Books on Doping in Cycling

[Lucky1]

What are the best books on this subject? I'm interested in books written for the cycling fan rather than for scientists. I've read Rough Ride, Bad Blood and the sections on doping in Matt Rendell's great book on Marco Pantani. I was thinking about reading Willy Voet's book but heard that it was badly written.

Any views/recommendations?

Lucky.

 

[Hawkwood]

I've got the British edition of Voet's book. It's an interesting read, however I've read online that many of the `names' were edited out, and that one of the non-English editions is more complete.

 

[Oldman]

What are the best books on this subject? I'm interested in books written for the cycling fan rather than for scientists. I've read Rough Ride, Bad Blood and the sections on doping in Matt Rendell's great book on Marco Pantani. I was thinking about reading Willy Voet's book but heard that it was badly written.

Any views/recommendations?

Lucky.

Rough Ride and Willy Voet's book both are poorly written. They both seem sanitized to protect the few friends the authors' fear or hope to retain (Paul Kimmage mentions almost nothing of Sean Kelly). Your best bet is to check out some of the heinous body-building publications for a primer on the subject, check the Clinic forum and then research your own book.

 

[shawnrohrbach]

What are the best books on this subject? I'm interested in books written for the cycling fan rather than for scientists. I've read Rough Ride, Bad Blood and the sections on doping in Matt Rendell's great book on Marco Pantani. I was thinking about reading Willy Voet's book but heard that it was badly written.

Any views/recommendations?

Lucky.

Ok, this is shameless and greed filled self promotion, but my novel 'Cast the First Stone' will be released July 15, 2010 and it is a novelists perspective of the internalizing, rationalizing and actualizing I witnessed among cyclists (junior to pro) whom I knew doped. I did not focus on the science of doping, but rather the human experience. For those who recall, last year this was supposed to be released under a different title, but I could not come to terms with that publisher and it has been taken on, and therefore delayed, by another one.

 

[Anonymous]

I read Dog in a Hat...it seemed pretty good about doping in cycling and at the bottom of guys making it to real pro teams....I saw this in Belgie as well...I wasnt a contender but rode with guys on a local team trying to get there and a few did as water carriers and a few died I knew...but everything in Dog in a Hat seemed spot on...at least in my experience...

 

[tubularglue]

i do not agree with the statements above regarding willy voet's Breaking the Chain book. It seems like a pretty good summation of a teams systematic doping and don't find it sanitized nor poorly written.

As Voet was used as the scape goat, for the riders to continue with that years Tour de France, the management owned up to its involvement along with the riders own admissions. A chosen few denied involvement until court cases revealed the truth, while others still denied and are/were involved with national teams regarding riders/team/world championships.

I recommend it as an integral addition for any/all cycling libraries.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2000/10/24/richard001024.html

 

[Barnaby]

'Massacre a la Chaine' ('Breaking the Chain' in French) is unexpurgated.
'Secret Defonce' by Erwann Mentheour (ex-pro) and 'Tour de Vices' by Bruno Roussel (ex Festina DS) are both similarly frank.
Both of these presuppose that you read French. Due to libel laws I don't think that they were released in UK/US in English.

You could also try 'Ma verite' ('My Truth') by Richard Virenque if you enjoy fairy-tales. It was written before he finally confessed, so of course its true. All of it. Honest.

 

[petethedrummer]

i do not agree with the statements above regarding willy voet's Breaking the Chain book. It seems like a pretty good summation of a teams systematic doping and don't find it sanitized nor poorly written.

+1.

If anything its the most shocking book of the lot. Drug story after drug story, in quick succession.

Its a short book too. So even if you don't think its well written, it should only take a day or two to finish. And even if the identities are hidden, you can find them easy enough on the net.

 

[ak-zaaf]

What are the best books on this subject? I'm interested in books written for the cycling fan rather than for scientists. I've read Rough Ride, Bad Blood and the sections on doping in Matt Rendell's great book on Marco Pantani. I was thinking about reading Willy Voet's book but heard that it was badly written.

Any views/recommendations?

Lucky.

I thought bad blood and rough ride were horrible.
Voet's book is OK. Eric Rijckaert also wrote a book on the Festina years.
Maybe Jef D'Hondt's book is translated.

Virenque's Ma Vérité is probably the best book ever written.

 

[Mongol_Waaijer]

I'd love to read Phillipe Gaumont's book about his time with Cofidis.

I know he details the Anglophone riders on the team (Millar, Julich, Livingston, O'Grady, Hayles ??) all getting regularly out of their trees by snorting crushed up ephedrine and sleeping pills.

Plus the only two riders he names as never taking anything - Janek Tombak and David Moncoutie.

The old saddle sore cortisone cream permission scam was explained too. Amazing that Lance still got away with that one.

