Mr. X and the Circle of Death by W. L. Liberman

Xerxes Frankel travels the world hosting a reality-based television series. He is a high energy dude with a knack for stumbling into adventures. First stop: Paris. Xerxes hooks up with mad cyclist, Octave Pompidou and whizzes through the streets checking out the sites, the sounds, the eats and a unique challenge race involving the Eiffel Tower. Throughout the story, Xerxes and his companions grapple with les rats d'égouts, a local gang terrorizing the streets. Xerxes confronts the infamous Circle of Death in a bizarre game of chicken laying his life on the line--Parisian style. Meet up with the crew: Rufus, Stephanie, Yolanda, Mira, Max, Lionel, Maya and the ever unpredictable Brutal Bakisse, Xerxes' hometown nemesis. Next stop: Lucerne, Switzerland where Xerxes rides the Cog Train from Heaven. Follow the adventures of Xerxes Frankel and his crew in a series of stories spanning the globe. Mr. X and the Circle of death one part of a larger educational program.