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Rough Ride: Behind the Wheel With a Pro Cyclist
An eye-opening expose of and a heart-breaking lament for professional cycling
Paul Kimmage's boyhood dreams were of cycling glory: wearing the yellow jersey, cycling the Tour de France, becoming a national hero. He knew it wouldn't come easy, but he was prepared to put in the graft. The dedication paid off – he finished sixth in the World Championships as an amateur and in 1986, he turned professional.
He soon discovered it wasn't about courage, training hours or how much you wanted to win. It was about gruelling defeats, total exhaustion, and drugs - drugs that would allow you to finish the race and start another day.
Kimmage ultimately left the sport to write this book – profoundly honest and ground-breaking, Rough Ride broke the silence surrounding the issue of drugs in sport, and documents one man’s love for, and struggle with, the complex world of professional cycling.
Paul Kimmage's boyhood dreams were of cycling glory: wearing the yellow jersey, cycling the Tour de France, becoming a national hero. He knew it wouldn't come easy, but he was prepared to put in the graft. The dedication paid off – he finished sixth in the World Championships as an amateur and in 1986, he turned professional.
He soon discovered it wasn't about courage, training hours or how much you wanted to win. It was about gruelling defeats, total exhaustion, and drugs - drugs that would allow you to finish the race and start another day.
Kimmage ultimately left the sport to write this book – profoundly honest and ground-breaking, Rough Ride broke the silence surrounding the issue of drugs in sport, and documents one man’s love for, and struggle with, the complex world of professional cycling.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
About the author
Paul Kimmage
14 books26 followersPaul Kimmage is an Irish sports journalist who, until his departure in early 2012, wrote for the Sunday Times newspaper in the United Kingdom. He is a former professional road bicycle racer. Kimmage was born into a cycling family. [Wikipedia]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
March 12, 2023
One of the best sports books ever written.
May 10, 2009
Irishman Paul Kimmage is not going to be winning any awards for writing any time. However, this was book was an enthralling page turner about the life of an obscure professional cyclist in the mid-1980s.
Kimmage rode the Tour de France three times and the Giro once. He details each stage of each tour. But most interesting to me was the behind the scenes look at the rather unglamorous and frankly dangerous life of a professional domestique.
Racing in the rain, snow and sleet. Taking amphetamines, not to win, but merely to keep up in crits with pre-determined outcomes. Washing their own kits. Sleeping in dives. Racing day after exhausting day. The deceit and the corruption are astonishing.
Kimmage took a lot of heat for his unabridged look into the world of cycling and breaking the code of omerta that exists in the peloton. This book ended more than a few friendships, as the author details in the preface. Perhaps that's why more retired riders haven't written about their experiences. Kudos to Kimmage for coming clean.
Kimmage rode the Tour de France three times and the Giro once. He details each stage of each tour. But most interesting to me was the behind the scenes look at the rather unglamorous and frankly dangerous life of a professional domestique.
Racing in the rain, snow and sleet. Taking amphetamines, not to win, but merely to keep up in crits with pre-determined outcomes. Washing their own kits. Sleeping in dives. Racing day after exhausting day. The deceit and the corruption are astonishing.
Kimmage took a lot of heat for his unabridged look into the world of cycling and breaking the code of omerta that exists in the peloton. This book ended more than a few friendships, as the author details in the preface. Perhaps that's why more retired riders haven't written about their experiences. Kudos to Kimmage for coming clean.
September 28, 2021
Great, eye opening account into the world of the professional peloton in the 1980s, where your performance was heavily dependent on your conscience. Crazy to see how far the sport has come since then in all aspects, including doping.
October 2, 2014
I love this book!! Even if you dislike the prickly nature of Paul Kimmage and his abrupt style you have to appreciate the guys moral grounding.
By staying true to what he believes in Paul Kimmage has alienated himself in a world he truly loves, everyone has to have massive respect for that.
As the tales of doping within the peleton are finally being admitted and the omerta is broken Kimmage can well and truly hold his head high.
The book is a heart breaking tale of how a childhood dream is ruined by the harsh realities of being part of the professional cycling world. All the hard work and hours of training to be a considered below average because you refuse to DOPE.
You really get a sense of Kimmage's pain and anguish and the mental struggle he has to keep himself on the right side of the line.
After summoning the courage to speak out about what happens in the pro ranks. Kimmage then has to deal with people who were his closest friends, turning there back on him to protect their own livelihood's and the sacred Omerta that binds the peleton together.
For any cycling fan this is a must read book! For any sports fan this is a must read book! For anyone else this a must read book.
By staying true to what he believes in Paul Kimmage has alienated himself in a world he truly loves, everyone has to have massive respect for that.
As the tales of doping within the peleton are finally being admitted and the omerta is broken Kimmage can well and truly hold his head high.
The book is a heart breaking tale of how a childhood dream is ruined by the harsh realities of being part of the professional cycling world. All the hard work and hours of training to be a considered below average because you refuse to DOPE.
You really get a sense of Kimmage's pain and anguish and the mental struggle he has to keep himself on the right side of the line.
