About book
Author:Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle
Publisher: Transworld Publishers (2012)
Version: Paperback
Completed: 2013
My Rating: 4/5
Comment
I picked this book up at my local library two weeks ago. Why? I am not sure then. Perhaps, the cover attracted me to it. I am the sort of person who you can sell a product to if it's presented with a nice package. The title didn't attract me, neither did I know who the authors were then. Maybe it called to some latent desire about the one aerobic activity that I can relate to. In any case, pick it up I did.
The authors really had a story to tell. It's a story about asking for forgiveness, about having a second chance. Above all, it's a story about grit, determination, and the desire to be the best. Never mind that Tyler didn't win the Tour de France. There are a number of reasons for that. He was constantly fighting with his inner self to race paniagua i.e no drugs, which conflicts with his desire to win. It's such a competitive sport that without external help, read EPO, even the strongest athletic does not stand a chance. Tyler is a moderately clean bloke. He might have hesitated at first, but whatever hesitation he had about taking drugs in a competition eroded when he was accepted to the inner circle. Such is the failings of human beings. We all crave social companionship, so much so that standards are compromised and excuses are made. Team leader Lance didn't have that much hesitation and had an ever greater desire to win. Perhaps that's why he won 7 tour de France consecutively from 1999 to 2005.
Whenever we see the end result of a competition, stage act, examination or perfectly baked and decorated cake, we don't see the sweat and tears that went into the whole process. It's after we hear those stories that makes us reflect upon ourselves and many times, it's a humbling experience. There are many humbling moments in this book, but to me, the one that takes the cake is when Tyler described Nic Jalabert's hand on his shoulder as he was pushing himself to his body to its physical limits telling him that it's just a bike race.
Whenever we see the end result of a competition, stage act, examination or perfectly baked and decorated cake, we don't see the sweat and tears that went into the whole process. It's after we hear those stories that makes us reflect upon ourselves and many times, it's a humbling experience. There are many humbling moments in this book, but to me, the one that takes the cake is when Tyler described Nic Jalabert's hand on his shoulder as he was pushing himself to his body to its physical limits telling him that it's just a bike race.
