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Cycling History & Biography
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 Customer Reviews
Fantastic!!, 30 Aug 2008
Like so many people in the country I was blown away by the success of the recent Olympics in Beijing, but especially by the amazing performances of the GB cycling team. So when i noticed "Heroes, Villains & Velodromes" on the shelf of my local book shop I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't sure what to expect really but what i got was a lively, entertaining and extremely well written read about the revolution in british cycling and Hoy's part in it over the last ten years. As Moore says in his comments it's not nessecarily a story just about Chris Hoy but he is the principal character and 'star of the show'
Hoy comes across a phenomenal athlete, ferocious competitor but also a genuinely nice guy who's dedicates hiimself completely to his sport, not for the money but for the thrill of winning and being a champion.
In today's money obsessed world of sport where even the most mediocre of premiership footballers can earn a small fortune, that is something truly awe-inspiring.
As one reviewer said there will probably be a re-release or additional chapters added to the paperback version to cover events in Beijing which you might want to wait for. However i would say that this insightful, well researched and engaging book is definitely worth buying.
Great Read, 27 Aug 2008
This book is a great look into the history and story behind one of Britain's most impressive athletes. The book isn't just about a variety of topics Hoy, but covers a range of issues around track cycling and the changes that have happened in British sport. Moore writes in a very engaging way and uses a range of styles that keep the book interesting.
Only 4 stars for two reasons.
1. Given his recent Olympic Haul there's bound to be a re-release with an added chapter so you might want to wait for that.
2. The book doesn't really delve into Hoy's relationship with other cyclists especially the other stars on the British team like Wiggins, I would have been interested to hear more about the interactions between the various disciplines within track cycling.
Well researched, excellent read, 07 Aug 2008
Heroes, Villains and Velodromes is an excellent read and was obviously very well researched.
I particularly enjoyed all the facts and figures. For example; Bolivia having the longest runway in the world,Chris Hoy's winning margin of five hundredths of a second equating to 2.3cm.
A excellent profile on Chris and all concerned with his success.
Perfectly explained even to someone who is not of the cycling fraternity and I would recommend it to cycling fans and newcomers alike. Well done to the author on this account alone.
Inspiring, 10 Jun 2008
The story of Chris Hoy - and Craig McClean and other trackies - is told in Richard Moore's new book. It's an inspiring read, especially when you discover about the pathetic state British Cycling was in in the mid-90s.
This book will whet your appetite for the Beijing Olympics, and give you confidence that Team GB are in wonderful hands.
A gold medal winning book!, 09 Jun 2008
Richard Moore has done it again, following on from the Robert Millar book, Richard has produced a book that is surely going to win as many awards as Chris Hoy has won world championships! As well as providing an insight into one of the last decades most successful sportsmen it also provides previously unknown information of how British Cycling turned itself around from one of the most underfunded and unsuccessful sporting organisations to be the envy of sporting associations across the world, one where even the Aussies want to copy us! Richard has had unprecedented access to Hoy during his 1km world record attempt in La Paz, Bolivia and throughout the year to the amazing Manchester world cycling championships where Hoy won the men`s world sprint championship at his first attempt, ending a 54 year drought in the blue riband event of track cycling. More than anything the incredible support that the Hoy family as a whole have provided Chris, is written about with affection, and you are left with a feeling that even though Chris does the pedalling it really has been a team effort to produce " Chris Hoy the Real McHoy." Richard Moore is surely becoming one of the most entertaining and investigative sports writers of this century. Buy this book if you want to know what makes an Olympic champion tick.
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Product Description
People around the world have found inspiration in the story of Lance Armstrong--a world-class athlete nearly struck down by cancer, only to recover and win the Tour de France, the multiday bicycle race famous for its gruelling intensity. Armstrong is a thoroughgoing Texan jock, and the changes brought to his life by his illness are startling and powerful, but he's just not interested in wearing a hero suit. While his vocabulary is a bit on the he-man side (highest compliment to his wife: "she's a stud"), his actions will melt the most hard-bitten souls: a cancer foundation and benefit bike ride, his astonishing commitment to training that got him past countless hurdles, loyalty to the people and corporations that never gave up on him. There's serious medical detail here, which may not be for the faint of heart; from chemo to surgical procedures to his wife's in vitro fertilization, you won't be spared a single x-ray, IV drip, or unfortunate side effect. Athletes and coaches everywhere will benefit from the same extraordinary detail provided about training sessions--every aching tendon, every rainy afternoon, and every small triumph during his long recovery is here in living colour. It's Not About the Bike is the perfect title for this book about life, death, illness, family, setbacks, and triumphs, but not especially about the bike. --Jill Lightner, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews
Fantastic!!, 30 Aug 2008
Like so many people in the country I was blown away by the success of the recent Olympics in Beijing, but especially by the amazing performances of the GB cycling team. So when i noticed "Heroes, Villains & Velodromes" on the shelf of my local book shop I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't sure what to expect really but what i got was a lively, entertaining and extremely well written read about the revolution in british cycling and Hoy's part in it over the last ten years. As Moore says in his comments it's not nessecarily a story just about Chris Hoy but he is the principal character and 'star of the show'
Hoy comes across a phenomenal athlete, ferocious competitor but also a genuinely nice guy who's dedicates hiimself completely to his sport, not for the money but for the thrill of winning and being a champion.
In today's money obsessed world of sport where even the most mediocre of premiership footballers can earn a small fortune, that is something truly awe-inspiring.
As one reviewer said there will probably be a re-release or additional chapters added to the paperback version to cover events in Beijing which you might want to wait for. However i would say that this insightful, well researched and engaging book is definitely worth buying.
Great Read, 27 Aug 2008
This book is a great look into the history and story behind one of Britain's most impressive athletes. The book isn't just about a variety of topics Hoy, but covers a range of issues around track cycling and the changes that have happened in British sport. Moore writes in a very engaging way and uses a range of styles that keep the book interesting.
Only 4 stars for two reasons.
1. Given his recent Olympic Haul there's bound to be a re-release with an added chapter so you might want to wait for that.
2. The book doesn't really delve into Hoy's relationship with other cyclists especially the other stars on the British team like Wiggins, I would have been interested to hear more about the interactions between the various disciplines within track cycling.
Well researched, excellent read, 07 Aug 2008
Heroes, Villains and Velodromes is an excellent read and was obviously very well researched.
I particularly enjoyed all the facts and figures. For example; Bolivia having the longest runway in the world,Chris Hoy's winning margin of five hundredths of a second equating to 2.3cm.
A excellent profile on Chris and all concerned with his success.
Perfectly explained even to someone who is not of the cycling fraternity and I would recommend it to cycling fans and newcomers alike. Well done to the author on this account alone.
Inspiring, 10 Jun 2008
The story of Chris Hoy - and Craig McClean and other trackies - is told in Richard Moore's new book. It's an inspiring read, especially when you discover about the pathetic state British Cycling was in in the mid-90s.
This book will whet your appetite for the Beijing Olympics, and give you confidence that Team GB are in wonderful hands.
A gold medal winning book!, 09 Jun 2008
Richard Moore has done it again, following on from the Robert Millar book, Richard has produced a book that is surely going to win as many awards as Chris Hoy has won world championships! As well as providing an insight into one of the last decades most successful sportsmen it also provides previously unknown information of how British Cycling turned itself around from one of the most underfunded and unsuccessful sporting organisations to be the envy of sporting associations across the world, one where even the Aussies want to copy us! Richard has had unprecedented access to Hoy during his 1km world record attempt in La Paz, Bolivia and throughout the year to the amazing Manchester world cycling championships where Hoy won the men`s world sprint championship at his first attempt, ending a 54 year drought in the blue riband event of track cycling. More than anything the incredible support that the Hoy family as a whole have provided Chris, is written about with affection, and you are left with a feeling that even though Chris does the pedalling it really has been a team effort to produce " Chris Hoy the Real McHoy." Richard Moore is surely becoming one of the most entertaining and investigative sports writers of this century. Buy this book if you want to know what makes an Olympic champion tick.
It's about courage, desire and perserverence, 04 Aug 2008
One of the best true stories you are ever likely to read. If you want to be inspired whether it be in cycling,sports,work or your overall life then this book will do it for you. Get a good new copy as you will read it again and again.
Lethargy, 02 Jun 2008
The writing style of this book is odd, and at times it reads like a blog or if Lance is recording thoughts and handing them oer to the co-author. In fact the writing style and the short length of the book were the negative points for me. I somehow felt there might be more he could share but then again I guess this is his style, so if you are looking for a great piece of writing you've come to the wrong place. Its also not really an explanation of the cancer experience (I guess thats in the first volume). What it is a description of a man's life, what bothers him, what choices he has made and is making with cancer, his relationship to the disease and the sufferers he actively makes a point of meeting, how he manages to train every day of the year and have a family life (but not very sucessfully as he recently divorced Sheryl Crow- also a cancer sufferer), and his views on lots of issues like religion and even the Iraq war. There is also quite a lot of material which in summary are a dummies guide to how Lance keeps on winning the tour de france, as well as personal feedback on specific races or incidents such as the fall up the mountain in 2003. As a result I think if you are not a cycling or Tour de France fan you would be better off reading the cancer story. However if like me you wanted to get an insight into a sporting and personnal enigma then this is a good read and I couldn't put it down once I'd started.