After summoning the courage to speak out about what happens in the pro ranks. Kimmage then has to deal with people who were his closest friends, turning there back on him to protect their own livelihood's and the sacred Omerta that binds the peleton together.
For any cycling fan this is a must read book! For any sports fan this is a must read book! For anyone else this a must read book.
January 30, 2021
More important for what it did - pro rider breaks the omertà of the peloton to reveal doping - than what it is: a pretty grinding tale of how hard it is to race bikes. I get that it’s hard but there’s a reason people do it and there needs to be some consideration of that.
January 10, 2024
I found it rather boring, not particularly well written and could not really care for author's struggling with cycling.
After working in the cold and headwinds for a while I used the same strategy the author applied for the races in his first year as a pro, I abandoned.
After working in the cold and headwinds for a while I used the same strategy the author applied for the races in his first year as a pro, I abandoned.
July 11, 2011
Interesting, if rather bitter and at times, bleak portrayal of life as a domestique in the peloton of the late-80s.
February 25, 2024
There’s something really interesting about sports autobiographies written by those who operated at the lower echelons of their chosen field. Often their stories are much more eye-opening and interesting than those of the greatest, of whom we already know so much from their mainstream fame. This book is one of those.
It’s not incredibly written, but that’s fine - its ragged nature is complementary to the ragged tales told. Importantly, Kimmage wrote it himself - having become a journalist since leaving cycling - which is my main criteria for reading such books.
It’s fascinating to read about what being a pro cyclist domestique was like in the mid-to-late eighties. It may be very surprising to the less initiated; less so for me, but still informative. This is less of a barnstorming expose and more of a quiet revelation of how drug-taking in pro cycling was more to enable making a half-decent living than to win big.
The main thing I got out of Paul Kimmage's brave and honest storytelling is how incredibly painful and disheartening it must have been for all those that turned pro during this era of the sport and realise the reality was to be much grimmer and dirtier than their dreams believed. The dark humour of the peloton described here must undoubtedly have been a coping mechanism for such dreams being shattered to pieces.
It’s not incredibly written, but that’s fine - its ragged nature is complementary to the ragged tales told. Importantly, Kimmage wrote it himself - having become a journalist since leaving cycling - which is my main criteria for reading such books.
It’s fascinating to read about what being a pro cyclist domestique was like in the mid-to-late eighties. It may be very surprising to the less initiated; less so for me, but still informative. This is less of a barnstorming expose and more of a quiet revelation of how drug-taking in pro cycling was more to enable making a half-decent living than to win big.
The main thing I got out of Paul Kimmage's brave and honest storytelling is how incredibly painful and disheartening it must have been for all those that turned pro during this era of the sport and realise the reality was to be much grimmer and dirtier than their dreams believed. The dark humour of the peloton described here must undoubtedly have been a coping mechanism for such dreams being shattered to pieces.
July 7, 2023
An interesting read which looks really at the pre EPO era of cycling.. amphetamine use and cortisone are the drugs of choice in this book.
The book looks at the temptations to use products to enhance your performance when it is blatant others surrounding you are.
The author speaks frankly of his very few dalliances with substances and in many ways it's a book where the author falls out of love with the sport due to this behaviour.
The subject within is covered now by a myriad of books the festina scandal onwards caused a peak of investigational books on this subject but this is likely the first I've read by a young domestique ..usually it's sports journalists or ex champions unveiling or redressing the story.
The book looks at the temptations to use products to enhance your performance when it is blatant others surrounding you are.
The author speaks frankly of his very few dalliances with substances and in many ways it's a book where the author falls out of love with the sport due to this behaviour.
The subject within is covered now by a myriad of books the festina scandal onwards caused a peak of investigational books on this subject but this is likely the first I've read by a young domestique ..usually it's sports journalists or ex champions unveiling or redressing the story.
July 3, 2020
I personally wanted more gory insight into the daily life of the peloton, but at the same time I realize what it took to write a book like this. More than the content itself, the courage to come forth woth this should be highly acclaimed.
January 15, 2023
Kimmage is a victim and it’s a book that needed to be written. At the same time, I didn’t really enjoy it and didn’t feel very gripped by it. His bitterness is evident from page 1 and that takes away from the book a bit imho. Does a good job of depicting how hard cycling is!
December 6, 2012
I think I would've been more impressed with ROUGH RIDE if I haven't just finished THE SECRET RACE (Tyler Hamilton's devastating memoir/exposé), but it's just Paul Kimmage's bad luck that I did.
Because he isn't as emotionally raw, it seems, about his time in pro-cycling, as Hamilton was—perhaps that's because it's much further behind him—and because the drugs problem he describes was only the prologue of what was to come, the whole thing seems to pale in comparison to Hamilton's story. The worst things in Kimmage's era were caffeine tablets and maybe amphetamine shots; EPO was only a whisper. But by the time Hamilton arrived, EPO was the minimum requirement to compete and the top cyclists were having their own blood reloaded into their body on the eve of their races, along with other medical horrors.
