Tyler's Book

[Cavalier]

Endlessly annoying watching others say they've finished the book and not even being able to get it here for another week+. Hoping the Aus version isn't getting the same treatment as the UK version.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

According to my Kindle, I'm 39 percent of the way through the book. Hamilton and Coyle are discussing JV on USPS in 1999, and how LA felt about JV. No spoilers, but this is interesting in light of JV's recent posts here and his confessional to the NYT. Comparing the attitudes of Vaughters, Andreu, Livingston, and Hamilton (and LA) during that time is enlightening.

Do spoil!

*More characters*

 

[luckyboy]

My copy left Philadelphia last night, should be here in London tomorrow

 

[Microchip]

Another interview with the authors on Velonews:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/09/news/exclusive-qa-with-secret-race-authors_237632

Great interview!

 

[MacRoadie]

My copy left Philadelphia last night, should be here in London tomorrow

Following in the footsteps of the Declaration of Independence in August, 1776.

 

[BikeCentric]

Alright, I'll clarify.

Maybe now you can understand what didn't make sense about your original post?

I get you. I thought you were accusing Hampsten of lying or something. I mis-interpeted what he said in the book as clearly it should have been "just a few seasons removed from contending at the Giro" not winning the overall. But thanks for posting his results - I think those are in line with what he said in the book.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

My book arrives in a couple days. Can't wait.

I thought Tyler did fine on the Today Show. Sure, his hair is a bit messy, so what? He looked very comfortable in his skin, answered the questions presented to him candidly, and seemed happier than he has in years. I thought he did great, and Doyle was very articulate in addressing some key questions. Mrs. Alpe (a very casual cycling viewer) agreed.

 

[ebandit]

thanks!

My copy left Philadelphia last night, should be here in London tomorrow

enjoy luckyboy.................and thanks! for pointing out upthread that the uk version is edited

i was 50/50 deciding if to buy ( i don't work....too lazy! ) now i think i will continue reading info on the net

so all you book owners.................keep spoiling!

 

[OctaBech]

Guess this surprises alot of ppl in here

I sure am, looks like I and the press owe an apology to Cecchini.

 

[luckyboy]

I sure am, looks like I and the press owe an apology to Cecchini.

Didn't Jaksche and Riis also say that Cecchini wasn't involved in doping?

 

[rhubroma]

More excerpts from Italian daily.

New Method # 1: “Doctor Ferrari had invented one in which he diluted Andriol (testosterone) with olive oil. He kept it in little vials and just a few drops were enough to get immediate benefits, without being able to get caught by the doping tests. We always brought them with us. One day I was so empty that I asked Lance to give me some. He took out the droplet administer, he put some drops in my mouth feeding me like a baby bird.”

New Method # 2: “Doctor Fuentes, for me Ufe, said to me in 2004 that he’d bought a new and more sophisticated type of freezer. We called it “Siberia.” It allowed for him to keep in his studio several sacks of blood at a time, thus avoiding that I’d have to make several long trips to Madrid. It cost 50,000 dollars a season plus bonuses for victories (Hamilton had to pay Fuentes).

New Method # 3: “With Ufe we had a code to establish where we would do the transfusions during the race. We’d send a cell text message with numbers like 167 and that would be the hotel room, previously agreed upon, where we’d have met. I was always nervous, because I feared that I’d get caught. So when the door knocked and there was Ufe, I always felt relieved.
The Boss: “If you ever complained about the ruthlessness and fatigue of the training workouts, or if you arrived even 5 minutes late, Lance gave you hell. You entered his black list and you were ****ed. That’s how he got Bobby Julich, who he really couldn’t stand, fired from the team. Later he didn’t even have the scruples to fire Kevin Livingston, who was his friend and who had stood close by him during his illness. Kevin had dared to ask him for salary increase and rather than receiving it, Lance had the team budget cut lowering the salaries of Kevin and others to be able to hire three Spaniards. He also asked me to give up my bonus of $ 25,000 and you couldn’t say no.
The Spy: “After the Ventoux stage of the 2004 Dauphine Libere (when Hamilton was riding with Team Phonak), I was summoned by the UCI. There was no positive test, but they told me to watch out. I thought that request to come to the UCI headquarters was really strange. But then during a subsequent stage of the Tour that season, Floyd Landis (who was still riding with US Postal) told me that Lance had called Hein Verbruggen (then president of the UCI) telling him to investigate Phonak, because Armstrong thought they were probably using new stuff. It wasn’t true though. I was so ****ing ****ed off because I foresaw a year of humiliation within the cycling world. So one day I confronted Armstrong and told him to “**** off!” That was a big satisfaction.

The Dinner: “In 2011 I was in Aspen with some friends, where Lance owns a house, and we went to dinner at Cache Cache, his favorite place to eat. I had heard that he was out of town, but all of a sudden he arrived and sat at the bar. I became aware of it only when I came back from the bathroom and when I did my stomach tightened up. It was Lance. I was embarrassed to see him, because it was right after the 60 minutes interview. I didn’t know what to say. He came over and exclaimed menacingly: “When you take the witness stand in court, we’re gonna rip you apart! You’re gonna look like a ****ing idiot! We’re going to make your life a living hell!” I told him that if he wanted to talk about it we could step outside. But he just kept shouting insults at me. I went back to our table and we finished our meal, but I was really upset.”