This book enables even the most ignorant spectator of cycle racing and the Tour de France in particular to appreciate how much more is involved in this sport than the pedalling of the routes of France we see on television. The details Lance Armstrong provides brings both the race and the figures in the peleton to life.
However, much deeper than the insight into this famous race, is the appreciation the reader is able to experience of a very human man with very human failings but incredible strength of purpose and character. He leaves you with the determination to make all your own seconds count.
Amazing!, 24 Mar 2008
This book is truly inspirational and I love it! Heard it on audiobook and loved it so much i'm buying the book!
It's Not About the Bike: My Journney Back to Life, 23 Feb 2008
An excellent book, well written and gives a very open and honest insight into what only can be said is someone who clearly is a great sportsman with a very special talent.
More interesting than inspirational, 30 Jan 2008
As pure inspiration goes I'm not sure this one really hit the spot for me. However it was an entertaining, easy reading walk through armstrongs early years as a bolshie youngster, the shock of cancer and then his recovery back to a world class athlete. I found the most interesting angle was the discussion about how the tour and peleton operate with it's rivalry and gentlemans agreements.
This seems more about one mans journey of discovery and growing up as a man than it is about coming back from cancer.
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Customer Reviews
Fantastic!!, 30 Aug 2008
Like so many people in the country I was blown away by the success of the recent Olympics in Beijing, but especially by the amazing performances of the GB cycling team. So when i noticed "Heroes, Villains & Velodromes" on the shelf of my local book shop I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't sure what to expect really but what i got was a lively, entertaining and extremely well written read about the revolution in british cycling and Hoy's part in it over the last ten years. As Moore says in his comments it's not nessecarily a story just about Chris Hoy but he is the principal character and 'star of the show'
Hoy comes across a phenomenal athlete, ferocious competitor but also a genuinely nice guy who's dedicates hiimself completely to his sport, not for the money but for the thrill of winning and being a champion.
In today's money obsessed world of sport where even the most mediocre of premiership footballers can earn a small fortune, that is something truly awe-inspiring.
As one reviewer said there will probably be a re-release or additional chapters added to the paperback version to cover events in Beijing which you might want to wait for. However i would say that this insightful, well researched and engaging book is definitely worth buying.
Great Read, 27 Aug 2008
This book is a great look into the history and story behind one of Britain's most impressive athletes. The book isn't just about a variety of topics Hoy, but covers a range of issues around track cycling and the changes that have happened in British sport. Moore writes in a very engaging way and uses a range of styles that keep the book interesting.
Only 4 stars for two reasons.
1. Given his recent Olympic Haul there's bound to be a re-release with an added chapter so you might want to wait for that.
2. The book doesn't really delve into Hoy's relationship with other cyclists especially the other stars on the British team like Wiggins, I would have been interested to hear more about the interactions between the various disciplines within track cycling.
Well researched, excellent read, 07 Aug 2008
Heroes, Villains and Velodromes is an excellent read and was obviously very well researched.
I particularly enjoyed all the facts and figures. For example; Bolivia having the longest runway in the world,Chris Hoy's winning margin of five hundredths of a second equating to 2.3cm.
A excellent profile on Chris and all concerned with his success.
Perfectly explained even to someone who is not of the cycling fraternity and I would recommend it to cycling fans and newcomers alike. Well done to the author on this account alone.
Inspiring, 10 Jun 2008
The story of Chris Hoy - and Craig McClean and other trackies - is told in Richard Moore's new book. It's an inspiring read, especially when you discover about the pathetic state British Cycling was in in the mid-90s.
This book will whet your appetite for the Beijing Olympics, and give you confidence that Team GB are in wonderful hands.
A gold medal winning book!, 09 Jun 2008
Richard Moore has done it again, following on from the Robert Millar book, Richard has produced a book that is surely going to win as many awards as Chris Hoy has won world championships! As well as providing an insight into one of the last decades most successful sportsmen it also provides previously unknown information of how British Cycling turned itself around from one of the most underfunded and unsuccessful sporting organisations to be the envy of sporting associations across the world, one where even the Aussies want to copy us! Richard has had unprecedented access to Hoy during his 1km world record attempt in La Paz, Bolivia and throughout the year to the amazing Manchester world cycling championships where Hoy won the men`s world sprint championship at his first attempt, ending a 54 year drought in the blue riband event of track cycling. More than anything the incredible support that the Hoy family as a whole have provided Chris, is written about with affection, and you are left with a feeling that even though Chris does the pedalling it really has been a team effort to produce " Chris Hoy the Real McHoy." Richard Moore is surely becoming one of the most entertaining and investigative sports writers of this century. Buy this book if you want to know what makes an Olympic champion tick.
It's about courage, desire and perserverence, 04 Aug 2008
One of the best true stories you are ever likely to read. If you want to be inspired whether it be in cycling,sports,work or your overall life then this book will do it for you. Get a good new copy as you will read it again and again.
Lethargy, 02 Jun 2008
The writing style of this book is odd, and at times it reads like a blog or if Lance is recording thoughts and handing them oer to the co-author. In fact the writing style and the short length of the book were the negative points for me. I somehow felt there might be more he could share but then again I guess this is his style, so if you are looking for a great piece of writing you've come to the wrong place. Its also not really an explanation of the cancer experience (I guess thats in the first volume). What it is a description of a man's life, what bothers him, what choices he has made and is making with cancer, his relationship to the disease and the sufferers he actively makes a point of meeting, how he manages to train every day of the year and have a family life (but not very sucessfully as he recently divorced Sheryl Crow- also a cancer sufferer), and his views on lots of issues like religion and even the Iraq war. There is also quite a lot of material which in summary are a dummies guide to how Lance keeps on winning the tour de france, as well as personal feedback on specific races or incidents such as the fall up the mountain in 2003. As a result I think if you are not a cycling or Tour de France fan you would be better off reading the cancer story. However if like me you wanted to get an insight into a sporting and personnal enigma then this is a good read and I couldn't put it down once I'd started.
This book enables even the most ignorant spectator of cycle racing and the Tour de France in particular to appreciate how much more is involved in this sport than the pedalling of the routes of France we see on television. The details Lance Armstrong provides brings both the race and the figures in the peleton to life.
However, much deeper than the insight into this famous race, is the appreciation the reader is able to experience of a very human man with very human failings but incredible strength of purpose and character. He leaves you with the determination to make all your own seconds count.
Amazing!, 24 Mar 2008
This book is truly inspirational and I love it! Heard it on audiobook and loved it so much i'm buying the book!
It's Not About the Bike: My Journney Back to Life, 23 Feb 2008
An excellent book, well written and gives a very open and honest insight into what only can be said is someone who clearly is a great sportsman with a very special talent.
More interesting than inspirational, 30 Jan 2008
As pure inspiration goes I'm not sure this one really hit the spot for me. However it was an entertaining, easy reading walk through armstrongs early years as a bolshie youngster, the shock of cancer and then his recovery back to a world class athlete. I found the most interesting angle was the discussion about how the tour and peleton operate with it's rivalry and gentlemans agreements.
This seems more about one mans journey of discovery and growing up as a man than it is about coming back from cancer.
A good Insight, 29 Oct 2008
Ghosted biographies of incomplete sports careers can be disappointing but I was tempted into buying this after reading an article about Bradley in the Sunday Times. Whilst Bradley is not keen to explore his childhood in any great depth he does open some doors on his inner life and in particular the issues surrounding his non relationship with his father who left him very early in his life to be raised by his mother, his grandparents and a step father. It is what Bradly doesn't give away to his ghost writer that is the most interesting from a psychological perspective. Taking to drink following his success in winning the gold at Athens is fascinating as is his refocusing upon a new career on the raod before coming back into the high performance culture of Team GB again as he builds towards his further successes in Beijing. Perhaps Bradley will further expand upon his life more fully after he competes at London in 2012 in which we will all hope he has further successes as by medal count he is already a highly successful Olympian. Not a five-star read but I was not disapponted. This is an insight into a champion who has wrestled with his personality and a number of psycholgical issues.
Disappointing, 14 Oct 2008
A disappointing book for me. Having read a few excellent sporting books by Richard Moore and Matt Rendell about modern professional cycling I had hopes that this would provide some insights into the new wave of talent and the way in which cycling is heading. Sadly no. The description of the recent Olympic races were absorbing and passionate (all three stars are for the tail end of the book!), however the rest is rather dull. A chronological list of events and encountered people without any real analysis to give a deeper understanding. The death of Wiggins' father hangs over the book too heavily, and the drinking binges are not that interesting to read about even if they are things that Bradley is trying to work through. For a real understanding of the spectacular success of Britain's track cyclists read Moore's 'Heroes, Villains and Velodromes'. I love Wiggins as a cyclist and one day I'm sure that he will deserve a biography to be written, but this one is too soon and incomplete. It reeks of all those footballers 'auto'biographies, cashing in on current glories.
Brilliant Read, 07 Oct 2008
This is a book not just for cycling fans but anyone interested in sport and also human relationships. I cant rate this book highly enough it draws in a frank and full way on Bradleys diffcult personal circumstances and how he acheived the success he so rightly enjoys today. This is the book of a champion not to be missed!