Also, I really didn't feel that this book was about drugs in cycling. Kimmage made a point that he didn't want to implicate anyone, that he believes the sport is to blame and not necessarily the individual, and therefore he was less about pointing fingers and more about telling his own story and the pressures he was under to perform. But I read this book in one sitting and I felt there was actually very little talk of drugs, especially if you exclude the epilogue. I definitely got that there was pressure, but what was missing (I felt) was the point that there was pressure because the playing field wasn't level. But maybe that's because Kimmage didn't want to point fingers... It's a catch-22.
I have to say that if you want to read one book about pro-cycling's drug problem, I'd go with THE SECRET RACE. But this is still a good book, just a little outdated perhaps—it's shock value diminished by what has happened since. Speaking of which, I would be VERY interested to read a book by Kimmage about what has happened to him since he last updated this book, and the vindication I hope he feels now that all of pro-cycling's dirty laundry (Armstrong's, in particular) is out in the open. I hope he's working on it...
[P.S. After I saved this review, the Google Ads displayed on my Goodreads profile were all for buying EPO online! Yikes.]
Because he isn't as emotionally raw, it seems, about his time in pro-cycling, as Hamilton was—perhaps that's because it's much further behind him—and because the drugs problem he describes was only the prologue of what was to come, the whole thing seems to pale in comparison to Hamilton's story. The worst things in Kimmage's era were caffeine tablets and maybe amphetamine shots; EPO was only a whisper. But by the time Hamilton arrived, EPO was the minimum requirement to compete and the top cyclists were having their own blood reloaded into their body on the eve of their races, along with other medical horrors.
Also, I really didn't feel that this book was about drugs in cycling. Kimmage made a point that he didn't want to implicate anyone, that he believes the sport is to blame and not necessarily the individual, and therefore he was less about pointing fingers and more about telling his own story and the pressures he was under to perform. But I read this book in one sitting and I felt there was actually very little talk of drugs, especially if you exclude the epilogue. I definitely got that there was pressure, but what was missing (I felt) was the point that there was pressure because the playing field wasn't level. But maybe that's because Kimmage didn't want to point fingers... It's a catch-22.
I have to say that if you want to read one book about pro-cycling's drug problem, I'd go with THE SECRET RACE. But this is still a good book, just a little outdated perhaps—it's shock value diminished by what has happened since. Speaking of which, I would be VERY interested to read a book by Kimmage about what has happened to him since he last updated this book, and the vindication I hope he feels now that all of pro-cycling's dirty laundry (Armstrong's, in particular) is out in the open. I hope he's working on it...
[P.S. After I saved this review, the Google Ads displayed on my Goodreads profile were all for buying EPO online! Yikes.]
March 15, 2021
This is one of those odd books that improves as you continue - Overall, I enjoyed it and could have given it a 4 in fact but I opted for a middle-of-the-road 3 because while the subject matter is interesting (even for a non-cyclist), it's not written in a massively compelling way and I found his constant complaints quite irritating. i.e. he states at the start of the book that as a teenager, he eschewed girls, booze, nights out etc because cycling was everything to him but later he's upset that he can;t enjoy a glass of wine in the hotel or spend time with the girls in bikinis on the beach.
As a non-cyclist, I found the cycling very compelling, learning new words like peloton in the process and I didn't know some riders were in the races just to help others win. In many ways it draws me to want to watch more cycling and I have watched a few Tour De France sessions in the evenings to get more of a feel for it. But, I'm sorry to say, that I found his constant criticism of everyone around him quite tiring and I mean most people, not just the folks using the PEDs. On the one hand, he's clearly on the right side of the PED discussion and it's fantastic that he's been prepared to draw attention to the problems but it does seem to become a theme that even outside of drug use, Kimmage doesn't seem to have been great at fostering relationships generally, guys he shares rooms with, people he meets, other cyclists, other journalists etc and he seems to have a cantankerous need to be right all the time and is happy with being right, even when it causes relationship schisms. I enjoyed the book more when he gives up cycling to become a journalist but even then you still feel those old issues abound, just within his new field.
It's a decent book and a compelling read about a sport which I knew little about. But I'm surprised that it a William Hill sports book of the year. It's no Boys In The Boat.
As a non-cyclist, I found the cycling very compelling, learning new words like peloton in the process and I didn't know some riders were in the races just to help others win. In many ways it draws me to want to watch more cycling and I have watched a few Tour De France sessions in the evenings to get more of a feel for it. But, I'm sorry to say, that I found his constant criticism of everyone around him quite tiring and I mean most people, not just the folks using the PEDs. On the one hand, he's clearly on the right side of the PED discussion and it's fantastic that he's been prepared to draw attention to the problems but it does seem to become a theme that even outside of drug use, Kimmage doesn't seem to have been great at fostering relationships generally, guys he shares rooms with, people he meets, other cyclists, other journalists etc and he seems to have a cantankerous need to be right all the time and is happy with being right, even when it causes relationship schisms. I enjoyed the book more when he gives up cycling to become a journalist but even then you still feel those old issues abound, just within his new field.
It's a decent book and a compelling read about a sport which I knew little about. But I'm surprised that it a William Hill sports book of the year. It's no Boys In The Boat.
