The Secret Cyclist: Real Life as a Rider in the Professional Peloton

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i'm a bit unsure as to what they hoped to gain from this managerial interrogation; perhaps it was solely a case of being seen talking to one so privilieged as to be in charge of such a prominent distillery? or perhaps it was more that they hoped to be introduced to the inner sanctum, regaled with hitherto unheard stories and distilling secrets? i played with the guy for nigh on six years, yet learned only of two humorous anecdotes, so the audience's hopes may have been a tad misguided. Some of the videos on Botley Road I'm in solid traffic and a bus pulls out to overtake me even though they can't go anywhere. Professional cycling is the same as many other sports, with a lot going on behind the scenes in support of the glossy public-facing side. Although we are not normally allowed to observe this parallel life, occasionally we have little glimpses; The Secret Cyclist is unusual because it is a whole book dedicated to that aspect, and it takes the principle further than any previous book. names are named on a few occasions, but nothing i could see, warranted secrecy of authorship. i think those who are interested in such tale-telling, are probably already aware of such matters. nothing to see here; move along. these are not the droids you're looking for. that being said, the secret cyclist is still a good read, providing an insight into the day to day world of a professional cyclist. i think many of us would have guessed it to be thus, but for those youngsters who are contemplating a potential professional career as a racing cyclist, it probably ought to sent out with every national or international racing licence.

In terms of The Secret Pro’s identity, we always expected that people would want to guess who it is, but let’s keep in mind: if his identity is revealed, the insights will stop. Insights and anonymity are the whole reason this column exists. If a rider is innocent until proven guilty, the the results of an A sample should never be made public until the B (sample) is tested and everyone cleared or found guilty."The fact that some of the subjects in The Secret Cyclist have already had coverage elsewhere does lessen its impact, but I am not aware of any single publication that is quite so comprehensive, thorough, and also fairly current – right up to mentioning the transition from Team Sky to Ineos (albeit spelt wrongly as Inios). Which leads Saddles to the conclusion that perhaps we’re all being led on by TSP. Perhaps he’s not a pro at all – but merely a figment of one journo’s imagination. And what better way of getting people to listen than firing off some fabricated doping torpedoes safely behind a veil of anonymity (and reader, before you pull out hair in exasperation, I do realise the irony of that previous statement).

Of course, such trifles with spelling and syntax are more of an issue with whoemver is ghost-writing and editing the thing – presumably after an explosive reveal-all phone chat or Skype session with TSP (at least, that’s what we’re meant to think). Our Roads Policing department is a joint unit with Hampshire Constabulary and carries out various enforcement operations across the region, including M27, M275 and large parts of the M3, M1, M4, M40 and M25 motorways in addition to the trunk roads. I've got videos of people on bikes going through red lights – I am sure a lot of cyclists could improve their behaviour."And for those who think they have him figured out – well we’ve thrown in enough red herrings that make it impossible to guess by deduction. The Secret Cyclist has asserted his right to be indentified as the author of this Work..." if you're anonymous, how can you (legally) identify with a published work, without revealing that identity if challenged?

There are also many little nuggets of information that would have helped to inform the debate surrounding recent events. Take the transfer from Sicily to the mainland in the 2018 Giro d'Italia, for example: most of the race entourage suffered a long trip in a boat that was then delayed, leading to a compromised recovery process, whereas some of Team Sky used a helicopter. Some claimed that it was just Sky using their big budget to gain an edge, and others that they were merely organised enough to make the necessary preparations. The truth seems to lie in the middle: apparently 'that helicopter was on the list of optional extras that the teams were offered by RCS before the start. It cost €5,000,' and Sky obviously had different priorities to other teams. So an eyebrow of suspicion rises when reading TSP’s assertion that Cadel Evans has “always had a chip on his shoulder, but this time it’s much more than a chip, it’s a whole bag of Doritos!” Penguin Presents the audio edition of The Secret Cyclist , by The Secret Cyclist, read by Ben Eagle.

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The writing style is quite simple and clear- either this is mostly the work of the cyclist himself or the ghost writer avoided the temptation to avoid any stylistic flourishes. It is basically "this is what happened, this is what I think about it" and to be fair this is probably a strength- this is basically gossip and it is the what happened and why that readers will be interested in, not a more up to date Krabbé or Jean Bobet masterclass in writing about cycling. In fact, he can tell us anything – firstly, because he’s not accountable; and secondly, because he probably doesn’t exist.

He added: "I'm just one cyclist, there are thousands more out there so whatever is happening to me is happening to all of them as well." It’s funny to think that just weeks before, the question on everyone’s lips was the same: who is it? So much of the book will be already familiar, even to the casual cyclist like myself. In particular, the Sky debacle and niggles about Sky's financial clout have been done to death in the cycling and everyday press over the last two years.If you want to just read about doping and all the dirt that goes on behind the scenes in pro cycling, don't bother. Yes, there is plenty of that, but this book is much more than that. It's a glimpse not only at what happens in the peloton, but what happens in the mind of a rider at the top of his game. You get the sense that whoever authored this book is torn between many aspects of the sport but is also deeply in love with racing his bike. And for anyone who has ever raced their bike, it's a fantastic insight into the levels that very few achieve. When you read this, the way its worded, and the cadence of the sentences, you really get the feeling most of it was written in hotel rooms by a tired cyclist waiting for the day to end, so he can ride/race his bike the next day. It feels honest, and the words not massaged by a co-writer before going to print.