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Every Second Counts
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £3.50
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Product Description
In the opening of Lance Armstrong's memoir, Every Second Counts (coauthored by Sally Jenkins), he reflects: "Generally, one of the hardest things in the world to do is something twice." While he is talking here about his preparation for what would prove to be his second consecutive Tour de France victory in 2000, the sentiment could equally be applied to the book itself. And just as Armstrong managed to repeat his incredible 1999 tour victory, Every Second Counts repeats--and, in some ways exceeds—the success of his bestselling first memoir, It's Not About the Bike. Every Second Counts confronts the challenge of moving beyond his cancer experience, his first Tour victory and his celebrity status. Few of Armstrong's readers will ever compete in the Tour de France (though cyclists will relish Armstrong's detailed recounting of his 2000-2003 tour victories), but all will relate to his discussions of loss and disappointment in his personal and professional life since 1999. They will relate to his battles with petty bureaucracies, such as the French court system during the doping scandal that almost halted his career. And they will especially relate to constant struggles with work/life balance. In the face of September 11--which arrives halfway through the narrative (just before the fifth anniversary of his diagnosis)--Armstrong draws from his experiences to show that suffering, fear and death are the essential human condition. In so openly using his own life to illustrate how to face this reality, he proves that he truly is a hero--and not just because of the bike. In Every Second Counts he is to be admired as a human being, a man who sees every day as a challenge to live richly and well, no matter what hardships may come. --Patrick O'Kelley, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews
Fantastic!!, 30 Aug 2008
Like so many people in the country I was blown away by the success of the recent Olympics in Beijing, but especially by the amazing performances of the GB cycling team. So when i noticed "Heroes, Villains & Velodromes" on the shelf of my local book shop I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't sure what to expect really but what i got was a lively, entertaining and extremely well written read about the revolution in british cycling and Hoy's part in it over the last ten years. As Moore says in his comments it's not nessecarily a story just about Chris Hoy but he is the principal character and 'star of the show'
Hoy comes across a phenomenal athlete, ferocious competitor but also a genuinely nice guy who's dedicates hiimself completely to his sport, not for the money but for the thrill of winning and being a champion.
In today's money obsessed world of sport where even the most mediocre of premiership footballers can earn a small fortune, that is something truly awe-inspiring.
As one reviewer said there will probably be a re-release or additional chapters added to the paperback version to cover events in Beijing which you might want to wait for. However i would say that this insightful, well researched and engaging book is definitely worth buying.
Great Read, 27 Aug 2008
This book is a great look into the history and story behind one of Britain's most impressive athletes. The book isn't just about a variety of topics Hoy, but covers a range of issues around track cycling and the changes that have happened in British sport. Moore writes in a very engaging way and uses a range of styles that keep the book interesting.
Only 4 stars for two reasons.
1. Given his recent Olympic Haul there's bound to be a re-release with an added chapter so you might want to wait for that.
2. The book doesn't really delve into Hoy's relationship with other cyclists especially the other stars on the British team like Wiggins, I would have been interested to hear more about the interactions between the various disciplines within track cycling.
Well researched, excellent read, 07 Aug 2008
Heroes, Villains and Velodromes is an excellent read and was obviously very well researched.
I particularly enjoyed all the facts and figures. For example; Bolivia having the longest runway in the world,Chris Hoy's winning margin of five hundredths of a second equating to 2.3cm.
A excellent profile on Chris and all concerned with his success.
Perfectly explained even to someone who is not of the cycling fraternity and I would recommend it to cycling fans and newcomers alike. Well done to the author on this account alone.
Inspiring, 10 Jun 2008
The story of Chris Hoy - and Craig McClean and other trackies - is told in Richard Moore's new book. It's an inspiring read, especially when you discover about the pathetic state British Cycling was in in the mid-90s.
This book will whet your appetite for the Beijing Olympics, and give you confidence that Team GB are in wonderful hands.
A gold medal winning book!, 09 Jun 2008
Richard Moore has done it again, following on from the Robert Millar book, Richard has produced a book that is surely going to win as many awards as Chris Hoy has won world championships! As well as providing an insight into one of the last decades most successful sportsmen it also provides previously unknown information of how British Cycling turned itself around from one of the most underfunded and unsuccessful sporting organisations to be the envy of sporting associations across the world, one where even the Aussies want to copy us! Richard has had unprecedented access to Hoy during his 1km world record attempt in La Paz, Bolivia and throughout the year to the amazing Manchester world cycling championships where Hoy won the men`s world sprint championship at his first attempt, ending a 54 year drought in the blue riband event of track cycling. More than anything the incredible support that the Hoy family as a whole have provided Chris, is written about with affection, and you are left with a feeling that even though Chris does the pedalling it really has been a team effort to produce " Chris Hoy the Real McHoy." Richard Moore is surely becoming one of the most entertaining and investigative sports writers of this century. Buy this book if you want to know what makes an Olympic champion tick.
It's about courage, desire and perserverence, 04 Aug 2008
One of the best true stories you are ever likely to read. If you want to be inspired whether it be in cycling,sports,work or your overall life then this book will do it for you. Get a good new copy as you will read it again and again.
Lethargy, 02 Jun 2008
The writing style of this book is odd, and at times it reads like a blog or if Lance is recording thoughts and handing them oer to the co-author. In fact the writing style and the short length of the book were the negative points for me. I somehow felt there might be more he could share but then again I guess this is his style, so if you are looking for a great piece of writing you've come to the wrong place. Its also not really an explanation of the cancer experience (I guess thats in the first volume). What it is a description of a man's life, what bothers him, what choices he has made and is making with cancer, his relationship to the disease and the sufferers he actively makes a point of meeting, how he manages to train every day of the year and have a family life (but not very sucessfully as he recently divorced Sheryl Crow- also a cancer sufferer), and his views on lots of issues like religion and even the Iraq war. There is also quite a lot of material which in summary are a dummies guide to how Lance keeps on winning the tour de france, as well as personal feedback on specific races or incidents such as the fall up the mountain in 2003. As a result I think if you are not a cycling or Tour de France fan you would be better off reading the cancer story. However if like me you wanted to get an insight into a sporting and personnal enigma then this is a good read and I couldn't put it down once I'd started.
This book enables even the most ignorant spectator of cycle racing and the Tour de France in particular to appreciate how much more is involved in this sport than the pedalling of the routes of France we see on television. The details Lance Armstrong provides brings both the race and the figures in the peleton to life.
However, much deeper than the insight into this famous race, is the appreciation the reader is able to experience of a very human man with very human failings but incredible strength of purpose and character. He leaves you with the determination to make all your own seconds count.
Amazing!, 24 Mar 2008
This book is truly inspirational and I love it! Heard it on audiobook and loved it so much i'm buying the book!
It's Not About the Bike: My Journney Back to Life, 23 Feb 2008
An excellent book, well written and gives a very open and honest insight into what only can be said is someone who clearly is a great sportsman with a very special talent.
More interesting than inspirational, 30 Jan 2008
As pure inspiration goes I'm not sure this one really hit the spot for me. However it was an entertaining, easy reading walk through armstrongs early years as a bolshie youngster, the shock of cancer and then his recovery back to a world class athlete. I found the most interesting angle was the discussion about how the tour and peleton operate with it's rivalry and gentlemans agreements.
This seems more about one mans journey of discovery and growing up as a man than it is about coming back from cancer.
A good Insight, 29 Oct 2008
Ghosted biographies of incomplete sports careers can be disappointing but I was tempted into buying this after reading an article about Bradley in the Sunday Times. Whilst Bradley is not keen to explore his childhood in any great depth he does open some doors on his inner life and in particular the issues surrounding his non relationship with his father who left him very early in his life to be raised by his mother, his grandparents and a step father. It is what Bradly doesn't give away to his ghost writer that is the most interesting from a psychological perspective. Taking to drink following his success in winning the gold at Athens is fascinating as is his refocusing upon a new career on the raod before coming back into the high performance culture of Team GB again as he builds towards his further successes in Beijing. Perhaps Bradley will further expand upon his life more fully after he competes at London in 2012 in which we will all hope he has further successes as by medal count he is already a highly successful Olympian. Not a five-star read but I was not disapponted. This is an insight into a champion who has wrestled with his personality and a number of psycholgical issues.
Disappointing, 14 Oct 2008
A disappointing book for me. Having read a few excellent sporting books by Richard Moore and Matt Rendell about modern professional cycling I had hopes that this would provide some insights into the new wave of talent and the way in which cycling is heading. Sadly no. The description of the recent Olympic races were absorbing and passionate (all three stars are for the tail end of the book!), however the rest is rather dull. A chronological list of events and encountered people without any real analysis to give a deeper understanding. The death of Wiggins' father hangs over the book too heavily, and the drinking binges are not that interesting to read about even if they are things that Bradley is trying to work through. For a real understanding of the spectacular success of Britain's track cyclists read Moore's 'Heroes, Villains and Velodromes'. I love Wiggins as a cyclist and one day I'm sure that he will deserve a biography to be written, but this one is too soon and incomplete. It reeks of all those footballers 'auto'biographies, cashing in on current glories.