October 17, 2022
I thought Kimmage came across as an extremely bitter, unsympathetic n besserwisser person. He was always right. That was the bottom message. He could not see things from other peoples perspective. Lack of compassion and empathy.
And he really didnt seem to like the sport as an adult.
Its hard to like him. He freely chose the bike-pro-route but keeps whinning like a baby all the time.
He himself was a doper, he crossed the line. Yet he blames (almost) everyone around but himself. Injecting stuff into his body that he had no idea what it was, and even taking heavy drugs like amphetamine.
So maybe he should have taken a good look in the mirror before crashing down on other individuals and team mates. When he was in the system he didnt speak up, it was afterwards. That was a bit cowardly.
Maybe he should have attacked the system n the doctors more fiercely than his mates. Thats my take.
Also, in the middle of the book he stated that the riders are just victims of the system, "pawns in the play", more or less forced to "charge up".
But when big shoots get caught then its entirely their fault...the logic there didnt make sense to me.
Another complaint i have is that its difficult to keep track of all the different people n characters he includes (with similair names even). Maybe a list of people (and their role) at the start wud be helpful.
Otherwise it was a nice peak into the life of a pro biker in the 80s.
And he really didnt seem to like the sport as an adult.
Its hard to like him. He freely chose the bike-pro-route but keeps whinning like a baby all the time.
He himself was a doper, he crossed the line. Yet he blames (almost) everyone around but himself. Injecting stuff into his body that he had no idea what it was, and even taking heavy drugs like amphetamine.
So maybe he should have taken a good look in the mirror before crashing down on other individuals and team mates. When he was in the system he didnt speak up, it was afterwards. That was a bit cowardly.
Maybe he should have attacked the system n the doctors more fiercely than his mates. Thats my take.
Also, in the middle of the book he stated that the riders are just victims of the system, "pawns in the play", more or less forced to "charge up".
But when big shoots get caught then its entirely their fault...the logic there didnt make sense to me.
Another complaint i have is that its difficult to keep track of all the different people n characters he includes (with similair names even). Maybe a list of people (and their role) at the start wud be helpful.
Otherwise it was a nice peak into the life of a pro biker in the 80s.
June 5, 2012
Paul was an excellent cyclist but was not world class and he followed in the wheeltracks of other Irish cyclists such as Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and Martin Early, however, any lack of ability on the bike was made up in his ability to write. This book describes the sweat and torment that is professional cycling and Paul writes of a time when illegal doping was taken for granted by most of the peleton, the leaders doped themselves to win whilst the domestiques did so in order to survive.
Paul's insistence to race 'clean' was heroic but it made him a pariah to team mates and other cyclists who could see no wrong in cheating whilst their director sportifs and cycling lawmakers looked the other way. By making public what racing afficiados had known for years took courage, this book exposes the excesses of this beautiful sport but it is through the richness of Paul's writing that the physical and mental hurt he endured is transposed to the reader.
Thankfully, today the sport of cycling has made massive changes in it's attitude to illegal drug use and is the most tested sport seeking out any wrongdoers and the writings of Paul Kimmage have had a large impact in order to allow this change of attitude to come to the fore.
Paul's insistence to race 'clean' was heroic but it made him a pariah to team mates and other cyclists who could see no wrong in cheating whilst their director sportifs and cycling lawmakers looked the other way. By making public what racing afficiados had known for years took courage, this book exposes the excesses of this beautiful sport but it is through the richness of Paul's writing that the physical and mental hurt he endured is transposed to the reader.
Thankfully, today the sport of cycling has made massive changes in it's attitude to illegal drug use and is the most tested sport seeking out any wrongdoers and the writings of Paul Kimmage have had a large impact in order to allow this change of attitude to come to the fore.
October 4, 2017
I don't know what it is about cycling memoirs but I find them the most fascinating of all sports books. They rarely stray into laddish #bantz or larks, instead are a more cerebral proposition, mainlining stoicism, pain and fortitude.
The thousands of hours hours spent in the saddle seems to predispose cyclists to thinking about the universal questions. And how many footballers say, would describe themselves as "Cartesian by nature" like Nicolas Aubier is quoted in Rough Ride?
Little nuggets like Aubier's quote (of a quote admittedly) are what makes Rough Ride such a standout cycling memoir. Unlike the giants of the road Kimmage's reminiscences are mainly about grovelling up climbs, abandoning or just about making the time limit. His honesty, shining a light on the grim reality of cycling for 98% of the peloton is refreshing, even if he's a bit hard to like him.
His crusade against doping also stands the test of time, sadly remaining relevant in 2017 as it did when he first published in 1990. The truth has come out and he's been proven right time and time again, and we should be glad his bitterness in cycling has created such a passionate book, even if it did destroy his career. Chapeau Paul.
The thousands of hours hours spent in the saddle seems to predispose cyclists to thinking about the universal questions. And how many footballers say, would describe themselves as "Cartesian by nature" like Nicolas Aubier is quoted in Rough Ride?