 

[Bratam]

enjoy luckyboy.................and thanks! for pointing out upthread that the uk version is edited

i was 50/50 deciding if to buy ( i don't work....too lazy! ) now i think i will continue reading info on the net

so all you book owners.................keep spoiling!

I was 50..50 as well, however I like the idea of supporting someone who is prepared to break out of the Omertà and speak about doping in cycling. By buying Tyler's book, I hope that it will encourage others to come forward and make money out of being truthful.

iMO, the timing of this book couldn't be better. I think it will sell millions of copies. Tyler's retirement is assured. Let's hope that Ulrich also finds a way to make up some of the millions of Euros that Armstrong stole from him and other talented riders.

 

[Gregory]

More excerpts from Italian daily.

Thanks a lot for these excerpts. If you find more, please post it's very interesting

 

[mastersracer]

Any mention yet of the episode where LA snitches to the UCI about Hamilton after Hamilton beats him on the Ventoux time trial? Apparently did the same to Mayo and some other Spanish riders.

 

[urban attacker]

Went by Book People to pick up a copy last night Found out they were sold out Funny to hear all six copies were sold out and that one person picked up four copies.Mine is on back order

 

[MacRoadie]

Up to #11 on Amazon:

Amazon Best Sellers: Best Books

(And 4 of the top 10 are Fifty Shades derivations)

 

[VeloCity]

Not from Tyler's book but from the VN interview with him and Dan Coyle:

VN: Tyler, you said Armstrong was one of the best athletes in the world. But given how much you write about what a brilliant doctor Michele Ferrari was, and that he was forbidden from working with Tour de France contenders other than Armstrong, could an argument be made that he won because, at least in part, he had the best doping doctor in the world?

DC: I’d like to take that on, because you’re getting into the question of a level playing field — that if everyone is doping, then it’s a level playing field. I think this book explodes that myth. And it is a myth. When everyone can dope, it becomes a contest of who has the best information, who has the best access, who has the best doctor, and who has the most money. That’s what this contest is — it’s a chess game of information, connections and money. And whoever wins that chess game has the better chance of winning the Tour. What happens when you have a situation when there aren’t strong regulations, and people can dope, it’s the opposite of a level field, it’s a hugely distorted playing field, and it’s tilted toward people with access, with information and with money. And that’s the game you want to avoid playing. The level playing field of doping is a total myth.

That, to me, is maybe the most important revelation there is to be made - the myth of the "they were all doping so it was a level playing field anyway". I wonder what cycling would've looked like - and who would've been the big guns - if the peloton had been cleaner over the past 20 years.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/09/news/exclusive-qa-with-secret-race-authors_237632/6

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

That, to me, is maybe the most important revelation there is to be made - the myth of the "they were all doping so it was a level playing field anyway". I wonder what cycling would've looked like - and who would've been the big guns - if the peloton had been cleaner over the past 20 years.

We've played that game before, but maybe not to the extent we could have, or should have. Going back to the early 90's we can see LeMond winning another Tour or two. Maybe Mottet. Maybe Gilles DeLion, maybe Hampsten even. Maybe Indurain anyway, he had that much physical prowess. Then in the late 90's and beyond, Bassons. But when you get to 2001-2007 or so, it's really hard to know, really hard to guess.

 

[Bosco10]

Not from Tyler's book but from the VN interview with him and Dan Coyle:

That, to me, is maybe the most important revelation there is to be made - the myth of the "they were all doping so it was a level playing field anyway". I wonder what cycling would've looked like - and who would've been the big guns - if the peloton had been cleaner over the past 20 years.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/09/news/exclusive-qa-with-secret-race-authors_237632/6

Also, there's a variance in how athletes respond to the drugs. Some athletes are hyper-responders. So the "level playing field" is still skewed up!

 

[Racelap]

This book a lit match and a can of gasoline. If it doesn't start a fire over doping in pro cycling then nothing will. It's an excellent read.

 

[Anonymous]

This book a lit match and a gasoline. If it doesn't start a fire over doping in pro cycling then nothing will. It's an excellent read.

I think Coyle described it as an 'avalanche' of information. I have not made it to the end yet but the roaches are definitely seeing the light of day.

I don't think it will happen, but if Hincapie came out... all coffin nails would be driven in.

 

[Zweistein]

Great book

 

[Cimber]

 

[thehog]

I think Coyle described it as an 'avalanche' of information. I have not made it to the end yet but the roaches are definitely seeing the light of day.

I don't think it will happen, but if Hincapie came out... all coffin nails would be driven in.

What becomes apparent to me when reading and applying the USPS template of doping to present day is Wiggins is doping. I’m sorry that some don’t like to hear it but that’s what you walk away with. Yes I’m hypothesising but there’s now no doubt in my mind that Wiggins is working with Ferrari. The similarities of what Tyler explains are scarcely close to what Wiggins aimed for in terms of body form and output. I also note that the defense to doping question was similar to Armstrong once it clicked in Armstrong that attack was the best form of defense.

I knew a lot of the detail prior but this account provides excellent context as each story is cross referenced with the players involved. The real beauty everyone is named rather than innocuous terms of doctors or other cyclists.

 

[knewcleardaze]

I have to agree. I don't see big George fessing up to anything. He's always been quite cautious as to what comes out of his mouth in regards to doping, omerta and such. He will quietly fade into the background, looking after his Pla d Adet development and his cycling gear line.