The Racer
The Inside Story of Life on the Road
Published on 5. May 2016
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-0-224-10008-3 (ISBN)
Description
What is it really like to be a racer?
What is it like to be swept along at 60kmh in the middle of the pack? What happens to the body during a high-speed chute? What tactics must teams employ to win the day, the jersey, the grand tour? What sacrifices must a cyclist make to reach the highest levels? What is it like on the bus? In the hotels? What camaraderie is built in the confines of a team? What rivalries? How does it feel to be constantly on the road, away from loved ones, tasting one more calorie-counted hotel breakfast?
David Millar offers us a unique insight into the mind of a professional cyclist during his last year before retirement. Over the course of a season on the World Tour, Millar puts us in touch with the sights, smells and sounds of the sport. This is a book about youth and age, fresh-faced excitement and hard-earned experience. It is a love letter to cycling.
'Cycling has always been about a great deal more than its winners, and The Racer is quite a ride' Spectator
What is it like to be swept along at 60kmh in the middle of the pack? What happens to the body during a high-speed chute? What tactics must teams employ to win the day, the jersey, the grand tour? What sacrifices must a cyclist make to reach the highest levels? What is it like on the bus? In the hotels? What camaraderie is built in the confines of a team? What rivalries? How does it feel to be constantly on the road, away from loved ones, tasting one more calorie-counted hotel breakfast?
David Millar offers us a unique insight into the mind of a professional cyclist during his last year before retirement. Over the course of a season on the World Tour, Millar puts us in touch with the sights, smells and sounds of the sport. This is a book about youth and age, fresh-faced excitement and hard-earned experience. It is a love letter to cycling.
'Cycling has always been about a great deal more than its winners, and The Racer is quite a ride' Spectator
Reviews / Votes
David Millar's book takes you inside the sport of cycling while also emphasising the absurdity of it. It's quite rare for a sportsman to be so immersed and yet able to detach themselves from it all ... The parts on crashing are amazing. I felt frightened and sore reading it -- Richard Moore, author of Slaying the Badger Cycling has always been about a great deal more than its winners, and The Racer is quite a ride -- Jon Day * Spectator * What's it really like to be a professional bike racer? David Millar gives you an unparalleled insight -- Colin Henrys * Road Cycling UK * A love letter to the simple pleasure of riding a bike, and a very well-written one at that -- Jamie Beach * Bike Radar * Millar's love for what he did, and the curious world he inhabited for 18 years, shines through his prose * Scotsman * Poignant, articulate and at times very funny -- Alasdair Fotheringham * Independent * This exceptional title is a must for anyone (which includes me) who doesn't quite understand the psychology of a professional cyclist. -- Graham Watson * Cycle Sport * A fascinating insight into the life of a seasoned pro cyclist... I doubt that many riders could make such a story as readable and informative as Millar. * Road.cc *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
231 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-224-10008-3 (9780224100083)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2015
Vintage Digital
€10.99
Available for download
Person
David Millar was a professional cyclist for eighteen years, and was the first Briton to wear the leader's jerseys in the Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana and Giro d'Italia. He is now part of the ITV cycling commentary team and a key spokesman on anti-doping. His first book Racing Through the Dark was a bestseller and was shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.