Little nuggets like Aubier's quote (of a quote admittedly) are what makes Rough Ride such a standout cycling memoir. Unlike the giants of the road Kimmage's reminiscences are mainly about grovelling up climbs, abandoning or just about making the time limit. His honesty, shining a light on the grim reality of cycling for 98% of the peloton is refreshing, even if he's a bit hard to like him.
His crusade against doping also stands the test of time, sadly remaining relevant in 2017 as it did when he first published in 1990. The truth has come out and he's been proven right time and time again, and we should be glad his bitterness in cycling has created such a passionate book, even if it did destroy his career. Chapeau Paul.
May 29, 2020
Finally read this to see what the fuss was about after a recent newspaper article stirred up the dust.
As it is a personal memoir, it is mostly about Kimmage’s journey to realise his dream of being a professional cyclist, with the doping scandal being the secondary story.
Doping aside, (we all know what happened next, so he has been vindicated and rightly so) he doesn’t paint a great picture of himself in my opinion.
This book has made me wonder how committed he truly was to his cycling career. For me he spins a tale of inconsistency and ducking for cover when things weren’t going the way he wanted. It seems to be his default setting whenever the going got tough.
I don’t understand how he thought that there wouldn’t be any backlash from his cycling family. He may not mention any names, but his inferences are enough to suggest that anyone who was having a strong day was doping.
As it is a personal memoir, it is mostly about Kimmage’s journey to realise his dream of being a professional cyclist, with the doping scandal being the secondary story.
Doping aside, (we all know what happened next, so he has been vindicated and rightly so) he doesn’t paint a great picture of himself in my opinion.
This book has made me wonder how committed he truly was to his cycling career. For me he spins a tale of inconsistency and ducking for cover when things weren’t going the way he wanted. It seems to be his default setting whenever the going got tough.
I don’t understand how he thought that there wouldn’t be any backlash from his cycling family. He may not mention any names, but his inferences are enough to suggest that anyone who was having a strong day was doping.
August 24, 2015
Rather a whiny book by a whiny author.
July 24, 2018
Traducido por primera vez al castellano en 2016, tras sucesivas ediciones en inglés que han ido añadiendo capítulos a modo de epílogos, escritos en 1998 o 2006, es de obligada lectura para todos los aficionados al ciclismo profesional.
Desgrana la historia de Paul Kimmage, ciclista profesional entre 1985 y 1989, sin victorias y que nunca pasó de ser un humilde gregario. Empieza siendo completamente biográfico, narrando su infancia y adolescencia, cuando empieza a competir, sus primeros pasos de amteur y sus intentos de paso al profesionalismo. Esta parte me ha gustado especialemente, siendo como era "uno más", y no un elegido para la gloria con grandes resultados. No era un gran campeón sino un currante que tuvo que luchar sus contratos hasta el último momento, y no son así el tipo de historias más abundantes en la literatura.
Cuando llega al profesionalismo el libro da un pequeño giro y, mezclado con el aspecto biológico aparece una visión del ciclismo de competición bastante oscura, con el dopaje corrompiéndolo todo y creando una cultura a la que adherirse o desistir asqueado. Un mundo en el que por encima del todo está la omertá, esa ley del silencio que domina el ciclismo y que él mismo rompe con la publicación de este libro. Kimmage deja clara su postura en contra del dopaje, y en este libro propone sanciones de por vida para los corredores que den positivo o eliminar los TUEs para que las reglas sean las mismas para todos.
Kimmage corrió durante sus años en el pelotón cuatro grandes vueltas, tres Tour de France y un Giro de Italia, que en el libro reciben especial atención, siendo narrados etapa a etapa a modo de diario. Ahí aflora el periodismo, que sería el trabajo de Kimmage tras el ciclismo, pues narra cada una como si una columna periodística se tratase, y de hecho durante esas carreras ya fue publicando tales artículos en periódicos de su Irlanda natal. Al final añade también un diario parecido durante el Tour del 2006, correspondiente a una edición posterior a la original, con la principal diferencia de haberlo seguido desde el puesto de periodista, no desde el de corredor.
Supongo que relacionado con todo esto, se trata de un libro bien escrito -lo he leído traducido, aclaro-. Aún cuando no usa un lenguaje complicado ni se pierde en arabescos, la narración es fluida y está bien hilada, logrando entretejer una historia con matices en la que trata temas variados, además de los más obvios, los autobiográficos y el ciclismo profesional, también desfilan por sus páginas la amistad, la competitividad, la soledad, la decepción o la depresión. En el mercado literario hay un buen número de autobiografías de deportistas, y pocas están tan bien escritas como estas. E incluyo incluso muchas en las que es un periodista profesional el que plasma por escrito las historias que le ha relatado el deportista.
Relata muy bien las distintas carreras, no solo las grandes, es más, diría que especialmente las pequeñas. Carreras amateurs o criteriums, están todas muy bien explicadas con sus diferencias según el tipo de carrera o su ubicación geográfica. Te imbuyen totalemente en su mundo y parece que llegas a conocerla, a acompañarle en la bici durante sus esforzados sacrificios.
