Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France Review

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Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France ReviewI am guessing that the people who gave Flyod the benefit of the doubt will ask for their money back now.
and please Amazon can this piece of garbage be moved into the fiction section. I really don't know why
anyone would believe a cyclist whenever he claims to be drug free.Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France OverviewTHE SERIES OF EVENTS surrounding Floyd Landis's 2006 Tour de France was as improbable as anything in the history of sports: He showed up nine seconds late for the race's opening prologue, donned the leader's yellow jersey twelve days later, and lost his lead only to regain it in remarkable fashion just before the Tour's final stage into Paris. Winning the Tour should have been the culmination of a life's dream, but a mere three days later, Landis was accused of using banned performance-enhancing drugs. Released by his team and threatened with the removal of his Tour title, Landis went from winning the most prestigious race of his career to being unfairly labeled as a cheater, a liar, and a doper.Positively False is at once a memoir and a powerful indictment of the unchecked governing bodies of cycling that have compromised theintegrity of the sport as a whole. From leaving the Mennonite community of his youth in order to pursue hispassion for cycling, to riding alongside Lance Armstrong for three years -- with whom he shared the same work ethic and competitive desire -- Floyd Landis details the highs and lows of his career with unabashed honesty. It is this samehonesty with which he will clear his name once and for all, as he lays bare the inner workings of the cycling world -- a place where athletes are subject to the antiquated science, flawed interpretive protocols, and draconian legal processes of the anti-doping agencies -- and finally lays to rest the scandal that threatened to destroy everything he's worked so hard to achieve....--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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We Might As Well Win: On the Road to Success with the Mastermind Behind a Record-Setting Eight Tour de France Victories Review

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We Might As Well Win: On the Road to Success with the Mastermind Behind a Record-Setting Eight Tour de France Victories ReviewI have been a cycling fan for years. I particularly love the goings on of the professional peloton. The riders, the back stories, and, especially, the tactics.
When I heard Johan Bruyneel was writing a book, I thought it would be more directed towards business professionals. A "how to get ahead" type mantra.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that that is not this book!
Johan Bruyneel writes a clean, well formed, clear picture of the professional peloton during his years as a rider, and then as DS for the US Postal and Discovery Channel Pro Cycling teams. In this book, you find that, as a rider, Johan was a looker. He kept a close eye on other riders in the peloton. He sized them up, if you will. In this book, Johan Bruyneel encapsulates what he "took in" while "checking out the scene", and candidly shares his findings with the reader.
He then explains why this is so important in the shaping of Lance Armstrong with specific race examples. The reader will understand that while, yes, luck does play a part in winning not only one Grand Tour, but 7 in a row, a well though out, meticulous game plan is the key to success.
This book takes you back to specific stages - specific climbs - and opens a window for you to see what actually was going on between Johan, Lance and the other 8 riders riding le Tour. It is like you were able to listen in on the race radio. Some pretty funny things are said on that radio!
You will find the meaning behind the thought "We Might As Well Win". You will also find that you can apply that to your own daily life - regardless of what you do.
Think Bobke, but more tactical, more precise.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I know Johan Bryuneel has hundreds, if not thousands more stories in his head. Should he ever decide to write them down, I will be one of many in line to get my copy.
So get your copy. Have a quick, easy read, and see if you knew what was really going on, say in the 1999 Tour de France Alpe d'Heuz stage. Was Armstrong spent? Was he giving it his all? Was he holding back? How much did he have left in his tank at the base of that climb?
Well, you will just have to read the book and find out.
We Might As Well Win: On the Road to Success with the Mastermind Behind a Record-Setting Eight Tour de France Victories OverviewOn the tour and inside the mind of Johan Bruyneel, the winningest team leader in cycling history and the mastermind behind the success of the world's most celebrated champion, Lance ArmstrongJohan Bruyneel knows what it takes to win. In 1998, this calculating Belgian and former professional cyclist looked a struggling rider and cancer survivor in the eye and said, "Look, if we're going to ride the Tour, we might as well win." In that powerful phrase a dynasty was born. With Bruyneel as his team director, Lance Armstrong seized a record seven straight Tour de France victories. In the meantime, Bruyneel innovated the sport of cycling and went on to prove he could win without his superstar -- in 2007 he took the Tour de France title with a young new team and a lot of nerve, sealing his place in sports history forever.We Might as Well Win takes readers behind the scenes of this amazing nine-year journey through the Alps and the Pyrenees, revealing a radical recipe for winning that readers can adapt from the bike to the boardroom to life. We witness Bruyneel's near-death crash and comeback as a rider. We are privy to the many ways he and Armstrong outsmarted their opponents. We listen in on the team's race radios to hear the secret strategies that inspire greatness from a disparate team. We learn how to make sure "not winning" isn't the same as "losing" as Bruyneel struggles to prove himself -- post-Armstrong -- with new riders, new strategies, and skeptics around every corner.Whether mounting a difficult climb, or managing a team of thirty riders and forty support staff from a miniature car hurtling along narrow European roads, or looking a future legend in the eye and willing him to believe, Bruyneel is, and has always been, the consummate winner. Readers will relish this inside tour.