 

[buckwheat]

Ok, this is shameless and greed filled self promotion, but my novel 'Cast the First Stone' will be released July 15, 2010 and it is a novelists perspective of the internalizing, rationalizing and actualizing I witnessed among cyclists (junior to pro) whom I knew doped. I did not focus on the science of doping, but rather the human experience. For those who recall, last year this was supposed to be released under a different title, but I could not come to terms with that publisher and it has been taken on, and therefore delayed, by another one.

Don't apologize, you have to make money. I'm sold and will be purchasing your book when it comes out.

 

[the delgados]

Rough Ride and Willy Voet's book both are poorly written. They both seem sanitized to protect the few friends the authors' fear or hope to retain (Paul Kimmage mentions almost nothing of Sean Kelly). Your best bet is to check out some of the heinous body-building publications for a primer on the subject, check the Clinic forum and then research your own book.

No doubt that Rough Ride was sanitized. I'd bet the house that Kimmage is embarrassed to this day. Funny how everyone was doped except for Roche and Kelly, the guys who won everything.

But poorly written? No way.

As William Burroughs would say, the guy can write.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

No doubt that Rough Ride was sanitized. I'd bet the house that Kimmage is embarrassed to this day. Funny how everyone was doped except for Roche and Kelly, the guys who won everything.

But poorly written? No way.

As William Burroughs would say, the guy can write.

Actually the only 2 people that Kimmage ever mentioned that doped were himself and Andre Chappuis, who he is still friendly with. His intention was never to name names - it was to expose the system.

 

[pmcg76]

Actually the only 2 people that Kimmage ever mentioned that doped were himself and Andre Chappuis, who he is still friendly with. His intention was never to name names - it was to expose the system.

Yeah, I dont think Kimmage ever accused anyone outside of his own team. He never questioned LeMond who he had been dropping in the Giro and then managed to win the Tour. Still think A Rough Ride is a very good read, even 20 years later.

 

[Oldman]

No doubt that Rough Ride was sanitized. I'd bet the house that Kimmage is embarrassed to this day. Funny how everyone was doped except for Roche and Kelly, the guys who won everything.

But poorly written? No way.

As William Burroughs would say, the guy can write.

Per the riders...that was my main point. As for the journalism, perhaps I missed something in the translation but omitting major historical figures in a non-fiction expose' pretty much compromises the quality.
I did appreciate the description of the psychology and motivation of folks Willy did reveal. Naked ambition is an ugly truth but worse when you know that players in a game are willing to die young to get a moment of glory. In that respect he drove the point home particularly well.

 

[BikeCentric]

The best doping books I've read are "From Lance to Landis" by David Walsh and "The Death of Marco Pantani" by Matt Rendell. "Breaking the Chain" is not that great but worth a read.

 

[Lucky1]

The best doping books I've read are "From Lance to Landis" by David Walsh and "The Death of Marco Pantani" by Matt Rendell. "Breaking the Chain" is not that great but worth a read.

I thought The Death of Marco Pantani was a fanastic book. The David Walsh Book I didn't rate highly - on Armstrong it seemed to be a lot of noise but little substance.

Lucky

 

[BikeCentric]

I thought The Death of Marco Pantani was a fanastic book. The David Walsh Book I didn't rate highly - on Armstrong it seemed to be a lot of noise but little substance.

Lucky

On FLTL I actually agree with you in that regard - it was a circumstantial case RE Armstrong that really didn't have a lot of substance.

But what I really liked about it is that it's well written and had a lot of good stories and overall feel for the way things were at that time in pro cycling.

 

[shawnrohrbach]

Don't apologize, you have to make money. I'm sold and will be purchasing your book when it comes out.

Thanks. I am expecting this publisher will meet the July15th release date.

 

[bobbins]

It's not about the bike is a good read but you have to read between the lines.

 

[BikeCentric]

It's not about the bike is a god read but you have to read between the lines.

LOL look at the Freudian slip here from Bobbins - he truly does believe that Lance is God. Fanboy hilarity always makes my day.

 

[bobbins]

LOL look at the Freudian slip here from Bobbins - he truly does believe that Lance is God. Fanboy hilarity always makes my day.

Bloody stupid keyboard! Have corrected it now.

Not sure about your definition of fanboy but I guess you missed the irony in the post.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Voets book is number one (i don´t care if its bad written or whatever, because the content counts, not the writting style), THE classic killer book for the omerta.

"From Lance to Landis" is No. 2, because the biggest basterd Epo-Lance is uncovered.

"Doping im Radsport" (only german) describes the whole doping issue and history. A complete "Handbook".

It seems there are many good books from ex-pros/dopers of france. Unlucky they are all written in french