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

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

Riveting!!

If you could sum up The Secret Race in three words, what would they be?

This audio book was eye opening, well written, well read, and clear to those who are not involved in the cycling sport. Fantastic! Could not stop listening once I started.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Secret Race?

The sheer honesty through out the entire book. So human with so much emotion. So real and yet so unbelievable.

Which scene was your favorite?

The detail and description he was able to recount in his recount of personal stories.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes.....both. Absolutely amazing.....felt like I was in this world of cycling with Tyler.

Any additional comments?

A must listen!

Eye opening

As a recent cycling convert, I started idolizing Lance Armstrong 5 years ago. Before he "came out with it" I believed his denial of all the allegations. I initially started this book with much skepticism. By the end I "got it". I'm now a Tyler Hamilton fan. I truly wish the professional cycling world would do a reset and let these guys back into the sport, clean of course.

Marvellous Story

If you could sum up The Secret Race in three words, what would they be?

This is an inspirational story about the importance of truth. I adored everything about it. Sure, you learn to hate the sport for what it forces cyclists to do. Tyler & Daniel delve deeply into the trouble world of modern cycling and don't hold back anything about the EPO riddled world that it unveils.
It is so good that I wanted more. Which is always a good thing.

Captivating, honest, interesting!

As a long-time fan of the Tour de France, I looked forward to Tyler Hamilton's tell-all story - and it did not disappoint. Great behind-the-scenes insight into the world's greatest bike race, the men who compete, and the ruthlessness that created a culture of doping. Hats off to Tyler and others who drew back the veil and exposed the sport's dirty, dark secrets. I am encouraged to learn that the times in today's TDF are slower, but largely human powered. The effort I see is REAL.

Now I get it.

I started this book after hearing the co-author, Daniel Coyle, interviewed on Slate magazine's sports podcast. Coyle was so understated, and seemed almost overwhelmed by the information that he learned for this, his second Lance Armstrong related book. (He likened Armstrong to Tony Soprano!) My curiosity was piqued - and I was not disappointed.

"The Secret Race" is essentially Tyler Hamilton's autobiography as a professional cyclist during the volatile late 1990's and 2000's. From the outset, the curtains are peeled back on the world of elite competitive cycling, to reveal the drama of being part of Lance Armstrong's Tour de France era, and the incredibly disturbing details of the doping techniques that are the center of the recent USADA investigation. I had many "aha" moments about how the doping works, why the athletes do it, methods used to avoid getting caught, and what can go wrong (sometimes spectacularly, tragically wrong).

The book is told through Hamilton's folksy language, but is clearly structured and researched by the impeccable Coyle. It was impossible to put down, and incredibly suspenseful, considering that the outcome is already known. Hamilton takes shape as a movingly flawed individual, who had the bad fortune to be paired up with Lance Armstrong as his ultimate "frenemy" in the workplace.

Finally, the book is so detailed, and so well referenced, that you may enjoy keeping your Youtube and Wikipedia handy, to view the races and personas in the story, as I certainly did.

A must-read!

Excellent story. Highly recommended. Tyler Hamilton's story about pro-cycling is captivating and shocking. Love it.

Great story

So many details that the fans of cycling wanted to know! What an amazing story!

Amazing

Gripping eye opening story. Well written and perfectly narrated. This one is a must for anyone who has ever watched cycling ridden a bike or heard the name Lance Armstrong

Interesting Story about Insides of Racing

This is an interesting read about cycling back in the day. I’m glad I read it get a much better appreciation for the type of pressure the participants are under. Also a good insight into the behind the scenes of pro cycling.

A change in mindset for me

Hearing Tylers story about his experience and decisions during his pro-racing career has led me to have a change in heart and mind about the doping culture, and believe it or not, about Lance. While Lance’s win-at-all-costs attitude, and spiteful defamation of his teammates is unforgivable, Ive come to recognize that doping and “cheating” was peloton-wide. Im incredibly thankful to Tyler for sharing his story - the mistakes, the regrets, and the Truth. Bravo.