Quizás el principal 'pero' que le pongo a Kimmage es un tono excesivamente victimista en algunos pasajes, como cuando llega a caer en el dopaje (aunque no lo haga de lleno). Da la sensación de situarse a sí mismo como víctima de un viciado sistema imperante contra el que no se puede luchar, y no niego que sea así, pero en otros pasajes no se desprende lo mismo cuando relata hechos parecidos en según qué otro corredor.
Desgrana la historia de Paul Kimmage, ciclista profesional entre 1985 y 1989, sin victorias y que nunca pasó de ser un humilde gregario. Empieza siendo completamente biográfico, narrando su infancia y adolescencia, cuando empieza a competir, sus primeros pasos de amteur y sus intentos de paso al profesionalismo. Esta parte me ha gustado especialemente, siendo como era "uno más", y no un elegido para la gloria con grandes resultados. No era un gran campeón sino un currante que tuvo que luchar sus contratos hasta el último momento, y no son así el tipo de historias más abundantes en la literatura.
Cuando llega al profesionalismo el libro da un pequeño giro y, mezclado con el aspecto biológico aparece una visión del ciclismo de competición bastante oscura, con el dopaje corrompiéndolo todo y creando una cultura a la que adherirse o desistir asqueado. Un mundo en el que por encima del todo está la omertá, esa ley del silencio que domina el ciclismo y que él mismo rompe con la publicación de este libro. Kimmage deja clara su postura en contra del dopaje, y en este libro propone sanciones de por vida para los corredores que den positivo o eliminar los TUEs para que las reglas sean las mismas para todos.
Kimmage corrió durante sus años en el pelotón cuatro grandes vueltas, tres Tour de France y un Giro de Italia, que en el libro reciben especial atención, siendo narrados etapa a etapa a modo de diario. Ahí aflora el periodismo, que sería el trabajo de Kimmage tras el ciclismo, pues narra cada una como si una columna periodística se tratase, y de hecho durante esas carreras ya fue publicando tales artículos en periódicos de su Irlanda natal. Al final añade también un diario parecido durante el Tour del 2006, correspondiente a una edición posterior a la original, con la principal diferencia de haberlo seguido desde el puesto de periodista, no desde el de corredor.
Supongo que relacionado con todo esto, se trata de un libro bien escrito -lo he leído traducido, aclaro-. Aún cuando no usa un lenguaje complicado ni se pierde en arabescos, la narración es fluida y está bien hilada, logrando entretejer una historia con matices en la que trata temas variados, además de los más obvios, los autobiográficos y el ciclismo profesional, también desfilan por sus páginas la amistad, la competitividad, la soledad, la decepción o la depresión. En el mercado literario hay un buen número de autobiografías de deportistas, y pocas están tan bien escritas como estas. E incluyo incluso muchas en las que es un periodista profesional el que plasma por escrito las historias que le ha relatado el deportista.
Relata muy bien las distintas carreras, no solo las grandes, es más, diría que especialmente las pequeñas. Carreras amateurs o criteriums, están todas muy bien explicadas con sus diferencias según el tipo de carrera o su ubicación geográfica. Te imbuyen totalemente en su mundo y parece que llegas a conocerla, a acompañarle en la bici durante sus esforzados sacrificios.
Quizás el principal 'pero' que le pongo a Kimmage es un tono excesivamente victimista en algunos pasajes, como cuando llega a caer en el dopaje (aunque no lo haga de lleno). Da la sensación de situarse a sí mismo como víctima de un viciado sistema imperante contra el que no se puede luchar, y no niego que sea así, pero en otros pasajes no se desprende lo mismo cuando relata hechos parecidos en según qué otro corredor.
March 26, 2020
From the commotion and notoriety that surrounded this book, I was expecting a tirade against the evils of doping in sport. I guess in predating the EPO deaths and Festina affair such mild criticism was out of the ordinary, but most of this book was about the troubles of scraping a living as a professional, and certainly made a change from the books by serial winners.
I found the early bit about his childhood a bit dull (I much prefer the more modern trend of jumping into the arena the subject is famous for) but it was relevant, as Kimmage was an avid cyclist from an early age. As he described his adult racing career the book got more interesting, and as someone who had left the peloton he was freer to go into the sometimes small-time politics of a team and be frank about those he had less respect for. Kimmage was not too self absorbed either, well aware that team-mates had the same worries about their insecure positions.
The many contrasts with more successful riders had their own intrigue as well, abandoning many single stage races without it being the end of the world, and being very pleased with a top 20 placing. Sometimes he would list results and you would wonder how he manged to get a ride for the following season, only for Kimmage to play a good supporting role in a stage race. He also seemed more lax in his training regime, sacking off weeks because he was down about his results, which must have had any modern coaches reading this tearing their hair out. But at the same time there was a humanity, a genuine sense this was a job he was ok at, rather than lip service to prove he's a regular guy.
Although written well, and seemingly more adoring of Roche and Kelly than his wife, this didn't quite grip me from cover to cover even if it was revealing. But it was nonetheless passionate and a good insight into the average pro cyclist's life on the continent.
