[rickmcg]

I’ve read a lot of cycling books, but Tyler Hamilton’s new book really grabbed me. I’d start reading, and stay up half the night because I couldn’t put it down.

There’s a lot in it, but the way these guys push themselves and abuse their bodies with the drugs, the training, and the racing, is shocking. One time Tyler raced in so much pain that he ground down all his teeth to distract himself and finish. It gave me the creeps.

I’d recommend it for anyone who has an interest in cycling. And it also has an evil villain named Lance in it.

[chased33]

Wow, I just literally finished it (10 minutes ago) - started it yesterday and couldn't put it down, was a pretty good read. Definitely recommend. He does use the word "velodrome" once in the book.

[obazs]

Yes, it is mesmerizing. An unpleasant reminder of how weak, dishonest, treacherous and manipulative humans can be.

[oldguy]

Would there be a market for t-shirts that said "lance didn't ride track"?

[Bleve]

Given our (velodrome racing) sport's long and visible history of drug cheating, it's probably a little ironic.

[alex]

oldguy •wrote• Would there be a market for t-shirts that said "lance didn't ride track"?

[oldcrank]

oldguy •wrote• Would there be a market for t-shirts that said "lance didn't ride track"?

In Feb. 2009 the Lance invited all his fans via Twitter
to come down to ADT and watch him ride (mostly on
or very near the blue band as it turned out) and then
had his security confiscate cameras from those who
did show up. I'm not sure if he confessed to that on
Oprah, but there is a thread on here from that time
titled "LA comes to LA."
But I kinda do like the idea of a "Lance didn't ride
track" t-shirt actually. Or maybe a blue (wrist) band
that said the same thing?

[oldguy]

Thanks for noticing my post, I don't log on here every week. The idea behind the t-shirt is that as long as road cycling is being bludgened by the media, step up and say track cycling is much better than road. Track is the best place for juniors, OUR events are so short that EPO doesn't do any good, track is much more exiting than those silly Alps. Maybe the UCI would add some track events to the Olympics if paticipation increased. Or we could go around crying about how cycling is a fringe sport and track cycling is a splinter on a fringe sport's buttocks. MEA CULPA is latin for B.S.
Think about it like this, when you see someone riding through your community they have spent an average of $3000.00 on thier bike, kit, shoes, tools etc. So for every ten riders you see thats one job in your community paying $30,000.00 a year. Cycling is an economic engine that pumps money into your community, and track cycling should take some pragmatic action to take advantage of that. Screw lance, and Tyler and Floyd, i'm not buying thier books.

dave

[alex]

ok, 3rd time lucky - my posts keep disappearing:

promote the sport to your heart's content, but a claim that track cyclists somehow do not benefit from doping, or that track does not have a doping history/problem is naive at best.