Brilliant Read, 07 Oct 2008
This is a book not just for cycling fans but anyone interested in sport and also human relationships. I cant rate this book highly enough it draws in a frank and full way on Bradleys diffcult personal circumstances and how he acheived the success he so rightly enjoys today. This is the book of a champion not to be missed!
very poor, 30 Dec 2008
I read Armstrong's first book and while not liking the guy I enjoyed the book and bought Every Second Counts on the back of it. Bad move. It's a poorly written book, which reads like a self help book but with half baked anecdotes and part truths. Haven read plenty other cycling books makes it even harder to swallow the stories he presents.
Inspirational and comforting, 21 Aug 2008
I had already read Lance's first book but after being diagnosed with cancer myself I decided to read this one too.
It is the quickest I have ever read a book in my life, I really couldn't put it down. Very easy to read and made me feel much better about by situation. Would highly recommend to anyone who wants a bit of a 'pick me up'!
Survivor, 22 May 2007
This was written in 2004 after his record 6th consequetive win of the Tour de France. If you've read his first book, this is a very necessary follow up. There is some overlap in the telling of the cancer story but that is to be expected.
We get more details, in some cases very sad details of his personal life and relationship break ups. Through it all it seems as though Lance is starting to grow up a little bit. Perhaps seeming a little less arrogant but maybe that is easy now that he is an undisputed champion.
Never shy of controversy, Armstrong offers, with typical frankness, his thoughts on training, competing, winning and failure. He also tells of the work he does for the foundation he created following his dramatic recovery, addresses the daunting challenge of living in the aftermath of cancer and treatment, and shares further inspirational tales of survival.
A fresh outlook on the spirit of survivors everywhere, Every Second Counts is an awe-inspiring book by a man who strives every day to meet life's challenges - whether on his bike or off. There are more descriptions of his cycling and training strategies here too.
This man is a God. And he deserves more credit. Book is great, 17 May 2007
I remember the (scant British) TV coverage of some of the races described here... heart-pounding stuff! So I have a lot of admiration for any of the participants and nothing but awe for anyone who wins such a grueling race! Now I have been counting up those years because I can't quite believe anyone could win the Tour de France for seven years in a row! Added to this the fact that this man is a survivor of advanced-stage cancer!!
But what about the book? - it is very easy to read - I finished in two or three days and only tiredness forced my to turn out the light! Whatever the contribution of Sally Jenkins it sounds like the voice of Lance Armstrong throughout with no detectable seams. It is well structured too - even if you are familiar with the main events the story comes alive again through Lance's perspective and insights. It is not too technical, ie. you don't have to be a bike fanatics to enjoy!
Do we get to see the inner man? Are the secrets of his success revealed? This is not a "How to..." book, but there are signs: self-belief, preparation, concentration, demanding of self and others, acceptance of pain, prepared to take risks, not giving up, acknowledging and rewarding others, sharing success, developing talent in others..... all good lessons no matter what our goals in life.
But there is also an attempt to paint a balanced and honest picture of this life - we hear about fears of a return of cancer, frustration at the press and French judicial system promoting and exhaustively trying to prove drug abuse, almost despair at the idleness outside the training/race season, the pain at not preventing the break-up of a marriage, and even admission of failure to be as inspirational as expected!
It is hard to find fault - I did think it a little false that everyone he encounters appears to be a friend. And all that self-assurance - not sure I actually like the guy, or would want to be around him for too long... but the books is great!
An OK read, 10 Nov 2006
An account racing in the Tour de France. Partially inspirational. I can't really say this book changed my life. Not as good as other reviews would lead you to believe.
Not a bad read.
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Customer Reviews
Fantastic!!, 30 Aug 2008
Like so many people in the country I was blown away by the success of the recent Olympics in Beijing, but especially by the amazing performances of the GB cycling team. So when i noticed "Heroes, Villains & Velodromes" on the shelf of my local book shop I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't sure what to expect really but what i got was a lively, entertaining and extremely well written read about the revolution in british cycling and Hoy's part in it over the last ten years. As Moore says in his comments it's not nessecarily a story just about Chris Hoy but he is the principal character and 'star of the show'
Hoy comes across a phenomenal athlete, ferocious competitor but also a genuinely nice guy who's dedicates hiimself completely to his sport, not for the money but for the thrill of winning and being a champion.
In today's money obsessed world of sport where even the most mediocre of premiership footballers can earn a small fortune, that is something truly awe-inspiring.
As one reviewer said there will probably be a re-release or additional chapters added to the paperback version to cover events in Beijing which you might want to wait for. However i would say that this insightful, well researched and engaging book is definitely worth buying.
Great Read, 27 Aug 2008
This book is a great look into the history and story behind one of Britain's most impressive athletes. The book isn't just about a variety of topics Hoy, but covers a range of issues around track cycling and the changes that have happened in British sport. Moore writes in a very engaging way and uses a range of styles that keep the book interesting.
Only 4 stars for two reasons.
1. Given his recent Olympic Haul there's bound to be a re-release with an added chapter so you might want to wait for that.
2. The book doesn't really delve into Hoy's relationship with other cyclists especially the other stars on the British team like Wiggins, I would have been interested to hear more about the interactions between the various disciplines within track cycling.
Well researched, excellent read, 07 Aug 2008
Heroes, Villains and Velodromes is an excellent read and was obviously very well researched.
I particularly enjoyed all the facts and figures. For example; Bolivia having the longest runway in the world,Chris Hoy's winning margin of five hundredths of a second equating to 2.3cm.
A excellent profile on Chris and all concerned with his success.
Perfectly explained even to someone who is not of the cycling fraternity and I would recommend it to cycling fans and newcomers alike. Well done to the author on this account alone.
Inspiring, 10 Jun 2008
The story of Chris Hoy - and Craig McClean and other trackies - is told in Richard Moore's new book. It's an inspiring read, especially when you discover about the pathetic state British Cycling was in in the mid-90s.
This book will whet your appetite for the Beijing Olympics, and give you confidence that Team GB are in wonderful hands.
A gold medal winning book!, 09 Jun 2008
Richard Moore has done it again, following on from the Robert Millar book, Richard has produced a book that is surely going to win as many awards as Chris Hoy has won world championships! As well as providing an insight into one of the last decades most successful sportsmen it also provides previously unknown information of how British Cycling turned itself around from one of the most underfunded and unsuccessful sporting organisations to be the envy of sporting associations across the world, one where even the Aussies want to copy us! Richard has had unprecedented access to Hoy during his 1km world record attempt in La Paz, Bolivia and throughout the year to the amazing Manchester world cycling championships where Hoy won the men`s world sprint championship at his first attempt, ending a 54 year drought in the blue riband event of track cycling. More than anything the incredible support that the Hoy family as a whole have provided Chris, is written about with affection, and you are left with a feeling that even though Chris does the pedalling it really has been a team effort to produce " Chris Hoy the Real McHoy." Richard Moore is surely becoming one of the most entertaining and investigative sports writers of this century. Buy this book if you want to know what makes an Olympic champion tick.
It's about courage, desire and perserverence, 04 Aug 2008
One of the best true stories you are ever likely to read. If you want to be inspired whether it be in cycling,sports,work or your overall life then this book will do it for you. Get a good new copy as you will read it again and again.
Lethargy, 02 Jun 2008
The writing style of this book is odd, and at times it reads like a blog or if Lance is recording thoughts and handing them oer to the co-author. In fact the writing style and the short length of the book were the negative points for me. I somehow felt there might be more he could share but then again I guess this is his style, so if you are looking for a great piece of writing you've come to the wrong place. Its also not really an explanation of the cancer experience (I guess thats in the first volume). What it is a description of a man's life, what bothers him, what choices he has made and is making with cancer, his relationship to the disease and the sufferers he actively makes a point of meeting, how he manages to train every day of the year and have a family life (but not very sucessfully as he recently divorced Sheryl Crow- also a cancer sufferer), and his views on lots of issues like religion and even the Iraq war. There is also quite a lot of material which in summary are a dummies guide to how Lance keeps on winning the tour de france, as well as personal feedback on specific races or incidents such as the fall up the mountain in 2003. As a result I think if you are not a cycling or Tour de France fan you would be better off reading the cancer story. However if like me you wanted to get an insight into a sporting and personnal enigma then this is a good read and I couldn't put it down once I'd started.
This book enables even the most ignorant spectator of cycle racing and the Tour de France in particular to appreciate how much more is involved in this sport than the pedalling of the routes of France we see on television. The details Lance Armstrong provides brings both the race and the figures in the peleton to life.
However, much deeper than the insight into this famous race, is the appreciation the reader is able to experience of a very human man with very human failings but incredible strength of purpose and character. He leaves you with the determination to make all your own seconds count.
Amazing!, 24 Mar 2008
This book is truly inspirational and I love it! Heard it on audiobook and loved it so much i'm buying the book!
It's Not About the Bike: My Journney Back to Life, 23 Feb 2008
An excellent book, well written and gives a very open and honest insight into what only can be said is someone who clearly is a great sportsman with a very special talent.