I found the early bit about his childhood a bit dull (I much prefer the more modern trend of jumping into the arena the subject is famous for) but it was relevant, as Kimmage was an avid cyclist from an early age. As he described his adult racing career the book got more interesting, and as someone who had left the peloton he was freer to go into the sometimes small-time politics of a team and be frank about those he had less respect for. Kimmage was not too self absorbed either, well aware that team-mates had the same worries about their insecure positions.
The many contrasts with more successful riders had their own intrigue as well, abandoning many single stage races without it being the end of the world, and being very pleased with a top 20 placing. Sometimes he would list results and you would wonder how he manged to get a ride for the following season, only for Kimmage to play a good supporting role in a stage race. He also seemed more lax in his training regime, sacking off weeks because he was down about his results, which must have had any modern coaches reading this tearing their hair out. But at the same time there was a humanity, a genuine sense this was a job he was ok at, rather than lip service to prove he's a regular guy.
Although written well, and seemingly more adoring of Roche and Kelly than his wife, this didn't quite grip me from cover to cover even if it was revealing. But it was nonetheless passionate and a good insight into the average pro cyclist's life on the continent.
May 25, 2017
I wanted to really like this book having heard so much about it but I could just give it a three.
I was disappointed by the lack of detail around the actual training. I never got the feel of the hardship or commitment to be a top professional.
Reading the book I was almost asking the author what did he expect from his career when he seems to train so little. The only sacrifice seemed to be the absence from home.
And despite his honesty he shied away from nailing people on the drugs issue. It seems there is honour among thieves.
A minor quibble I had with the book was the quote at the start from the late son of the sportswriter David Walsh. I was aware of the provenance of the quote having previously read David Walsh's book on Lance Armstrong. The cynicism about the three gifts brought by the Magi is fine for a minor but I fail to see its relevance in Paul's book except to show how cynical he is about everything. Surely Paul, as an adult, can't be cynical about everything! And for the record why does the gold offered by the Magi have to be anything more than of token or jewelry value. The Bible never said it was of great monetary worth. It didn't go anywhere, it was simply on the good shelf in Nazareth.
I was disappointed by the lack of detail around the actual training. I never got the feel of the hardship or commitment to be a top professional.
Reading the book I was almost asking the author what did he expect from his career when he seems to train so little. The only sacrifice seemed to be the absence from home.
And despite his honesty he shied away from nailing people on the drugs issue. It seems there is honour among thieves.
A minor quibble I had with the book was the quote at the start from the late son of the sportswriter David Walsh. I was aware of the provenance of the quote having previously read David Walsh's book on Lance Armstrong. The cynicism about the three gifts brought by the Magi is fine for a minor but I fail to see its relevance in Paul's book except to show how cynical he is about everything. Surely Paul, as an adult, can't be cynical about everything! And for the record why does the gold offered by the Magi have to be anything more than of token or jewelry value. The Bible never said it was of great monetary worth. It didn't go anywhere, it was simply on the good shelf in Nazareth.
October 5, 2020
El relato de Kimmage posee dos grandes virtudes, a un tiempo simbióticas y paradójicas. Por un lado, funciona como documento histórico, encapsulando las peculiaridades del ciclismo profesional a mediados de los ochenta, un ecosistema que jamás se volvería a repetir en la historia de este deporte. Por otro, trasciende a su tiempo y narra con enorme clarividencia la "cultura" interna del pelotón, la serie de incentivos y el sistema connivente a ellos que permitieron el dopaje.
Los ochenta jamás volverán porque los noventa lo cambiaron todo. Pero la cultura sigue ahí. Incólume. Inasequible. Inmortal. A ratos, las vivencias y experiencias de Kimmage (la presión por un contrato, la relativización de la culpa, la exención de responsabilidades, la ley del silencio, la hostilidad hacia la mirada externa) podrían imaginarse escritas y publicadas hoy, en 2020, en boca de otro ciclista profesional. Por eso este libro sigue siendo relevante, tres décadas después.
Los ochenta jamás volverán porque los noventa lo cambiaron todo. Pero la cultura sigue ahí. Incólume. Inasequible. Inmortal. A ratos, las vivencias y experiencias de Kimmage (la presión por un contrato, la relativización de la culpa, la exención de responsabilidades, la ley del silencio, la hostilidad hacia la mirada externa) podrían imaginarse escritas y publicadas hoy, en 2020, en boca de otro ciclista profesional. Por eso este libro sigue siendo relevante, tres décadas después.
September 4, 2022
Bit of a slow start taking me through his upbringing and all, but the insights into cycling were fascinating and something I had not encountered before. I did not realise that being a pro cyclist still meant washing your own gear and sorting your own travel and equipments and sharing rooms and everything. I imagine this was a much bigger deal when it first came out because of how much he talks about drug use. It seems that the times these cyclists are putting up are impossible without some sort of medical help just so your body can perform its regular functions like replacing what is lost and sweat and cleaning out your organs in time for the next race. Really insightful chapter at the end showing what happens if you don't make it big or have a back up like he did. One of the best sports books I have read without a doubt.
April 26, 2023
Appropriately for cycling, this book feels like an endurance event at times - even though it's not particularly long. I wanted to quit about a quarter of the way in, but in the end... I'm glad I stuck with it.
