The Secret Race - Hamilton

 

I’m giving Tyler Hamilton’s book, “The Secret Race” five stars.  I reserve 5 stars for classic must read texts, but will caveat that “must read” for this book only  includes those interested in professional bike racing.  Unless you’re passionate about pro bike racing you should avoid this book because it will only serve to destroy the sport further by casting doubt on any rider who does anything extraordinary on his bike, now and for many years into the future.  Those who are passionate about the sport, will continue to overlook what must seem like to outsiders to be major flaws in the character of our sports heroes, as we have for at least two decades.

Since this is a book review I must give you a little about the book...you only need to know one thing to understand the depths of the doping program that existed during the height of the Lance Armstrong winning era.  Tyler Hamilton explains how it was possible to give enough blood before the Tour de France to have enough in the refrigerator to receive three transfusions during the race.  The technique is insane and therefore gives us a realistic glimpse into the mind of these racers.   I’m transcribing this from the table found on page 160 in the book.  Ten weeks before the race the rider would have a unit of his own blood drawn, typically in some sketchy hotel room with the assistance of the team doctor.  This blood was then refrigerated.  Refrigerated blood will only last about a month before it is considered unusable as too many red blood cells have died.  Six weeks before the race they would return to have two units of blood drawn.  Not wanting to be two units down they would replace one unit with the single unit of blood they had drawn previously.  Two weeks before race  they would once again return to the hotel room.  This time they would draw three units of blood and then once again bring their blood volume back up with the two units drawn four weeks prior..  At this point, two weeks before race day, they have three units of fresh blood.  Typically they would boost their blood with one unit just before the race.  And then add a unit on the two “rest” days during the month of the race...and we wondered what the riders were doing on those rest days.  

This is just a small glimpse.  The book is fascinating in many other respects...how it was so simple to beat the drug tests while actively doping.  And of course the psychology that riders must go through to go from honest athletes to those who didn’t have a choice.  One morning you wake up and find out that you are in a dishonest culture.  Many of us might say, I would never cheat, I can’t imagine cheating.  But what if the culture that surrounds you is one that permits cheating?  In fact the rules are established to allow you to cheat as long as you cheat within the boundaries as specified by you union’s president.  That seems to give it legitimacy.  You can play by the extended version of the rules and have some success or quit.  Very few riders quit. In fact it would be refreshing if some, or any of those riders who quit, would step forward and say, “When I realized what was going on, I quit the sport.”  No, in fact the majority of riders were working hard and waiting patiently to become good enough to be asked by their team doctor to step into the upper echelons of drug doping, where the elite become even more elite.

Apart from drug doping the other colossal insight we gain from Hamilton’s book is into the mind of Lance Armstrong.  Lance is in every respect a real American hero.  There are countless reasons why Armstrong fits this mold and those of us who are fans, lift him up, and will continue to do so.  Lance Armstrong’s “Cult of Personality” could be compared to OJ Simpson’s during the height of his personality reign.  Just like OJ, he is one of the most recognizable faces in the world. Perhaps not the equivalent of a David Beckham, but certainly very close.  Arguably his fall from grace might make him even more visible, just like OJ.  Despite Lance’s character flaws, and they go well beyond doping and include his relentless competitiveness, his abuse of power, his strong arm tactics, his paranoid behavior, and his utter hypocrisy (ratting out other riders for drug doping). Despite the evidence he is still well liked...that includes me.  And even Tyler Hamilton doesn’t want to see him get in too much trouble or land in jail, for instance.  If Lance avoids jail time it will be as miraculous an outcome as the mountain of guilt OJ faced and walked free.

I am writing this a few days before Lance is scheduled to be interviewed by Oprah.  What will Lance confess?  On the record I would like to say, my theory, given what I’ve learned from Hamilton’s book, is that Lance will certainly confess...he has no choice.  But he might take  his confession to a new level.  Because his knowledge of doping places him near the top of the power pyramid, he probably has information about doping that goes well beyond professional cycling.  He could bring accusations of doping across the upper echelons and the entirely of world sport...with sufficient credible evidence to bring it all down.  Just a theory, when it comes to Lance and his “Cult of Personality” I’ve certainly been wrong before...