More interesting than inspirational, 30 Jan 2008
As pure inspiration goes I'm not sure this one really hit the spot for me. However it was an entertaining, easy reading walk through armstrongs early years as a bolshie youngster, the shock of cancer and then his recovery back to a world class athlete. I found the most interesting angle was the discussion about how the tour and peleton operate with it's rivalry and gentlemans agreements.
This seems more about one mans journey of discovery and growing up as a man than it is about coming back from cancer.
A good Insight, 29 Oct 2008
Ghosted biographies of incomplete sports careers can be disappointing but I was tempted into buying this after reading an article about Bradley in the Sunday Times. Whilst Bradley is not keen to explore his childhood in any great depth he does open some doors on his inner life and in particular the issues surrounding his non relationship with his father who left him very early in his life to be raised by his mother, his grandparents and a step father. It is what Bradly doesn't give away to his ghost writer that is the most interesting from a psychological perspective. Taking to drink following his success in winning the gold at Athens is fascinating as is his refocusing upon a new career on the raod before coming back into the high performance culture of Team GB again as he builds towards his further successes in Beijing. Perhaps Bradley will further expand upon his life more fully after he competes at London in 2012 in which we will all hope he has further successes as by medal count he is already a highly successful Olympian. Not a five-star read but I was not disapponted. This is an insight into a champion who has wrestled with his personality and a number of psycholgical issues.
Disappointing, 14 Oct 2008
A disappointing book for me. Having read a few excellent sporting books by Richard Moore and Matt Rendell about modern professional cycling I had hopes that this would provide some insights into the new wave of talent and the way in which cycling is heading. Sadly no. The description of the recent Olympic races were absorbing and passionate (all three stars are for the tail end of the book!), however the rest is rather dull. A chronological list of events and encountered people without any real analysis to give a deeper understanding. The death of Wiggins' father hangs over the book too heavily, and the drinking binges are not that interesting to read about even if they are things that Bradley is trying to work through. For a real understanding of the spectacular success of Britain's track cyclists read Moore's 'Heroes, Villains and Velodromes'. I love Wiggins as a cyclist and one day I'm sure that he will deserve a biography to be written, but this one is too soon and incomplete. It reeks of all those footballers 'auto'biographies, cashing in on current glories.
Brilliant Read, 07 Oct 2008
This is a book not just for cycling fans but anyone interested in sport and also human relationships. I cant rate this book highly enough it draws in a frank and full way on Bradleys diffcult personal circumstances and how he acheived the success he so rightly enjoys today. This is the book of a champion not to be missed!
very poor, 30 Dec 2008
I read Armstrong's first book and while not liking the guy I enjoyed the book and bought Every Second Counts on the back of it. Bad move. It's a poorly written book, which reads like a self help book but with half baked anecdotes and part truths. Haven read plenty other cycling books makes it even harder to swallow the stories he presents.
Inspirational and comforting, 21 Aug 2008
I had already read Lance's first book but after being diagnosed with cancer myself I decided to read this one too.
It is the quickest I have ever read a book in my life, I really couldn't put it down. Very easy to read and made me feel much better about by situation. Would highly recommend to anyone who wants a bit of a 'pick me up'!
Survivor, 22 May 2007
This was written in 2004 after his record 6th consequetive win of the Tour de France. If you've read his first book, this is a very necessary follow up. There is some overlap in the telling of the cancer story but that is to be expected.
We get more details, in some cases very sad details of his personal life and relationship break ups. Through it all it seems as though Lance is starting to grow up a little bit. Perhaps seeming a little less arrogant but maybe that is easy now that he is an undisputed champion.
Never shy of controversy, Armstrong offers, with typical frankness, his thoughts on training, competing, winning and failure. He also tells of the work he does for the foundation he created following his dramatic recovery, addresses the daunting challenge of living in the aftermath of cancer and treatment, and shares further inspirational tales of survival.
A fresh outlook on the spirit of survivors everywhere, Every Second Counts is an awe-inspiring book by a man who strives every day to meet life's challenges - whether on his bike or off. There are more descriptions of his cycling and training strategies here too.
This man is a God. And he deserves more credit. Book is great, 17 May 2007
I remember the (scant British) TV coverage of some of the races described here... heart-pounding stuff! So I have a lot of admiration for any of the participants and nothing but awe for anyone who wins such a grueling race! Now I have been counting up those years because I can't quite believe anyone could win the Tour de France for seven years in a row! Added to this the fact that this man is a survivor of advanced-stage cancer!!
But what about the book? - it is very easy to read - I finished in two or three days and only tiredness forced my to turn out the light! Whatever the contribution of Sally Jenkins it sounds like the voice of Lance Armstrong throughout with no detectable seams. It is well structured too - even if you are familiar with the main events the story comes alive again through Lance's perspective and insights. It is not too technical, ie. you don't have to be a bike fanatics to enjoy!
Do we get to see the inner man? Are the secrets of his success revealed? This is not a "How to..." book, but there are signs: self-belief, preparation, concentration, demanding of self and others, acceptance of pain, prepared to take risks, not giving up, acknowledging and rewarding others, sharing success, developing talent in others..... all good lessons no matter what our goals in life.
But there is also an attempt to paint a balanced and honest picture of this life - we hear about fears of a return of cancer, frustration at the press and French judicial system promoting and exhaustively trying to prove drug abuse, almost despair at the idleness outside the training/race season, the pain at not preventing the break-up of a marriage, and even admission of failure to be as inspirational as expected!
It is hard to find fault - I did think it a little false that everyone he encounters appears to be a friend. And all that self-assurance - not sure I actually like the guy, or would want to be around him for too long... but the books is great!
An OK read, 10 Nov 2006
An account racing in the Tour de France. Partially inspirational. I can't really say this book changed my life. Not as good as other reviews would lead you to believe.
Not a bad read.
Perverty French Man, 03 Jul 2008
"Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape" is an astonishing biography of French cycling star Jacques Anquetil. I had no idea who he was but i bought the book in a Charity shop when i heard about Anquetil's life.
He was the first man to win the Tour de France five times; the first to win all three grand tours (the Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana and Giro d'Italia).
He was a notorious dope fiend and he even confessed to this in public (Dope tests did not exist in the sports world back then). As well as dealing with Anquetil's considerable achievements as a cyclist, this book also explores his naughty private life. This French gypsy seduced his doctor's wife; he acted as stepfather to her children before asking his stepdaughter to bear him a child; after his blood-daughter was born, he maintained a menage a trois with his wife and stepdaughter for several years in the same house.
He also had time to seduce his stepson's ex-wife and had a child with her.
Dr.Bee Clarke.
Excellent account of a true great., 30 Jun 2008
Having read widely on cycling, I am rather ashamed to admit I knew virtually nothing about Jacques Anquetil, other than that he won the Tour five times and had a rivalry with Raymond Poulidor. I was, therefore, pleased to see someone had written a biography of the man, and what a worthwhile subject he has proven to be.
Rather sickeningly, Anquetil was, from the very beginning of his career, brilliant. From the age of seventeen, he was winning time trials (his forte) by huge margins against experienced rivals, and, indeed, never lost in the (then) prestigious Grand Prix des Nations, winning it nine times out of nine.
He became "le patron", but without the bullying aggression of Hinault - he stamped his authority by simply riding away from everyone else. However, as Howard suggests, this may well have been through amphetamine use. Howard does not directly link any of his wins to doping but there are several races in which Anquetil began way off the pace (often due to a previous night of excess) only to catch up with a breakaway group and then ride past them to a solo victory.
Perhaps the most astonishing of all was his Dauphine Libere/Bordeaux-Paris (a 557km one-day race) double. The Bordeaux-Paris race began only seven hours after, and six hundred kilometres from, the finish of the Dauphine. Having had no sleep, Anquetil began Bordeaux-Paris exhausted. He was virtually asleep in the saddle for the first part of the race while he was pushed along by Jean Stablinski and Vin Denson either side of him (this section is also worth reading for an amusing anecdote involving Denson, a trapped nerve, and an impressive record of his own). Anquetil is about to abandon, but motivated by an insult to his manhood (and, one presumes, several illicit substances), he restarts and wins in a breakaway with Stablinski and Tom Simpson. While we might baulk at how he achieved this, it is worth noting that he gave all his prize money (as did Stablinski) to Denson for his huge part in this success.
It is also worth remembering that doping was not illegal at the time and Anquetil readily admitted it, often to his detriment. He wrote several articles for a French newspaper, including two entitled "Yes, I've Taken Drugs" and "Yes, I've Bought Riders". The outcome of this was that he was banned from the national and world championships as well as seeing lucrative invitations to criteriums dry-up. It seems that spitting in the soup was as bad then for Anquetil as it has remained for the likes of Jorg Jaksche today.
This was a problem as it seems Anquetil was primarily motivated by money. A close second was his motivation to thrash Poulidor at every opportunity. Anquetil raged, perhaps justifiably, that Poulidor was not a rival as he beat him so often. However, as Poulidor was the darling of the French press, he usually got more coverage than him regardless of the result - much to Anquetil's chagrin. Beating Poulidor on his own merits deserves respect - helping others to beat Poulidor when he knew he couldn't win himself shows a less savoury side to Anquetil's character, though they became great friends in later years.
