Domestique: The True Life Ups and Downs of a Tour Cyclist

by Wegelius, Charly
5 out of 5 Customer Rating
ISBN: 9780091950941
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Overview

Aremarkable true-life story from behind the scenes of professional cycling

For 11 years I was a professional cyclist, competing in the hardest and greatest races on Earth. I was in demand from the world's best teams, a well-paid elite athlete. But I never won a race. I was the hired help. When my mum dropped me off in a small French town aged 17, I was full of determination to be a professional cyclist, but I was completely green. I went from mowing the team manager's lawn to winning every amateur race I entered. Then I turned pro and realized I hated the responsibility and pressure of chasing victory. And that's when I became a domestique. I learned to take that hurt and give it everything I had to give, all for someone else's win. When the order came in to ride I pushed out with the hardest rhythm I could, dragging the group faster and faster, until my whole body screamed with pain. There were times I rode myself to a standstill, clutching the barrier meters from the line, as the lead group shot past. But that's what made me a so good at my job. As my career took off, I started looking at the fans lining the route, cheering us like heroes. The passion for cycling oozed off them, but they couldn t know what it was really like. They didn't see the terrible hotels, the crazy egos, or all the shit that goes with great expectations. Well, this is how it is."

  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Author: Wegelius, Charly
  • ISBN: 9780091950941
  • Condition: Used
  • Dimensions: 7.70 x 1.00
  • Number Of Pages: 304
  • Publication Year: 2014

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