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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Eindelijk validatie voor het gevoel van totale afkeer dat Lance Armstrong altijd bij me heeft teweeggebracht. Los daarvan ook een zeer grondige, vlot leesbare én confronterende blik in hoe wijdverspreid doping was in het wielrennen van de 90s en 00s.
challenging
dark
informative
fast-paced
The literary snob in me wants to hold back on giving 5 stars. However, this book was such a shocking revelation to me that I have to succumb.
Having been a long time cycling fan, as well as having cycled at a professional level myself, I really thought I knew the extent of what went on. I was shocked to learn so much through this book.
Very well written with humility and humour, I savoured every moment of this book.
Having been a long time cycling fan, as well as having cycled at a professional level myself, I really thought I knew the extent of what went on. I was shocked to learn so much through this book.
Very well written with humility and humour, I savoured every moment of this book.
Fascinating insight into the psychology and circumstance that leads to the decision to enhance performance illegally in sport. It's a tough and sobering read as someone who enjoys the sport of cycling as it highlights how wide-spread doping and use of PEDs was in the Armstrong era, and doesn't offer much reassurance that this isn't the case today. However, it's well written, detailed and methodical in its account of how an athlete rationalises cheating, how it logistically occurs and also gives juicy details about Armstrong due to his and Hamilton's previous close relationship.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Not so much a shocking revelation as a sad confirmation of the corrupt state of professional cycling. Tyler tells an honest tale, and tells it well. How it was to stand at the crossroads: dope up or get out. And how once you got caught in that web, thing only got stickier.
I've always believed that anti doping efforts should focus on the ringleaders, team bosses and doctors. this book only reinforced that.
The Dutch version loses a star for the inclusion of a rubbish afterword by a journalist.
I've always believed that anti doping efforts should focus on the ringleaders, team bosses and doctors. this book only reinforced that.
The Dutch version loses a star for the inclusion of a rubbish afterword by a journalist.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use
Moderate: Eating disorder, Blood
This was much better (ghost)written than most famous atheletes' memoirs I've tried before. It was a propulsive read and I burned through it very quick. The book gives you a really good sense of what it was like to be surrounded by this kind of constant drug use, being done everywhere by seemingly everyone, and how it would become increasingly difficult to resist the pressure as you saw every person around you perform better with just a little help that only felt like "being smart" (Hamilton's words) and not actually cheating. It's interesting to see Hamilton's perspective on drug use—how felt like he wasn't "worthy" of it at the beginning, because it was only for the best riders on the team, and the idea that while most people think of doping as a cheatsheet for those who can't hack it, for the most part it's used by people who are already working ridiculously hard, in order to try and work that much harder. "Dope is not really a magical boost as much as it is a way to control against declines" is a really useful way of framing the effects it has on the body and on performance, as are the discussions about whether it would have been possible to win clean during this era (only single-day or weeklong races, apparently).
For all the fascinating peeks behind the curtain, there are a number of self-serving moments in this book that come off as extremely tone deaf, particularly in the latter half of the book where Hamilton is gunning to get Armstrong convicted for the exact same crimes he himself perpetrated while at the same time acting the victim. Even more egregious are the times when Hamilton holds up his wins as legitimate successes of his own strength and power against all comers because he finished first in races where, and I quote, "everybody has equal opportunity". I genuinely laughed out loud reading that. My man, you were doping!!
My only note on the audiobook production itself is that it's mentioned early on that the book is "written" by Hamilton and that Coyle will pop in now and again to offer context, but in audiobook format it is extremely difficult to tell when the perspective switches, as there is no signposting in the text or a voice/narrator change. The only way to know is if Coyle mentions Hamilton by name, which doesn't always happen.
My only note on the audiobook production itself is that it's mentioned early on that the book is "written" by Hamilton and that Coyle will pop in now and again to offer context, but in audiobook format it is extremely difficult to tell when the perspective switches, as there is no signposting in the text or a voice/narrator change. The only way to know is if Coyle mentions Hamilton by name, which doesn't always happen.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
fast-paced