Also unsavoury was Anquetil's complicated love-life: stealing his doctor's wife; having a child with his step-daughter; and having an affair with his step-son's wife all suggest Anquetil was nothing short of despicable. However, you never feel quite able to castigate him for all of this as the women involved speak with such love and affection for the man. It also seems that the doctor's wife actively encouraged her daughter to sleep with Anquetil so that he could have the child he wanted (she was unable to have any more children herself) and the step-son was already in love with another woman when Anquetil began the affair with his wife.
Howard has written an excellent, and ambivalent (as all good biographies should be), account of Jacques Anquetil's life. It is well researched with lots of contemporary accounts of his achievements and many interviews with those who knew him well.
Highly recommended and gives William Fotheringham something to aim for with his Coppi book due next year.
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Customer Reviews
Fantastic!!, 30 Aug 2008
Like so many people in the country I was blown away by the success of the recent Olympics in Beijing, but especially by the amazing performances of the GB cycling team. So when i noticed "Heroes, Villains & Velodromes" on the shelf of my local book shop I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't sure what to expect really but what i got was a lively, entertaining and extremely well written read about the revolution in british cycling and Hoy's part in it over the last ten years. As Moore says in his comments it's not nessecarily a story just about Chris Hoy but he is the principal character and 'star of the show'
Hoy comes across a phenomenal athlete, ferocious competitor but also a genuinely nice guy who's dedicates hiimself completely to his sport, not for the money but for the thrill of winning and being a champion.
In today's money obsessed world of sport where even the most mediocre of premiership footballers can earn a small fortune, that is something truly awe-inspiring.
As one reviewer said there will probably be a re-release or additional chapters added to the paperback version to cover events in Beijing which you might want to wait for. However i would say that this insightful, well researched and engaging book is definitely worth buying.
Great Read, 27 Aug 2008
This book is a great look into the history and story behind one of Britain's most impressive athletes. The book isn't just about a variety of topics Hoy, but covers a range of issues around track cycling and the changes that have happened in British sport. Moore writes in a very engaging way and uses a range of styles that keep the book interesting.
Only 4 stars for two reasons.
1. Given his recent Olympic Haul there's bound to be a re-release with an added chapter so you might want to wait for that.
2. The book doesn't really delve into Hoy's relationship with other cyclists especially the other stars on the British team like Wiggins, I would have been interested to hear more about the interactions between the various disciplines within track cycling.
Well researched, excellent read, 07 Aug 2008
Heroes, Villains and Velodromes is an excellent read and was obviously very well researched.
I particularly enjoyed all the facts and figures. For example; Bolivia having the longest runway in the world,Chris Hoy's winning margin of five hundredths of a second equating to 2.3cm.
A excellent profile on Chris and all concerned with his success.
Perfectly explained even to someone who is not of the cycling fraternity and I would recommend it to cycling fans and newcomers alike. Well done to the author on this account alone.
Inspiring, 10 Jun 2008
The story of Chris Hoy - and Craig McClean and other trackies - is told in Richard Moore's new book. It's an inspiring read, especially when you discover about the pathetic state British Cycling was in in the mid-90s.
This book will whet your appetite for the Beijing Olympics, and give you confidence that Team GB are in wonderful hands.
A gold medal winning book!, 09 Jun 2008
Richard Moore has done it again, following on from the Robert Millar book, Richard has produced a book that is surely going to win as many awards as Chris Hoy has won world championships! As well as providing an insight into one of the last decades most successful sportsmen it also provides previously unknown information of how British Cycling turned itself around from one of the most underfunded and unsuccessful sporting organisations to be the envy of sporting associations across the world, one where even the Aussies want to copy us! Richard has had unprecedented access to Hoy during his 1km world record attempt in La Paz, Bolivia and throughout the year to the amazing Manchester world cycling championships where Hoy won the men`s world sprint championship at his first attempt, ending a 54 year drought in the blue riband event of track cycling. More than anything the incredible support that the Hoy family as a whole have provided Chris, is written about with affection, and you are left with a feeling that even though Chris does the pedalling it really has been a team effort to produce " Chris Hoy the Real McHoy." Richard Moore is surely becoming one of the most entertaining and investigative sports writers of this century. Buy this book if you want to know what makes an Olympic champion tick.
It's about courage, desire and perserverence, 04 Aug 2008
One of the best true stories you are ever likely to read. If you want to be inspired whether it be in cycling,sports,work or your overall life then this book will do it for you. Get a good new copy as you will read it again and again.
Lethargy, 02 Jun 2008
The writing style of this book is odd, and at times it reads like a blog or if Lance is recording thoughts and handing them oer to the co-author. In fact the writing style and the short length of the book were the negative points for me. I somehow felt there might be more he could share but then again I guess this is his style, so if you are looking for a great piece of writing you've come to the wrong place. Its also not really an explanation of the cancer experience (I guess thats in the first volume). What it is a description of a man's life, what bothers him, what choices he has made and is making with cancer, his relationship to the disease and the sufferers he actively makes a point of meeting, how he manages to train every day of the year and have a family life (but not very sucessfully as he recently divorced Sheryl Crow- also a cancer sufferer), and his views on lots of issues like religion and even the Iraq war. There is also quite a lot of material which in summary are a dummies guide to how Lance keeps on winning the tour de france, as well as personal feedback on specific races or incidents such as the fall up the mountain in 2003. As a result I think if you are not a cycling or Tour de France fan you would be better off reading the cancer story. However if like me you wanted to get an insight into a sporting and personnal enigma then this is a good read and I couldn't put it down once I'd started.
This book enables even the most ignorant spectator of cycle racing and the Tour de France in particular to appreciate how much more is involved in this sport than the pedalling of the routes of France we see on television. The details Lance Armstrong provides brings both the race and the figures in the peleton to life.
However, much deeper than the insight into this famous race, is the appreciation the reader is able to experience of a very human man with very human failings but incredible strength of purpose and character. He leaves you with the determination to make all your own seconds count.
Amazing!, 24 Mar 2008
This book is truly inspirational and I love it! Heard it on audiobook and loved it so much i'm buying the book!
It's Not About the Bike: My Journney Back to Life, 23 Feb 2008
An excellent book, well written and gives a very open and honest insight into what only can be said is someone who clearly is a great sportsman with a very special talent.
More interesting than inspirational, 30 Jan 2008
As pure inspiration goes I'm not sure this one really hit the spot for me. However it was an entertaining, easy reading walk through armstrongs early years as a bolshie youngster, the shock of cancer and then his recovery back to a world class athlete. I found the most interesting angle was the discussion about how the tour and peleton operate with it's rivalry and gentlemans agreements.
This seems more about one mans journey of discovery and growing up as a man than it is about coming back from cancer.
A good Insight, 29 Oct 2008
Ghosted biographies of incomplete sports careers can be disappointing but I was tempted into buying this after reading an article about Bradley in the Sunday Times. Whilst Bradley is not keen to explore his childhood in any great depth he does open some doors on his inner life and in particular the issues surrounding his non relationship with his father who left him very early in his life to be raised by his mother, his grandparents and a step father. It is what Bradly doesn't give away to his ghost writer that is the most interesting from a psychological perspective. Taking to drink following his success in winning the gold at Athens is fascinating as is his refocusing upon a new career on the raod before coming back into the high performance culture of Team GB again as he builds towards his further successes in Beijing. Perhaps Bradley will further expand upon his life more fully after he competes at London in 2012 in which we will all hope he has further successes as by medal count he is already a highly successful Olympian. Not a five-star read but I was not disapponted. This is an insight into a champion who has wrestled with his personality and a number of psycholgical issues.
Disappointing, 14 Oct 2008
A disappointing book for me. Having read a few excellent sporting books by Richard Moore and Matt Rendell about modern professional cycling I had hopes that this would provide some insights into the new wave of talent and the way in which cycling is heading. Sadly no. The description of the recent Olympic races were absorbing and passionate (all three stars are for the tail end of the book!), however the rest is rather dull. A chronological list of events and encountered people without any real analysis to give a deeper understanding. The death of Wiggins' father hangs over the book too heavily, and the drinking binges are not that interesting to read about even if they are things that Bradley is trying to work through. For a real understanding of the spectacular success of Britain's track cyclists read Moore's 'Heroes, Villains and Velodromes'. I love Wiggins as a cyclist and one day I'm sure that he will deserve a biography to be written, but this one is too soon and incomplete. It reeks of all those footballers 'auto'biographies, cashing in on current glories.
Brilliant Read, 07 Oct 2008
This is a book not just for cycling fans but anyone interested in sport and also human relationships. I cant rate this book highly enough it draws in a frank and full way on Bradleys diffcult personal circumstances and how he acheived the success he so rightly enjoys today. This is the book of a champion not to be missed!
very poor, 30 Dec 2008
I read Armstrong's first book and while not liking the guy I enjoyed the book and bought Every Second Counts on the back of it. Bad move. It's a poorly written book, which reads like a self help book but with half baked anecdotes and part truths. Haven read plenty other cycling books makes it even harder to swallow the stories he presents.
Inspirational and comforting, 21 Aug 2008
I had already read Lance's first book but after being diagnosed with cancer myself I decided to read this one too.
