Best Lance Armstrong Book
Lifeboy123
Posts: 213
Which is the best read of the Lanch Armstrong Books ?
I'm new to cycling and totally hooked so want to read all about this controversial guy.
I have kind of heard and read snippets and fully aware an awful lot of people despise him while others idolise him. I'm told there is a french book that has been published which has been banned from being printed in English and sold outside of France.
I'm new to cycling and totally hooked so want to read all about this controversial guy.
I have kind of heard and read snippets and fully aware an awful lot of people despise him while others idolise him. I'm told there is a french book that has been published which has been banned from being printed in English and sold outside of France.
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I really enjoyed these 2 particularly the first. Haven't read any others, yet!
It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life
Every Second Counts0 -
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redddraggon wrote:From Lance to Landis: Inside the American Doping Controversy at the Tour de France
Ha, only took 2 posts.
Cor Lifeboy123 you are dealing with death posting like that.
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Mind you,
Tour de Force, is a good satirical and clever book about the tour, good stuff on landis and Tyler Hamilton. 0 -
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redddraggon wrote:From Lance to Landis: Inside the American Doping Controversy at the Tour de France
+1 ...if you want to get the some of the controversial side of things then this is a really good read. That's not coming from someone who's completely anti-lance either, cos I'm not. Its just good if you wanna be a bit in the know of what all the fuss is about??0 -
I knew i'd be opening a can of worms with this subject !
Lance to Landis better put that one on my Christmas wish list !0 -
'Not About the Bike' is a must read (whatever anyone thinks of LA).
'Tour de Force' is also quite interesting from a more techy cycling view.
I've not read 'Lance to Landis'. Is it 'LA Confidential' reworked? worth reading?
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Not about the bike for any one, not just cyclists and Tour de force get my vote...0
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Not About The Bike is good reading and gives as good an insight into cancer as it does cycling.
Every Second Counts isn't worth the paper its printed on IMHO.
Not read any of the others.
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mfin wrote:redddraggon wrote:From Lance to Landis: Inside the American Doping Controversy at the Tour de France
+1 ...if you want to get the some of the controversial side of things then this is a really good read. That's not coming from someone who's completely anti-lance either, cos I'm not. Its just good if you wanna be a bit in the know of what all the fuss is about??
+1 speaking as someone who's moved from being completely pro Lance to a non believer. Puts down the claim that he's never failed a drugs test for one thing. He did, early days, but then got the team doctor to write a pre-dated prescription.Martin S. Newbury RC0 -
bahzob wrote:mfin wrote:redddraggon wrote:From Lance to Landis: Inside the American Doping Controversy at the Tour de France
+1 ...if you want to get the some of the controversial side of things then this is a really good read. That's not coming from someone who's completely anti-lance either, cos I'm not. Its just good if you wanna be a bit in the know of what all the fuss is about??
+1 speaking as someone who's moved from being completely pro Lance to a non believer. Puts down the claim that he's never failed a drugs test for one thing. He did, early days, but then got the team doctor to write a pre-dated prescription.
Yes, and it does get across the fact that 'never tested positive' is wierd in context to 6 positive tested samples of his from the 1999 TDF. Okay, not under the normal testing programme at the time BUT that is because there wasn't one! ...and did he want them re-tested to dispel the story? Did he hell. He said they'd already been tested at the time and thats that. Conveniently missing the point that they hadnt been tested for EPO. (someone will probably rush in and correct me on this, but thats how I understand it)
It does make me wonder how many people who quote back that hes 'never tested positive' know that EPO was not tested for through all those years he was winning? Do they simply know that the only (slackass) attempt to stop riders doing EPO was to enforce a short ban if they broke 50% Hematocrit levels? It is absolute fact that stacks of cyclists doped their way up to 50% and in most people's opinion this includes Mr Armstrong, there's also plenty in these books that's written of witnesses to his 'just slipping under the 50%' hematocrit levels.
I don't mind him though, as far as riding a bike goes he was just one of the best cyclists in some very dirty cycling years, that's all.
The phrase is 'no smoke without fire' isn't it? In this case there's just so much smoke its like 12 smoke machines stuck on 'smoke' in a smokey building (next to a big bonfire).0 -
NapoleonD wrote:Not about the bike for any one, not just cyclists and Tour de force get my vote...
This one is a difficult read for some but well worth ithttp://twitter.com/mgalex
www.ogmorevalleywheelers.co.uk
10TT 24:36 25TT: 57:59 50TT: 2:08:11, 100TT: 4:30:05 12hr 204.... unfinished business0 -
I would say read the following books in the following order: -
It's not about the bike
Tour de Force (Daniel Coyle)
Bad Blood (Jeremy Whittle)
...then make your mind up.
Tour de Force is one of the best i've read, it's not about the bike left me cold (one of the worst books i've read if i'm being honest - perhaps because I was a LA cynic by the time I read it and I struggled to feel any empathy for him)0 -
grantus wrote:I would say read the following books in the following order: -
It's not about the bike
Tour de Force (Daniel Coyle)
Bad Blood (Jeremy Whittle)
...then make your mind up.
Tour de Force is one of the best i've read, it's not about the bike left me cold (one of the worst books i've read if i'm being honest - perhaps because I was a LA cynic by the time I read it and I struggled to feel any empathy for him)
Sorry mate do not agree. "Its not about the bike", was given to mme to read whilst in hospital getting treatment for tescticular cancer myself, it is raw and uncompromising but you need some empathy, God forbid you have to go through it yourself.0 -
I made the mistake of buying Every Second Counts for something to read on a plane, that was back in March and I still haven't finished it
It's utter tosh, mostly a mix of borig routine stuff mixed in with Lance attempting to be a philosopher. It's only just started getting interesting towards the end when he gives some insight into the 202 TdF. 0 -
I read 'its not about the bike' and found it very hard going, similar to Grantus. As far as the cancer empathy goes, my very best friend had testicular cancer which progressed to his stomach when he was 18. My friend has a brilliant sense of humour and is a thoroughly nice, honest bloke, very popular with everyone. Qualities that Lance LACKS in abundance.
I don't like Lance as a person. I am interested in his cycling. I can see the results, I watched them. So... any book to me is only of interest if its to do with how he got those results.0 -
WTF is that supposed to mean? "God forbid you go through it yourself"?
It's my opinion on his book. Same shit all the time from people - anything remotely negative to Armstrong = pissing on cancer patients. It's a load of bollocks.
After having read other accounts of his character and about how he's treated other people prior to reading his book I felt nothing for the guy and the language and style of the book was not to my liking.
All the stuff about fast driving and "them f**kin apples!" doesn't do it for me. Perhaps if I'd read it when I was new to cycling and was an LA admirer then I'd have enjoyed it better, that's why I suggested to the poster to read the books in the order I listed above.0 -
it's not about the bike - a good read and gives an insight into the man. Read this one first. Very moving in places. Not ashamed to say a couple of bits almost moved me to tears. Find it hard to believe that after all he went through he'd deliberately dope himself.
Every second counts is ok, covers the 2003 Tour.
Tour de Force by Dan Coyle is probably the best but you should read LA's own books first.0 -
redddraggon wrote:From Lance to Landis: Inside the American Doping Controversy at the Tour de France
Literally just started reading this and I'm already hooked.0 -
Lifeboy123 wrote:I knew i'd be opening a can of worms with this subject !
Lance to Landis better put that one on my Christmas wish list !
Prepare to look at the guy differently after reading it though...;-)
I've just finished it and in a way I wished I'd never picked the thing up..
Completed it in 4 days0
