Tyler's book

[MrSweary]

The book is a piece of fluff in purely writing terms - you'll whip through it in a day or two. That said I enjoyed it in a guilty pleasure sort of way.

It leaves no doubt at all about the extent of guilt amongst the pro peleton and LA in particular - it doesn't particularly shine a light on Tylers internal motivations and life in the way Millars book does. He clearly isn't as self aware as Millar and you get the impression the old "they're all at it" defence still hides away within him - not as an excuse but as an internal justifcation.

So, all told an entertaining and eye-opening book (for a naif at least) but not a great insight into the pro cyclist mentality in the same way as Racing Through The Dark.

 

[thom]

Danish article in which Hamilton turns up the heat on Bjarne Riis.
The core assertion is the Riis put him in contact with Fuentes in order that Hamilton could arrange his own doping.
It sounds like Riis was not involved beyond that but that the introduction was deliberate.

Using http://translate.google.com to translate btw.

 

[Alun]

What surprises me is how any ex dopers book seems to be snapped up, praised, and every last word is accepted as the gospel truth, even though the authors were not quite so honest, or candid when they were doing the doping.

 

[thom]

What surprises me is how any ex dopers book seems to be snapped up, praised, and every last word is accepted as the gospel truth, even though the authors were not quite so honest, or candid when they were doing the doping.

I think you should give more credit to people and their ability to make up their own minds - rarely do people think things are entirely as is being presented to them. Tyler Hamilton's testimony has changed over time and we can view it with a degree of care but it is unacceptable is to discount the claims because of that. They are stories that provoke questions of people, often very painful ones. Floyd Landis was the same and were it not for people investigating them, the USPS scandal would be uncovered.
People with consistent stories are often trusted because they present nothing for you to question. It is an easy ride, you get lazy and this means from time to time people can get away deep acts of deception.

A person who has shown conflicting behaviour means you know you have to question what he is saying. It's the squeaky clean heroes you want to worry about.

Edit : velonation write up of the Riis/Hamilton story

 

[Orbytal]

I think you should give more credit to people and their ability to make up their own minds - rarely do people think things are entirely as is being presented to them. Tyler Hamilton's testimony has changed over time and we can view it with a degree of care but it is unacceptable is to discount the claims because of that. They are stories that provoke questions of people, often very painful ones. Floyd Landis was the same and were it not for people investigating them, the USPS scandal would be uncovered.

People with consistent stories are often trusted because they present nothing for you to question. It is an easy ride, you get lazy and this means from time to time people can get away deep acts of deception.

A person who has shown conflicting behaviour means you know you have to question what he is saying. It's the squeaky clean heroes you want to worry about.

Well said Thom.

Anyone selling something needs you to want it and if you don’t they need to try and convince you want. In addition to this are people forgetting TH book is not all his own and I don’t mean a ghost writer I am talking about the publishers. They dictate what spin is needed to sell the book so if you have no HYPE you don’t sell and publishers don’t back something they don’t believe in or have a big say in producing.

 

[thom]

Okay, you erudite, well-read literary critics...

Right, well, erm, indeed, since you asked for it rich p, the London Review of books has gone away and commissioned a literary review of The Secret Race : Everyone gets popped. It's taken them time but I guess they wanted to do a proper job.

 

[Scruffmonster]

I feel proud to have resisted the pressure put on me, implicitly and explicitly, by fellow cyclists, to read this atrocious book. It was said that to maintain my inside knowledge of the drugs shenanigins corrupting cycling, I need to read this book. I maintain my stand on treating snitching, grassing-up stool-pigeons singing like canaries to make some money, with the total contempt they deserve. Karma will snaffle him up when he least expects it just like it got Pharmstrong.

Let me know if you want to borrow my Kindle copy.

It's a good book in the way that The Office is funny. There's a certain level of uncomfortable that makes you fidget as you part enjoy, and part suffer it.

 

[ColinJ]

Let me know if you want to borrow my Kindle copy.

How do you lend a Kindle book? (Without lending the device itself!)

 

[Scruffmonster]

How do you lend a Kindle book? (Without lending the device itself!)

I'll lend it to someone. As I would a book. They can borrow it, as long as they promise to 'return' it.

 

[Orbytal]

Right, well, erm, indeed, since you asked for it rich p, the London Review of books has gone away and commissioned a literary review of The Secret Race : Everyone gets popped. It's taken them time but I guess they wanted to do a proper job.

Thanks for the post and attachment.

A very interesting article in general terms regardless of TH book which I have not read and no intentions of, hence the general comment. It covers a lot of specific and relevant areas well.

 

[ColinJ]

I'll lend it to someone. As I would a book. They can borrow it, as long as they promise to return it.

Very kind of you!

Actually, I've just found out that you can lend Kindle ebooks as long as the author has enabled the facility - link. (For obvious reasons, many authors/publishers do not do this!)

 

[Scruffmonster]

Very kind of you!

Actually, I've just found out that you can lend Kindle ebooks as long as the author has enabled the facility - link. (For obvious reasons, many authors/publishers do not do this!)

Apologies, I did edit.

I wouldn't lend my device, but I could lend someone the book of course.

 

[rich p]

Right, well, erm, indeed, since you asked for it rich p, the London Review of books has gone away and commissioned a literary review of The Secret Race : Everyone gets popped. It's taken them time but I guess they wanted to do a proper job.

Cheers for that Thom - I'll read it all later when I have some more time to spare!

 

[Booyaa]

I have read the book and found it very interesting, not entirely I believe Tyler 100% and felt at times it was a bit of a hatchet job prettied up to come over as a from the heart memoir. Interesting insight none the less.

 

[Beebo]

Any one who lives/works in London may be interested to know that Tyler Hamilton is signing his book at waterstones in Leadenhall Market on 27th November. (or get the Viz annual signed on 29th!!)
http://www.waterstones.com/watersto...=396|WATERSTONE'S LEADENHALL MARKET&sFilter=1