The Secret Racer - Tyler Hamilton's tell all book

[MarkG]

It arrived in store today, and wow - if you've ever been fascinated with the 'behind the scenes' lives of pro cycling, taken from an ex (disgraced) pro's POV - I recommend this book!
I'm so far about 10% of the way through, but I find it hard to put down.

I'm not going to spoil it for anyone, but it's definitely worth the $34.00 I paid, and hey, it's reading, from an actual book, not on a monitor or iPhone or tablet

[bigfriendlyvegan]

I'm about half way through it now and it is very, very well written. Thank god for ghost writers. A great snap shot of the cycling scene at that time and not bound down in boring facts. A great narrative. I wish it was all fiction.

[MarkG]

Yes it's very well written, and what blew me away was how many people were 'medicating' and how you were almost the odd man out if you weren't!

[find_bruce]

Forgive me if I don't contribute to the income of someone who has made a career out of deceiving the public, both before and after testing positive.

[biker jk]

Forgive me if I don't contribute to the income of someone who has made a career out of deceiving the public, both before and after testing positive.

In that case, I presume you have never contributed to Lance Armstrong's income. Give Hamilton a break. He has fessed up and broken the omerta. I wish him well.

[wombatK]

At just 10% in, I've found it interesting, but Hamilton is a little too self-serving so far.

He's mentioned his "first jab" of "iron supplements" when he turned pro in 1994,
without really knowing what it was.

This was after he'd been on the National cycling team - which you'd think
would have included obligatory anti-doping instructions about not taking
anything if you didn't know exactly what it was.

He would be a bit more convincing if he had expressed some questions, doubts or conflict
in dealing with this possible first exposure to doping.

Maybe he'll redeem himself later - but I'm keeping an open mind.

Cheers

[MarkG]

Forgive me if I don't contribute to the income of someone who has made a career out of deceiving the public, both before and after testing positive.

In that case, I presume you have never contributed to Lance Armstrong's income. Give Hamilton a break. He has fessed up and broken the omerta. I wish him well.

+1

I would assume a tell all book, accepting blame, giving his reasons why he doped, and taking responsibility for it is hardly being deceitful.

[norbs]

I loved it.

A review here.. http://cycling.norbtech.com/2012/09/secret-race-review/

There are some spoilers.

I am still not sure what I think of Hamilton though. I applaud him for getting it out there though.

[find_bruce]

Forgive me if I don't contribute to the income of someone who has made a career out of deceiving the public, both before and after testing positive.

In that case, I presume you have never contributed to Lance Armstrong's income. Give Hamilton a break. He has fessed up and broken the omerta. I wish him well.

I would assume a tell all book, accepting blame, giving his reasons why he doped, and taking responsibility for it is hardly being deceitful.

My dislike of Hamilton has nothing to do with Armstrong, but to answer your question, so far as I know I have never given money to Armstrong & don't intend to start know.

Hamilton did not fess up - he tested positive 4 times, 2004 Olympics, twice at the 2004 Vuelta, 2009 out of competition. In 2007 he was also suspended by his team, Tinkoff Credit Systems, after being implicated in Operation Puerto.

He hung on to his 2004 Ollympic gold that he cheated to win, until 2011, denying Rogers his rightful medal for more than 7 years. His personal website, http://www.tylerhamilton.com/about.html still describes him as "an Olympic Champion" and that "I have first-hand knowledge of what it takes to perform, both mentally and physiologically." Yes that's right despite now confessing to being a cheat, he still tells his clients that he is a champion due to his hard work and training.

For those with short memories in 2004 Hamilton protested his innocence following his Vuelta tests & ran an appeal to the CAS on the basis that it was a false positive, that there was a conspiracy to hide documents that would support his case. He was reported as saying "I would never risk my health or my wife's health for the sake of racing. That just goes without saying". Oh and there is the little matter of allegedly being a chimera, although it seems Hamilton now claims that he had nothing to do with that & it was all his lawyers fault.

In 2007 he denied doing anything wrong re Puerto, and his defense was based on, ahem excuse me while I puke just a little bit, personal integrity.

I had a good laugh to discover that you can still buy "I Believe Tyler" T-Shirts. Perhaps he should include one with each copy of his book

[Fresh]

I ordered it from here

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Secret- ... 0593071748

$18 and free shipping.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

I ordered it from here

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Secret- ... 0593071748

$18 and free shipping.

The US and UK versions are different. If ordering in, I'd have gone for a US seller. UK version is watered down due to UK's harsher libel laws.

[Fresh]

I ordered it from here

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Secret- ... 0593071748

$18 and free shipping.

The US and UK versions are different. If ordering in, I'd have gone for a US seller. UK version is watered down due to UK's harsher libel laws.

Thanks for the info. Cancelled my pre-order.

[JohnJoyner]

I ordered it from here

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Secret- ... 0593071748

$18 and free shipping.

The US and UK versions are different. If ordering in, I'd have gone for a US seller. UK version is watered down due to UK's harsher libel laws.

Thanks for the info. Cancelled my pre-order.

I also ordered from the above website, but it's too late for me to cancel. Is that a fact the US & UK versions of the books are different? Which one will we get in Oz? And how will I really know if it's a watered down version, without buying another copy?
Even so, I am really looking forward to reading it. Should be fascinating.

[Fresh]

I also ordered from the above website, but it's too late for me to cancel. Is that a fact the US & UK versions of the books are different? Which one will we get in Oz? And how will I really know if it's a watered down version, without buying another copy?
Even so, I am really looking forward to reading it. Should be fascinating.

All I can really find on it...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/others ... or-UK.html

http://inrng.com/2012/09/book-review-secret-race/

[familyguy]

Forgive me if I don't contribute to the income of someone who has made a career out of deceiving the public, both before and after testing positive.

*cough* torrent *cough*

Jim

[norbs]

Forgive me if I don't contribute to the income of someone who has made a career out of deceiving the public, both before and after testing positive.

*cough* torrent *cough*

Jim

Good grab if you can find it.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

Forgive me if I don't contribute to the income of someone who has made a career out of deceiving the public, both before and after testing positive.

*cough* torrent *cough*

Jim

Good grab if you can find it.

*cough*audio book available *cough* kindle not yet *cough*

[alex]

the only difference between the US and UK release is that the UK release was required to add 'alleged' and 'allegedly' a few times per the publisher's request

[doggatas]

I iBooked it. Well worth the $15.99, I am about 50% through, wow what an eye opener.

[bianchi928]

MarkG, check out David MIllars "Racing through the Dark". Another great read.

[find_bruce]

Forgive me if I don't contribute to the income of someone who has made a career out of deceiving the public, both before and after testing positive.

*cough* torrent *cough*
Jim

Thanks Jim. All the publishers tell us that it costs the author money when you illegally download their material ... so I downloaded it 100 times

[MarkG]

MarkG, check out David MIllars "Racing through the Dark". Another great read.

Yeah dude, that's sposed to be awesome too - eventually I'll get it.

[philip]

You guys suggesting to torrent the book are ridiculous. If you don't want to support Hamilton/Coyle, that's fine, don't read the book. If you want to read it then buy it! It's only $15.

If you want to read the book then you are saying you are interested in what he has to say. They have gone to the trouble of writing the book, so if it is something that interests you and you want to read it, pony up.

[familyguy]

Yeah, nah, amazon gift card put to good use for this one. FWIW, I'd reckon Hamilton has seen all the money he is going to see directly from the book already. Upcoming press and appearances notwithstanding.

Jim

[wizardhat]

I'm not finished yet but good grief if everything in it is genuine I almost feel bad about supporting it by watching races.