistakes. Then, on 12 October 2009, aged just 34, Vandenbroucke was found dead in a hotel room in Senegal.

Guided by exclusive contributions from his family, friends, and teammates, William Hill award-winning author Andy McGrath lays bare Vandenbroucke's chaotic, complicated life and times. "God is Dead" is the remarkable biography of this mercurial cycling prodigy.