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Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion Review

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Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion ReviewThis is an outstanding book! Author John Wilcockson has written an absolutely fascinating, wonderfully informative, and totally engaging biography of one of the premier sports figures of our (or any) time, Lance Armstrong. The story of Armstrong's humble childhood (he was the product of a broken family) through his initial successes as a triathlete and eventually, a bicycle racer, is especially engrossing--as is the story of his absolutely incredible comeback after having one of the most severe cases of cancer his doctors had ever seen. One really gets a sense of the incredible grit and tenacity that would lead Armstrong to an unprecedented seven (and at this time, a possible--or probable--eight) victories in the Tour de France. Wilcockson fills out the biography with extensive quotes derived from interviews with all of the major protagonists in Armstrong's life: his family, friends, coaches, romantic interests, professional colleagues--this gives a wonderfully rich texture to the book and lets us really know the man rather than just the sports icon. In addition, Wilcockson doesn't shy away from addressing Armstrong's personal "foibles" (e.g., a certain recklessness and hauteur) and especially, the "doping" controversies that have surrounded Armstrong and many other successful athletes in the sport--he gives a fair and balanced picture of this thorny issue and convinces the reader that a combination of careful and relentless training, unyielding support from family, friends, and teammates, and the almost fanatical will to overcome obstacles has alone propelled Armstrong to the pinnacle of his success. In the final analysis, this book is a real inspiration (whether the reader happens to be athlete or not) and is very highly recommended indeed!Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion Overview

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Man on the Run: The Life and Death of Marco Pantani Review

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Man on the Run: The Life and Death of Marco Pantani ReviewI think the phrase, lost in translation, applies to this book. I waited months for it to be sent after I pre-ordered it. It was available in Europe at the beginning of the year, but that's ok, they were probably translating it. Unfortunately, it "feels" very translated, if that makes sense.
While I appreciate the insight from Ronchi because she was someone who was very close to Pantani and obviously tried to help him, at times I felt like it was her just justifying her actions to the world with a series of choppy responses to criticisms that were made about her part in his life.
My feeling at the end of the book; it rambled, that's how I felt. BUT, there was no way I was not going to buy this book because as a cycling fan, Pantani was one of the unique talents from the recent batch. If only he could have straightened himself out, he would have given Lance some serious competition in the mountains during his other tour wins. This guy won 2 major stage races in 1998, the Giro and the Tour de France, beating Julich, Ulrich and other prominent riders at the time. He was on course to do it again in 1999, but a test registered a high Hemocrit level (same thing we are seeing today with top stars)the night before his Giro win. It really was all down hill from there.
On a side note, I seriously wonder about these tests. One has to ask why would someone at the top of their game risk cheating when they know they are in the most highly tested sport in the world. I am thinking about Tyler Hamilton and Roberto Heras. Barry Bonds admits to steroid use but is still in baseball? Cyclists take a substance that is used for treating Anemia and they are vilified. (back off my soap box)
The book by John Wilcockson, Marco Pantani: The Legend of a Tragic Champion was much better written, researched, put together, etc. It is a different perspective, that of a reporter, but this guy has been on the cycling scene forever, knows all the big names personally and just has a real historical perspective about him. His book on following Lance in his tour victory, stage by stage, 23 days in July was also outstanding.Man on the Run: The Life and Death of Marco Pantani Overview