Kimmage's writing is pretty good, especially for an autobiography by a cyclist, but reading account after account of some race that he feels like shit at gets a bit tiring.
Kimmage also sounds very bitter with the whole sport, which hey, totally fair with the whole doping situation.
Anyway still I found it cool to read a book from a self-admittedly decent-at-best pro cyclist (meaning that he is still probably worlds ahead of any non-pro) which goes well with Phil Gaimon's more cheerful books - appropriately enough, Phil was and still is also very vocally anti-doping.
Kimmage's writing is pretty good, especially for an autobiography by a cyclist, but reading account after account of some race that he feels like shit at gets a bit tiring.
Kimmage also sounds very bitter with the whole sport, which hey, totally fair with the whole doping situation.
Anyway still I found it cool to read a book from a self-admittedly decent-at-best pro cyclist (meaning that he is still probably worlds ahead of any non-pro) which goes well with Phil Gaimon's more cheerful books - appropriately enough, Phil was and still is also very vocally anti-doping.
September 10, 2017
Bestaan er nog 'eerlijke' wielrenners? Ik zou het niet weten. Een van de eerlijkste schreef ooit een boek. Dit boek. Het is nog steeds een klassieker en ook actueel.
Google eens zijn naam en lees wat van zijn artikelen. Deze bijvoorbeeld (http://www.independent.ie/sport/colum...). Hij heeft eeen paar woorden over voor een 'voormalig' dopingzondaar zoals Pelizzotti: doping fuck, lying toad en cheating bastard.
Je kunt zeggen over Paul Kimmage en zijn boek wat je wilt, maar hij blijft trouw aan zijn afschuw voor bedrog.
Google eens zijn naam en lees wat van zijn artikelen. Deze bijvoorbeeld (http://www.independent.ie/sport/colum...). Hij heeft eeen paar woorden over voor een 'voormalig' dopingzondaar zoals Pelizzotti: doping fuck, lying toad en cheating bastard.
Je kunt zeggen over Paul Kimmage en zijn boek wat je wilt, maar hij blijft trouw aan zijn afschuw voor bedrog.
August 17, 2024
Whilst I very much enjoy Pro cycling now, I'm probably not the target audience as I've only been watching since 2021 so many of the names of riders didn't mean much to me, which might not be the case for others.
Also, it was surprising how many times riders back then simply gave up! Not really a comment on this book, just something I wasn't ready for.
The later parts added, including the 2007 you can see how bitter and single-minded Kimmage seemed to have gotten. I wouldn't have wanted to talk to him if I were a cyclist.
It was an interesting read, but not one I would be recommending unless you're maybe a hardcore fan of Pro Cycling from the 80's and 90'.
Also, it was surprising how many times riders back then simply gave up! Not really a comment on this book, just something I wasn't ready for.
The later parts added, including the 2007 you can see how bitter and single-minded Kimmage seemed to have gotten. I wouldn't have wanted to talk to him if I were a cyclist.
It was an interesting read, but not one I would be recommending unless you're maybe a hardcore fan of Pro Cycling from the 80's and 90'.
February 11, 2018
Un libro interesante
Me ha gustado la apertura del autor, más no su posición de víctima, él también es culpable en lo que le corresponde asumir, es duro leer sobre las suciedades de un deporte tan bello como el ciclismo, más es lo que hay. Al final del día, habría que preguntarse qué pasa 3n otros deportes como el fútbol americano, o el tenis, o el fútbol, donde nunca, o muy poco se habla de controles antidoping
Me ha gustado la apertura del autor, más no su posición de víctima, él también es culpable en lo que le corresponde asumir, es duro leer sobre las suciedades de un deporte tan bello como el ciclismo, más es lo que hay. Al final del día, habría que preguntarse qué pasa 3n otros deportes como el fútbol americano, o el tenis, o el fútbol, donde nunca, o muy poco se habla de controles antidoping
December 10, 2020
Excellent read. I loved how the author is able to intertwine his experience as a middle of the pack professional cyclist with his views on the doping phenomenon that affected his sport for almost three decades.
If you read the book, you know for a fact the emotional toll it took on the author, who is totally candid about the flaws in the sport he used to love. But, as his friend David Walsh told him, “never run from the truth”. He, without a shadow of a doubt, doesn’t.
If you read the book, you know for a fact the emotional toll it took on the author, who is totally candid about the flaws in the sport he used to love. But, as his friend David Walsh told him, “never run from the truth”. He, without a shadow of a doubt, doesn’t.
October 14, 2017
One of the few who saw and experienced the doping problem in cycling and was willing to talk about it long before police raids on hotels and confessions on Oprah. I'm not sure I agree that taking a caffeine pill before or during a race or getting a shot of a B vitamin really should count as doping though...
August 6, 2022
An enthralling read. I picked up the book with absolutely no knowledge of the peloton, and left with a sadness for the damage that has been done to the sport, which at its best, is like any other sport - a chance to release, push you to your limits and bring meaning to one’s life. Serous respect to Paul Kimmage.
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