The Secret Race

Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs

By: Tyler Hamilton, Daniel Coyle

Narrated by: Sean Runnette

Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

The Secret Race is a definitive look at the world of professional cycling—and the doping issue surrounding this sport and its most iconic rider, Lance Armstrong—by former Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton and New York Times best-selling author Daniel Coyle.

Over the course of two years, Coyle conducted more than 200 hours of interviews with Hamilton and spoke candidly with numerous teammates, rivals, and friends. The result is an explosive book that takes us, for the first time, deep inside a shadowy, fascinating, and surreal world of unscrupulous doctors, anything-goes team directors, and athletes so relentlessly driven to succeed that they would do anything—and take any risk, physical, mental, or moral—to gain the edge they needed to win.

Tyler Hamilton was once one of the world’s best-liked and top-ranked cyclists—a fierce competitor renowned among his peers for his uncanny endurance and epic tolerance for pain. In the 2003 Tour de France, he finished fourth despite breaking his collarbone in the early stages—and grinding 11 of his teeth down to the nerves along the way. He started his career with the U.S. Postal Service team in the 1990s and quickly rose to become Lance Armstrong’s most trusted lieutenant and a member of his inner circle.

For the first three of Armstrong’s record seven Tour de France victories, Hamilton was by Armstrong’s side, clearing his way. But just weeks after Hamilton reached his own personal pinnacle—winning the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics—his career came to a sudden, ignominious end: He was found guilty of doping and exiled from the sport.

From the exhilaration of his early, naïve days in the peloton, Hamilton chronicles his ascent to the uppermost reaches of this unforgiving sport. In the mid-1990s, the advent of a powerful new blood-boosting drug called EPO reshaped the world of cycling, and a relentless, win-at-any-cost ethos took root. Its psychological toll would drive many of the sport’s top performers to substance abuse, depression, even suicide. For the first time ever, Hamilton recounts his own battle with clinical depression, speaks frankly about the agonizing choices that go along with the decision to compete at a world-class level, and tells the story of his complicated relationship with Lance Armstrong.

A journey into the heart of a never-before-seen world, The Secret Race is a riveting, courageous act of witness from a man who is as determined to reveal the hard truth about his sport as he once was to win the Tour de France.

©2012 Tyler Hamilton & Daniel Coyle (P)2012 Random House

An eye-opener must for anyone in sports

A very well written account from the professional life of Tyler Hamilton. A must, even if you're disgusted by the all the lies.

Favorite Book of the Year

After listening to two books a month in 2012 this book is by far the most memorable of the year. Enjoyed the details of how the doping schemes really occurred and the narration is remarkable. "Oh Tyler, you're too fat" as read by the Sean Runnette has become a regular catch phase around the house.

Got Popped

After listening to Tyler Hamilton's interview on NPR Planet Money (episode 417), and watching 60 Minutes, I was compelled to read his tell all story of being a cyclist. I'm a huge fan of the sport and knew that most riders had to be on some kind of performance enhancer to keep up with the pace of the tour. I didn't knew how far it went until I listened to this title.

I'm not a fan of Lance Armstrong and had my suspicion that he was doping all along with his career. Hamilton's experience on what went on behind close doors and during the open circuit has to be accountable because one cannot make the whole thing up and not face with the consequences of getting popped and being banned.

As I followed the sport for many seasons, I'm glad that an elite rider with credibility has revealed the secret race in their sport. My only hope that the sport will be cleaned up, but just like this past Summer Olympics, when records were broken over and over in the water by super unnatural human beings, Hamilton won't be the last honest hero in their sport. They too will eventually get popped for the fairness of the game.

What makes me sad is the United States Postal Service Pro Cycling Team because they tainted all Americans of not being honest.

I have never read any of books by Lance Armstrong because he is a liar, bully and a cheat and his greatest race was defeating Cancer and he should had ended his career on that note, but now, he will always remain a loser.

Tyler Hamilton's Life is An Epic Journey

What did you love best about The Secret Race?

It doesn't get more interesting than this for a Pro Racing Fan. Tyler has a great memory and tells all. His background information on the doping scandals of the past couple of decades are even beyond what I've seen posted on cycling websites such as Velo News. Although, I read enough there to believe what I heard in this book.

What did you like best about this story?

What sounded to be complete answers to all the controversy was like solving a mystery. As a recreational cyclist, who has mainly done touring. I haven't endured serious competition or the dilemmas he faced. Better to do it from an armchair! All his social support from friends helped him, both to have a career, and to deal with the consequences. It was hard to believe that he wasn't more bitter given all the difficulty. He has an exceptional personality and character.

Which scene was your favorite?

The most telling scene to me is when Floyd Landis explains why Tyler Hamilton was called in by the UCI, which Tyler said was an unusual request. Tyler had won a difficult stage in one of the run-up races to the Tour de France, I think the Dauphne, and he had defeated Lance Armstrong. All the difficult situations discussed in the book were probably excellent learning tools for him in learning about life, but I sort of liked the portion of the book when he switched teams from the one managed by Bjarne Riis. Tyler said he believed he might win the tour as a solo leader with a well financed team. What happens during this Tour approaches being the awful. A lot of fans were very impressed with Tyler's ability to gut it out. He was famous for finishing the Tour de France with a broken collarbone, if nothing else, which is one of the injuries he gives an account of in this book. I hadn't heard about his injury in the Giro (the Tour of Italy).

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The title of this book is very good. Life in a Vise, Tyler Hamilton's Triumphs and Ordeals.

Any additional comments?

One of the most interesting books I've read.

The inside story

If you want to get a thorough look inside doping in cycling, I think this is the book for you. The book was an easy listen and never dragged. Well worth the credit if you want to understand what happened during Lance Armstrong's "reign".

What a gripping memoir

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Ever since reading "It's not about the Bike", I was a Lance defender and would listen to anything bad that was said about him. Only recently have I been able to set that aside and listen to other sides of the story. And I'm glad I did. This is a fantastic history of a witness to one of the great stories of cycling. Tyler did such a great job capturing the feelings and changes of cycling during the last two decades. Tyler's story of himself and what he went through was story enough to keep me captivated. But the details of his relationship to Lance Armstrong was fascinating and revealing. I could not get enough of this book and it will now be one of my favorite biographies that I've listened to.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely.

Any additional comments?

The narrator was fantastic. He had such great timing and delivery. The narrator added such a great dimension to the story because he let it unfold and didn't force anything. He read it like an old friend telling a story around a campfire.

Amazing story and well narrated.

if you have any interest in the world of professional endurance cycling this book is a must.

Enlightening

What made the experience of listening to The Secret Race the most enjoyable?

I am cycling fan and it opened my eyes to the sacrifice it takes to compete at the highest level of the sport.

What did you like best about this story?

While I thought Tyler was a little whiny at times I appreciate his courage for telling his version of the story. It feels like another nail in the coffin of the US Postal era.

awesome book!!

Incredible - a great true story that flows perfectly… up and downs and facts - will share with my cycle buddies

Love hearing the TRUTH

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If you are into sports and how money and competitiveness will change a person(s), then this is a great book that will open your eyes to all professional sports, drugging does not just happen in cycling

What did you like best about this story?

I love cycling, so this was a great story for me