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Chasing Lance: The 2005 Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's Ride of a Lifetime (with 20 photos included) Review

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Chasing Lance: The 2005 Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's Ride of a Lifetime (with 20 photos included) ReviewOne expects a respected author like Martin Dugard to cover the sporting event of the 2005 tour thoroughly and interestingly. But the bonus in "Chasing Lance" is Dugard's magnificently reasoned and masterfully written reason why Lance has transcended sport to become an international icon.
One later chapter is great travel writing. Dugard parallels his process of self-discovery of why HE is chasing Lance with a description of his first-time visit to Lourdes. He interweaves his two thought trains so skillfully that when he finishes his tour of the grotto and winds up his personal and painful train of remembrance and reason, I was gifted with a new insight about myself. The chapter brought me through Lance's struggles to not only renew my appreciation for my cancer surviving wife, but also to see my own dreams and struggles, however meager, in both a more realistic light, and at the same time an even brighter one.

At the time of Armstrong's record 7th straight Tour win, I heard a major American TV business news anchor scoff at Armstrong's advertising appeal saying, "Hey, come on, it's BICYCLE racing!" as if no one cares much about it, not like baseball, for instance. But Dugard convinces the reader (like we needed convicing) that the Lance personna is far bigger than the man--and almost everywhere. What Dugard does so well is not only to describe both the race and the phenomenon, but what it is in US that causes us to hold the IDEA of Lance so special.
So far, Lance has published two volumes of autobiography and his mother's memoirs are also available. Beyond these, teammate Michael Barry offers us a look "Inside the Postal Bus" and outdoor writer Daniel Coyle tracks Lance's 2004 season and the genesis of his darker moods in "Lance Armstong's War". Both are easy reads and have much to offer Lance fans, especially fans of bike racing.
"Chasing Lance", however, is the only one that tries to get at what it is about US, making it a multidimensional examination of this the first mega sports legend of the 21st century, and the first time that cancer survivorship has deservedly resulted in fame and reverence as great or greater than any other human accomplishment.Chasing Lance: The 2005 Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's Ride of a Lifetime (with 20 photos included) OverviewA unique combination of travelogue, humor, and insider cycling critique, "Chasing Lance" brings into focus the entire Tour de France experience. 8-page photo insert. 2 maps.

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The Spring Classics: Cycling's Greatest One-Day Races Review

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The Spring Classics: Cycling's Greatest One-Day Races ReviewFor the cycling and history enthusiast this is one of the most entertaining books on the the history of the sport..
Beautiful photography worth every penny......The Spring Classics: Cycling's Greatest One-Day Races Overview
Cycling's spring races are always the most anticipated of the year, not only because they herald the start of the season, but also because they are brutally difficult and spectacularly unpredictable. Known as the Spring Classics, these one-day races test cycling's toughest riders with the worst conditions imaginable—sucking mud, choking dust, leg-numbing sleet, fanatic spectators, and Europe's narrowest, most bone-grinding country roads. Clattering through agrarian hamlets on routes established a century ago, the Spring Classics celebrate cycling's most glorious and meaningful history. Riders that perform well amidst the intensity of these one-day races are acclaimed as cycling's "hard men."

The Spring Classics delves into the stories of Milan-San Remo, Ghent-Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallone, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège through hundreds of rare and restored photographs presented in a lavish format. With authoritative text from cycling's expert sportswriters, The Spring Classics commemorates the riders, traditions, and secrets of cycling's greatest one-day contests.


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Bicycle History: A Chronological Cycling History of People, Races, and Technology Review

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Bicycle History: A Chronological Cycling History of People, Races, and Technology ReviewIf you love cycling, you will love this book. If you have ever spent hours in a library or on the internet trying to find some obscure cycling factoid, then you must buy this book. It is awesome.Bicycle History: A Chronological Cycling History of People, Races, and Technology OverviewSince its invention in the 1860s, the bicycle has had a fascinating history. Author James Witherell has spent years collecting the essential, the trivial and sometimes just downright odd facts that make up the story of the bicycle. Instead of composing a narrative history, he's arranged them in chronological order, painting an informative, fun and irresistible picture of what might be mankind's greatest invention. Witherell has given special emphasis to the Tour de France.

