If you're new to road cycling, you may not fully understand the history of doping in the sport, particularly with relevance to the era that Lance Armstrong is currently under the spotlight for.
I certainly didn't when I started a few years back, however I've since read a plethora of books on the subject and have caught up with the breadcrumb trail of how we've ended up to this moment in time, hopefully with a cleaner sport.
Here's five books that I've read that I'd recommend you dive into if you want to get yourself up to speed of the who, how and why doping became so rife.
Willy Voets - Breaking the Chain. Less than £7.00 on Amazon, link here.
David Walsh - The Seven Deadly Sins. Around £12.00 on Amazon, link here.
Tyler Hamilton - The Secret Race. The expose book on Lance Armstrong. Around £9.00 on Amazon, link here.
Paul Kimmage - Rough Ride. Around £6.29, link here.
David Millar - Racing Through the Dark. Around £6.29, link here.
If you want a free read, why not read through the USADA 'reasoned decision' report on Lance Armstrong, that's a good enough read in itself. If you really want to drill down, then visit the USADA website where you can read all the witness statements and rider affidavit's relating to the case. I have to confess I read them all and it's absolutely fascinating.
If you have any other books you'd recommend, please leave a comment below.
Jeremy Whittles 'Bad Blood' is also a very good read.
ReplyDeleteI'd also recommend Freddy Maerten's memoir, 'Fall From Grace'. The English version is out of print, but I'm sure it can be picked up 2nd hand without too much difficulty.
ReplyDeleteIt's not all about doping, but it gives an insider's view of the dodgy dealings & shady characters that populated Belgian cycling in the 70s (notably Lomme Driessens, DS of Merckx and later of Flandria).