Book: The Secret Race

By Tyler Hamilton & Daniel Coyle

I know, I know. It is morally wrong for someone to benefit from being a cheater. I can understand if you feel this way however, I checked this out from the library. If your conscience will allow it and you are interested in how the sport of cycling became such a mess, you simply won’t be able to put this book down. Daniel Coyle does a fantastic job of telling Tyler Hamilton’s story from the very beginning. It’s fascinating to read Hamilton’s recollections about how he initially felt and how his perception of doping changed throughout his career. His stories of just how “normal” doping became in the sport are shocking. It really changed my opinion about how so many seemingly admirable people became oblivious to the fact that they were cheating. There is actually an additional bonus of detailed information about how elite cyclists train and how they prepare for races besides just the doping.