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The Story of the Tour de France Volume 2: 1965-2007 Review

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The Story of the Tour de France Volume 2: 1965-2007 ReviewSince reading the McGann's first volume on the Tour, I have been eagerly awaiting Volume 2, which I received a few days ago. Volume 1 documents the beginnings of the Tour de France and the early years (through 1964), and covers the race and it's context better than any other book. Volume 2 is even better; more robust and with greater detail; and it is the best piece on the world's greatest sporting event ever. Each year's Tour is recapped, but more interesting are the rider descriptions, tactics, and color. As an example from the 1992 Tour:
"Claudio Chiappucci was what Miguel Indurain wasn't. Where Indurain was cold, calculating, riding only to win and no more, knowing that whatever time gaps he had allowed could be closed with a display of brute horsepower in the time trials, Chiappucci was the opposite. The Italian was willing to gamble, to take magnificent chances to gain time. He had to run these big risks knowing how vulnerable he was in the time trials. Indurain said that he had to have eyes on the back of his head when he raced Chiappucci." The book is busting with observations such as this. How entertaining!
If you are a racer or a casual rider, you will love this book. And if you are a Lance Armstrong-era noob, you will gain more insight into that period from this book than from any other.
Highly recommended from an old Category 2 racer.The Story of the Tour de France Volume 2: 1965-2007 OverviewVolume 1 of The Story of the Tour de France concluded with Jacques Anquetil s record setting fifth Tour win. Volume 2 opens with the greatest Italian racer of the modern age, Felice Gimondi and his effortless victory at the young age of 22. Despite his extraordinary talent, he never won the Tour again. Starting in 1969, Eddy Merckx began his run of 5 victories. Bernard Hinault, who also managed to win 5, followed him.Unable to fulfill his destiny as a likely 5-time winner because of a hunting accident, LeMond won the Tour 3 times. LeMond s era was followed by the remarkable Spaniard Miguel Indurain, the first man to win the Tour 5 times in a row.The late 1990s were a time of extreme crisis for the Tour as the culture of doping within the professional cycling community erupted into the scandal of 1998. The Story of the Tour de France deals with this episode at length.Emerging from a near-fatal bout of cancer, Lance Armstrong went on to do what no other rider in the Tour s long history had ever been able to accomplish, win the Tour 7 times. Following Armstrong s retirement, the Tour was again seized by scandal, this time Floyd Landis disqualification for drugs after winning the 2006 Tour.The book concludes with the story of the 2007 Tour, followed by a quest for the greatest ever Tour de France rider and an epilogue that explains the reasons for the extraordinary success of the Tour. What they are saying about The Story of the Tour de France:After forty years of study on the subject, I can with some confidence say Bill and Carol McGann s The Story of the Tour de France is the finest such work ever produced in the English language, and perhaps in any. Most of my preferred references are in French, one runs to over 800 pages, yet the McGanns opus revealed information new to me in almost every paragraph. Their research has been not only impeccable, but insightful. Owen Mulholland, author of Uphill Battle/i> and Cycling s Golden AgeThe Story of the Tour de France: How a Newspaper Promotion Became the Greatest Sporting Event in the World by Bill and Carol McGann is a must read. Road Bike Action MagazineFor any historian of the sport the McGanns Tour de France history is essential reading. Details of the stages and the riders are not glossed over. For those who are new to the sport, the McGanns bring the glory days of the sport alive with the intrigue that still exists today. Epic stages that might have faded into oblivion are eloquently recounted so that future generation of cyclists will know the rich history of our beautiful sport. Neil Browne, editor, Road MagazineBesides towering over all bicycle races, the Tour de France endures for its unique Gaulic character, like Victor Hugo s Les Miserables. The McGanns passionate and insightful writing evokes the raucous cast of riders, promoters, and journalists thrusting through highs and lows worthy of opera. This volume stands out as a must-read book for anyone seeking to appreciate cycling s race of races. Peter Joffre Nye, author of The Six-Day Bicycle Races: America's Jazz Age Sport and Hearts of Lion

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