It is the quickest I have ever read a book in my life, I really couldn't put it down. Very easy to read and made me feel much better about by situation. Would highly recommend to anyone who wants a bit of a 'pick me up'!
Survivor, 22 May 2007
This was written in 2004 after his record 6th consequetive win of the Tour de France. If you've read his first book, this is a very necessary follow up. There is some overlap in the telling of the cancer story but that is to be expected.
We get more details, in some cases very sad details of his personal life and relationship break ups. Through it all it seems as though Lance is starting to grow up a little bit. Perhaps seeming a little less arrogant but maybe that is easy now that he is an undisputed champion.
Never shy of controversy, Armstrong offers, with typical frankness, his thoughts on training, competing, winning and failure. He also tells of the work he does for the foundation he created following his dramatic recovery, addresses the daunting challenge of living in the aftermath of cancer and treatment, and shares further inspirational tales of survival.
A fresh outlook on the spirit of survivors everywhere, Every Second Counts is an awe-inspiring book by a man who strives every day to meet life's challenges - whether on his bike or off. There are more descriptions of his cycling and training strategies here too.
This man is a God. And he deserves more credit. Book is great, 17 May 2007
I remember the (scant British) TV coverage of some of the races described here... heart-pounding stuff! So I have a lot of admiration for any of the participants and nothing but awe for anyone who wins such a grueling race! Now I have been counting up those years because I can't quite believe anyone could win the Tour de France for seven years in a row! Added to this the fact that this man is a survivor of advanced-stage cancer!!
But what about the book? - it is very easy to read - I finished in two or three days and only tiredness forced my to turn out the light! Whatever the contribution of Sally Jenkins it sounds like the voice of Lance Armstrong throughout with no detectable seams. It is well structured too - even if you are familiar with the main events the story comes alive again through Lance's perspective and insights. It is not too technical, ie. you don't have to be a bike fanatics to enjoy!
Do we get to see the inner man? Are the secrets of his success revealed? This is not a "How to..." book, but there are signs: self-belief, preparation, concentration, demanding of self and others, acceptance of pain, prepared to take risks, not giving up, acknowledging and rewarding others, sharing success, developing talent in others..... all good lessons no matter what our goals in life.
But there is also an attempt to paint a balanced and honest picture of this life - we hear about fears of a return of cancer, frustration at the press and French judicial system promoting and exhaustively trying to prove drug abuse, almost despair at the idleness outside the training/race season, the pain at not preventing the break-up of a marriage, and even admission of failure to be as inspirational as expected!
It is hard to find fault - I did think it a little false that everyone he encounters appears to be a friend. And all that self-assurance - not sure I actually like the guy, or would want to be around him for too long... but the books is great!
An OK read, 10 Nov 2006
An account racing in the Tour de France. Partially inspirational. I can't really say this book changed my life. Not as good as other reviews would lead you to believe.
Not a bad read.
Perverty French Man, 03 Jul 2008
"Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape" is an astonishing biography of French cycling star Jacques Anquetil. I had no idea who he was but i bought the book in a Charity shop when i heard about Anquetil's life.
He was the first man to win the Tour de France five times; the first to win all three grand tours (the Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana and Giro d'Italia).
He was a notorious dope fiend and he even confessed to this in public (Dope tests did not exist in the sports world back then). As well as dealing with Anquetil's considerable achievements as a cyclist, this book also explores his naughty private life. This French gypsy seduced his doctor's wife; he acted as stepfather to her children before asking his stepdaughter to bear him a child; after his blood-daughter was born, he maintained a menage a trois with his wife and stepdaughter for several years in the same house.
He also had time to seduce his stepson's ex-wife and had a child with her.
Dr.Bee Clarke.
Excellent account of a true great., 30 Jun 2008
Having read widely on cycling, I am rather ashamed to admit I knew virtually nothing about Jacques Anquetil, other than that he won the Tour five times and had a rivalry with Raymond Poulidor. I was, therefore, pleased to see someone had written a biography of the man, and what a worthwhile subject he has proven to be.
Rather sickeningly, Anquetil was, from the very beginning of his career, brilliant. From the age of seventeen, he was winning time trials (his forte) by huge margins against experienced rivals, and, indeed, never lost in the (then) prestigious Grand Prix des Nations, winning it nine times out of nine.
He became "le patron", but without the bullying aggression of Hinault - he stamped his authority by simply riding away from everyone else. However, as Howard suggests, this may well have been through amphetamine use. Howard does not directly link any of his wins to doping but there are several races in which Anquetil began way off the pace (often due to a previous night of excess) only to catch up with a breakaway group and then ride past them to a solo victory.
Perhaps the most astonishing of all was his Dauphine Libere/Bordeaux-Paris (a 557km one-day race) double. The Bordeaux-Paris race began only seven hours after, and six hundred kilometres from, the finish of the Dauphine. Having had no sleep, Anquetil began Bordeaux-Paris exhausted. He was virtually asleep in the saddle for the first part of the race while he was pushed along by Jean Stablinski and Vin Denson either side of him (this section is also worth reading for an amusing anecdote involving Denson, a trapped nerve, and an impressive record of his own). Anquetil is about to abandon, but motivated by an insult to his manhood (and, one presumes, several illicit substances), he restarts and wins in a breakaway with Stablinski and Tom Simpson. While we might baulk at how he achieved this, it is worth noting that he gave all his prize money (as did Stablinski) to Denson for his huge part in this success.
It is also worth remembering that doping was not illegal at the time and Anquetil readily admitted it, often to his detriment. He wrote several articles for a French newspaper, including two entitled "Yes, I've Taken Drugs" and "Yes, I've Bought Riders". The outcome of this was that he was banned from the national and world championships as well as seeing lucrative invitations to criteriums dry-up. It seems that spitting in the soup was as bad then for Anquetil as it has remained for the likes of Jorg Jaksche today.
This was a problem as it seems Anquetil was primarily motivated by money. A close second was his motivation to thrash Poulidor at every opportunity. Anquetil raged, perhaps justifiably, that Poulidor was not a rival as he beat him so often. However, as Poulidor was the darling of the French press, he usually got more coverage than him regardless of the result - much to Anquetil's chagrin. Beating Poulidor on his own merits deserves respect - helping others to beat Poulidor when he knew he couldn't win himself shows a less savoury side to Anquetil's character, though they became great friends in later years.
Also unsavoury was Anquetil's complicated love-life: stealing his doctor's wife; having a child with his step-daughter; and having an affair with his step-son's wife all suggest Anquetil was nothing short of despicable. However, you never feel quite able to castigate him for all of this as the women involved speak with such love and affection for the man. It also seems that the doctor's wife actively encouraged her daughter to sleep with Anquetil so that he could have the child he wanted (she was unable to have any more children herself) and the step-son was already in love with another woman when Anquetil began the affair with his wife.
Howard has written an excellent, and ambivalent (as all good biographies should be), account of Jacques Anquetil's life. It is well researched with lots of contemporary accounts of his achievements and many interviews with those who knew him well.
Highly recommended and gives William Fotheringham something to aim for with his Coppi book due next year.
Cycling on the wrong side, 04 Jan 2009
It was a good honest read, very interesting with refectling accounts of life as a professional cyclist, the compromising living standards, the uncomfortable transport to events, the abuse of drugs, the cheating and fixing of racing, who wants it ?, this sport of cycling needs a new moral level and Joe has shown a lot of moral courage exposing it, I am glad I went to college instead.
A Dog in a Hat, 29 Nov 2008
This memoir would not have been published a decade ago. Then, cycling books were idealized, all sunflowers, suntans and white teeth. If the Festina Affair was some kind of milestone, more recent events have stripped the veneer from pro cycling to expose a drug-fuelled sham. Its aspiring saviours face a huge challenge.
Joe Parkin wanted to be the best. Arriving from the USA as an innocent, he witnessed in Belgium the darker side of cycling at his first pro event with riders openly injecting themselves as part of pre-race preparation.
Parkin was a nearly man. Fate, or ability that fell short, kept him from the big win that would make his name. But he kept trying, absorbing Flemish culture and speaking the language. He was accepted.
Kermis - or kermesse - racing is the staple diet of Belgian cycling. Jim Ochowicz told Parkin that kermis riders were 'a dime a dozen' and that he should have ambition for the big races. Parkin himself found his dressing room peers generally dim. However, he was a man trying to do a superman's job. It wasn't long before dope claimed him, too.
The drudgery, race-fixing and duplicity of riders, managers and sponsors -and not merely in the second stream - comes through Parkin's words. There's not much glamour for the journeyman professional. He stayed just a few years in Belgium and then did not return. Who could blame him?
a cat on a hot tin roof, 09 Nov 2008
I bought this book after reading a review in procycling magazine.I wasn't dissapointed.Its a great read,well written and an honest and open account into pro cycling.I couldn't put it down.Its worth putting on your wish list or getting it for a xmas present.
