Bad Blood mini-review

iainf72

I've just finished reading Jeremy Whittle's "Bad Blood" and thought I'd share my thoughts.

It's well written but IMO, ultimately disappointing. I'm not sure what I was expecting aside from perhaps something with a lot more information about the descent of the sport into industrial doping. Instead we're left with a book which seems to have a lot of time devoted to Armstrong and how he was a not-very-nice-person. There was almost nothing new in the book - I suppose I was hoping for some anonymous interviews with lesser riders with horror tales of doping, tales of extreme measures taken etc.

Perhaps I know too much about all the doping stories to get much from it, I don't know. I was just left thinking "what was that?" after the final chapter. I suspect Jeremy has enough information to write a compelling book but this isn't it.

I guess if you're looking for something to read on the beach this might hit that spot.

Now I've moved onto The Eagle of the Canavese which seems quite interesting.

ricadus

But is its' focal point the examination of doping networks and procedures? I thought the book is more about the Whittle's own change from innocent fan to cynic, of which the doping scandals play their part but are one aspect. Another might be perhaps the over-emphasis on Mr A by media and sponsors (and some fans) that has inevitably left a void that is difficult to fill, though as yet I haven't read the book.

Guess I'm looking for a more philiosophical approach rather than just kiss & tell anecdotes myself, something about the role innocence plays in our image of the ideal, how our perception of something - a sport, place or person - comes from within ourselves and is confounded when we discover what they are really like.

In his book Homage to Catalonia, Orwell describes his initial experience of arriving in Spain and being confronted with people and places that stuck him as a kind of idealized image of that time and place, but he also knew that in order to preseverve that notion he must never return. In the book that moment of self-realization acts as a kind of foreshadowing of the breakdown of the Socialist struggle in the civil war into one of betrayal and defeat. Anyway I was hoping this would be a cycling book on a similar level, so maybe this isn't the book I'm looking for either.

Kléber

Whittle says he was going to call the book something like "Ten Years in a Hire Car", it's just a biographical chronicle of his years in cycling, not some deep cover investigation into doping. Like others it was a bit unsatisfying. No new tales really, little commentary on the way out of the mess and like Ricadus says, nothing much on Whittle's personal thought.

When you think about it, he tells how he went from couch potato to cycling fan to sports journalist yet there's little behind the shattering revelation that he's spent 15 years covering a load of crap, writing about heroes and daring attacks when the reality is a world dominated by supreme liars and pharmaceutical products. You sense a bitterness towards Armstrong but having been duped for most of your career, or spent it duping others, I'd expect either more of Iain's kiss n'tell dirt, or more of Ricadus's reflection on what it feels like to be part of the omerta system.

iainf72

Some of it made me think "what are you saying" - For example, the bit about Millar working with Cecchini.

He speaks to Brailsford who says he wouldn't be happy and would stop working with Millar. Millar confirms a few weeks later he had worked with Cecchini and BC were fully aware.

So someone is lying. If it's BC, why?

Also when he covered T-Mobile's rebirth - It sounded like the journo's knew how half baked it was but didn't seem to publically call them out. That was left to grumpy gits on internet forums.

DaveyL

iainf72 wrote:

That was left to grumpy gits on internet forums.

You wear your Rapha hairshirt well...

andy_wrx

Cycling Weakly's review said similar to Iain
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/The ... 62224.html


Not sure Jeremy Whittle compares to George Orwell anyway !

GroupOfOne MkII

You finished with the climbing books for now then Iain?

leguape

iainf72 wrote:

Some of it made me think "what are you saying" - For example, the bit about Millar working with Cecchini.

He speaks to Brailsford who says he wouldn't be happy and would stop working with Millar. Millar confirms a few weeks later he had worked with Cecchini and BC were fully aware.

So someone is lying. If it's BC, why?

Also when he covered T-Mobile's rebirth - It sounded like the journo's knew how half baked it was but didn't seem to publically call them out. That was left to grumpy gits on internet forums.

I'v still not read my copy after my missus nicked it before I could start on it, so I've only been reading over her shoulder so far. Of the bits I've glanced at there do seem to be some slight disingenuous moments such as describing Fran Millar, David's sister, being there when he interviewed David after he got busted as being a display of familial support or somesuch term. Er, doesn't Fran manage David's business affairs and did so at the time in 2005, which would make it as much a professional commitment to her livelihood and her brother's as anything to do with family?

Her impression was that the doesn't half like to moan about his lot.

ms_tree

I'm in the middle of a novel called 'The yellow jersey' by Ralph Hurne published in 1973. I got it out the library so you may want to try and get it there (your library - use it or lose it!) although they may have to ask them to go to Interlibrary loans.
It's about this retired rider who is living in Ghent and training this young guy (Romain) from Luxembourg (appropriate!). The Tour (imaginary) that year is National teams so he is persuaded to go come out of retirement and ride to look after Romain.
Quote"They start talking out drugs and give Romain their assurances that they'll do their best to help him win. So far Romain's kept clear of taking anything, but the temptation is always there andit must be stronger for a potential winner. "Drug" is an ominous word and as far as cycling goes it would be more correct to call it "stiumulant".,,,,,,,I've never botherered with them myself. ........And it's only my personal observation that stimulant takers have shorter careers than those who leave things alon, but I wonder if it's not better to be brilliant (and remembered) for a few years than to drag on virtually unknown as I have" Quote
There is a follow up that came out last year. Apparantly the writer was a rider. Does anyone know anything about him?

iainf72

GroupOfOne MkII wrote:

You finished with the climbing books for now then Iain?

Having a break - Just finished White Spider (amazing book) before I read Bad Blood. I saw a new one in Borders about a Czech climber being stranded on a face somewhere which looks quite good.

But I'll read my cycling books and the new Irvine Welsh then see how I feel

GroupOfOne MkII

I'll go in search of the Czech one, sounds interesting.

You're right, White Spider is simply brilliant. 8)

ricadus

The Eiger? Sense of dread but compelling ...

ms_tree

I was beginning to think this was the start of the Richard & Judy aka Bike Radar book club!