Funny and sobering..., 24 Sep 2008
Being a Flemish cycling enthousiast(after all, our love for cycling is a genetic feature of most Flemings...) I was really curious to read the story of this "Yankee at the World Centre of Cycling". I must say I was positively surprised by his no-nonsens approach, with easy to read, well written chapters and a nice set of glossy colour pictures. The odd Flemish expressions and curses thrown in, add a nice local flavour to the stories and enhance their credibility. Joe is very straightforward, outspoken and - I want to believe - honest in his analysis of the tough small inner circle of life on the racebike in Europe, especially Flanders, where he came to look for a career in professional cycling. The backroom politics, backbiting amongst riders donning the same jersey, the relation with the directeurs sportifs, the way races are "pre-arranged", all confirm the fact that the only message for naive newcomers is to accept the unwritten rules of the peleton or get destroyed... Joe doesn't dodge the tricky issue of organized doping either, which shows how doping had become generally accepted in cycling and inherited by one generation of riders to the next one. The book is a real page turner and reads like a 53 X 11 gear during a descent. Most recommended to anyone interested in sports in general and cycling in particular.
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Product Description
Comic writer Tim Moore trades his ailing Rolls Royce for a bicycle, a map and a water bottle in French Revolutions. This is a quest to pedal the route of the Tour de France, no mean feat for the fit, let alone a self-described suburban slouch. The resulting 2,256-haphazard-mile journey transforms Moore into an incredibly fit and passionately proud cyclist. Initially, Moore takes the "I will do it and it probably will kill me" approach. His normal perspective, as a stooge to life's misfortunes, plays well as he prepares to ride the route of the 2000 Tour de France. Moore is the everyman who pedalled in youth and now wouldn't ride a bike to the corner store. But unlike a traveller by car, train or plane, Moore has to navigate France under his own steam. Somewhere around the Ventoux, the world's windiest place, Moore starts to change. He becomes enraptured by the feat itself as mile by mile he realises he is no longer an accidental cyclist but a lean, mean cycling machine. Gradually, the narrative turns from travel to a personal quest. Along the route, Moore's details of the heroes of the Tour make an excellent primer on this gruelling race and helps the uninitiated understand the frenzy that grips France each July as the races meanders through incidental villages, over mountains and, finally, into Paris. It is worth reading for that alone. Having survived mountains of pain, a disgusting diet and motels of dubious value, a new, muscular Moore concludes that "I might never leave my mark on the Tour, but that didn't matter. It has left its mark on me". To follow Moore's path of perspiration is certainly not a vacation. Yet, this curmudgeonly clever and inspirational book makes one want to do just that. "Old Father Time was catching up with Old Father Tim. If I didn't do it this year, I wouldn't because maybe next year I couldn't," he says before starting out. And that, as Tim Moore so surely points out, is what pushes any true traveller out the door. --Kathleen Buckley
Customer Reviews
Fantastic!!, 30 Aug 2008
Like so many people in the country I was blown away by the success of the recent Olympics in Beijing, but especially by the amazing performances of the GB cycling team. So when i noticed "Heroes, Villains & Velodromes" on the shelf of my local book shop I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't sure what to expect really but what i got was a lively, entertaining and extremely well written read about the revolution in british cycling and Hoy's part in it over the last ten years. As Moore says in his comments it's not nessecarily a story just about Chris Hoy but he is the principal character and 'star of the show'
Hoy comes across a phenomenal athlete, ferocious competitor but also a genuinely nice guy who's dedicates hiimself completely to his sport, not for the money but for the thrill of winning and being a champion.
In today's money obsessed world of sport where even the most mediocre of premiership footballers can earn a small fortune, that is something truly awe-inspiring.
As one reviewer said there will probably be a re-release or additional chapters added to the paperback version to cover events in Beijing which you might want to wait for. However i would say that this insightful, well researched and engaging book is definitely worth buying.
Great Read, 27 Aug 2008
This book is a great look into the history and story behind one of Britain's most impressive athletes. The book isn't just about a variety of topics Hoy, but covers a range of issues around track cycling and the changes that have happened in British sport. Moore writes in a very engaging way and uses a range of styles that keep the book interesting.
Only 4 stars for two reasons.
1. Given his recent Olympic Haul there's bound to be a re-release with an added chapter so you might want to wait for that.
2. The book doesn't really delve into Hoy's relationship with other cyclists especially the other stars on the British team like Wiggins, I would have been interested to hear more about the interactions between the various disciplines within track cycling.
Well researched, excellent read, 07 Aug 2008
Heroes, Villains and Velodromes is an excellent read and was obviously very well researched.
I particularly enjoyed all the facts and figures. For example; Bolivia having the longest runway in the world,Chris Hoy's winning margin of five hundredths of a second equating to 2.3cm.
A excellent profile on Chris and all concerned with his success.
Perfectly explained even to someone who is not of the cycling fraternity and I would recommend it to cycling fans and newcomers alike. Well done to the author on this account alone.
Inspiring, 10 Jun 2008
The story of Chris Hoy - and Craig McClean and other trackies - is told in Richard Moore's new book. It's an inspiring read, especially when you discover about the pathetic state British Cycling was in in the mid-90s.
This book will whet your appetite for the Beijing Olympics, and give you confidence that Team GB are in wonderful hands.
A gold medal winning book!, 09 Jun 2008
Richard Moore has done it again, following on from the Robert Millar book, Richard has produced a book that is surely going to win as many awards as Chris Hoy has won world championships! As well as providing an insight into one of the last decades most successful sportsmen it also provides previously unknown information of how British Cycling turned itself around from one of the most underfunded and unsuccessful sporting organisations to be the envy of sporting associations across the world, one where even the Aussies want to copy us! Richard has had unprecedented access to Hoy during his 1km world record attempt in La Paz, Bolivia and throughout the year to the amazing Manchester world cycling championships where Hoy won the men`s world sprint championship at his first attempt, ending a 54 year drought in the blue riband event of track cycling. More than anything the incredible support that the Hoy family as a whole have provided Chris, is written about with affection, and you are left with a feeling that even though Chris does the pedalling it really has been a team effort to produce " Chris Hoy the Real McHoy." Richard Moore is surely becoming one of the most entertaining and investigative sports writers of this century. Buy this book if you want to know what makes an Olympic champion tick.
It's about courage, desire and perserverence, 04 Aug 2008
One of the best true stories you are ever likely to read. If you want to be inspired whether it be in cycling,sports,work or your overall life then this book will do it for you. Get a good new copy as you will read it again and again.
Lethargy, 02 Jun 2008
The writing style of this book is odd, and at times it reads like a blog or if Lance is recording thoughts and handing them oer to the co-author. In fact the writing style and the short length of the book were the negative points for me. I somehow felt there might be more he could share but then again I guess this is his style, so if you are looking for a great piece of writing you've come to the wrong place. Its also not really an explanation of the cancer experience (I guess thats in the first volume). What it is a description of a man's life, what bothers him, what choices he has made and is making with cancer, his relationship to the disease and the sufferers he actively makes a point of meeting, how he manages to train every day of the year and have a family life (but not very sucessfully as he recently divorced Sheryl Crow- also a cancer sufferer), and his views on lots of issues like religion and even the Iraq war. There is also quite a lot of material which in summary are a dummies guide to how Lance keeps on winning the tour de france, as well as personal feedback on specific races or incidents such as the fall up the mountain in 2003. As a result I think if you are not a cycling or Tour de France fan you would be better off reading the cancer story. However if like me you wanted to get an insight into a sporting and personnal enigma then this is a good read and I couldn't put it down once I'd started.
This book enables even the most ignorant spectator of cycle racing and the Tour de France in particular to appreciate how much more is involved in this sport than the pedalling of the routes of France we see on television. The details Lance Armstrong provides brings both the race and the figures in the peleton to life.
However, much deeper than the insight into this famous race, is the appreciation the reader is able to experience of a very human man with very human failings but incredible strength of purpose and character. He leaves you with the determination to make all your own seconds count.
Amazing!, 24 Mar 2008
This book is truly inspirational and I love it! Heard it on audiobook and loved it so much i'm buying the book!
It's Not About the Bike: My Journney Back to Life, 23 Feb 2008
An excellent book, well written and gives a very open and honest insight into what only can be said is someone who clearly is a great sportsman with a very special talent.
More interesting than inspirational, 30 Jan 2008
As pure inspiration goes I'm not sure this one really hit the spot for me. However it was an entertaining, easy reading walk through armstrongs early years as a bolshie youngster, the shock of cancer and then his recovery back to a world class athlete. I found the most interesting angle was the discussion about how the tour and peleton operate with it's rivalry and gentlemans agreements.
This seems more about one mans journey of discovery and growing up as a man than it is about coming back from cancer.
A good Insight, 29 Oct 2008
Ghosted biographies of incomplete sports careers can be disappointing but I was tempted into buying this after reading an article about Bradley in the Sunday Times. Whilst Bradley is not keen to explore his childhood in any great depth he does open some doors on his inner life and in particular the issues surrounding his non relationship with his father who left him very early in his life to be raised by his mother, his grandparents and a step father. It is what Bradly doesn't give away to his ghost writer that is the most interesting from a psychological perspective. Taking to drink following his success in winning the gold at Athens is fascinating as is his refocusing upon a new career on the raod before coming back into the high performance culture of Team GB again as he builds towards his further successes in Beijing. Perhaps Bradley will further expand upon his life more fully after he competes at London in 2012 in which we will all hope he has further successes as by medal count he is already a highly successful Olympian. Not a five-star read but I was not disapponted. Thi | | |