SHORTLISTED FOR THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2024 – CYCLING BOOK OF THE YEAR
'Immensely readable and revealing' The Guardian
'A must read' Phil Liggett, MBE
'A story like no other in cycling' Ned Boulting
IMAGINE COMPETING IN THE WORLD'S MOST BRUTAL CYCLE RACES, KNOWING THAT A CRASH COULD BE FATAL
Alex Dowsett is one of Britain's greatest cyclists. He has ridden Grand Tours and Classics for elite teams including Sky and Movistar and broke the iconic World Hour Record – the ultimate time trial challenge. With humour, insight and honesty, Alex recounts his years as a pro-cyclist and the challenges he has faced in his struggle to reach the top.
Alex has achieved all this despite being the only able-bodied elite sportsperson in the world with haemophilia A. He describes how the condition – in which falls can be fatal – both blighted his young sporting life, and boosted his determination to succeed. Every professional cyclist requires courage, but Alex takes fearlessness to another level in a sport where injury and suffering are a given.
With an all-star cycling cast, including Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish and Lance Armstrong, this pulsating book lifts the lid on life in the peloton at the world’s top level. From his highs – including Giro d’Italia stage victories – to his frustrations at the injustices he faced in the sport, Alex's memoir perfectly chronicles a career in which he was driven equally by love and rage.
Combining Alex's personal triumphs with his unique take on being part of the golden age of British cycling, this is an unmissable tale of sporting endeavour.
'A fascinating insight into the mindset of an elite sportsman who overcame great odds to reach the very top' Simon Brotherton
'The humblest super-talent in the peloton, proving nice guys can win. A wonderful book' Carlton Kirby
'An inspiration for anyone who wants to do whatever they’re told they can’t.' Michael Hutchinson
'Such an inspiring tale. Poignant and moving, and told with forthright honesty' Peter Cossins
By:
Alex Dowsett
Imprint: Bloomsbury Sport
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 153mm,
Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781399406406
ISBN 10: 139940640X
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 30 January 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
1. Not Horrific, Just Terrible: The Hour Record, 2015 2. The Day My Dad Stopped Whistling: Diagnosis, 1990 3. Freedom: The Commonwealth Games, 2014 4. One Evening, on the River Blackwater: The Beginning, 2001 5. The Hunger Games: The British Academy, 2007–2009 6. The University of Livestrong: Riding for a Legend, 2010 7. On Planet Dave: Team Sky, 2011–2012 8. Treading My Own Path: Team Sky to Movistar, 2011–2013 9. Letting Go of the Bike: The Giro, 2013 10. The Armstrong Comment: The Start Line, Beijing, 2012 11. Growing Up: On the Road with Cavendish, 2013–2015 12. Mummy’s Boy: It’s All About Love, 2016 13. Heartbreak and Glory: The Olympics and the Commonwealths 14. Mayhem: Katusha–Alpecin, 2018–2019 15. Life Expectancy: The Tour de France 16. An Arm Around My Shoulder: The Worlds, 2019 17. Stage 8: Giro d’Italia, 2020 18. Winners and Losers: The Hour, 2021 19. Born Lucky: Leaving the World Tour, 2022 Acknowledgements Index
Alex Dowsett is a former professional road racing cyclist who has been cycling for over a decade at the world's top level. He was a time trial specialist and in 2015 he broke track cycling's World Hour Record. @AlexDowsett
Reviews for Bloody Minded: My Life in Cycling
A story to tell like no other in cycling * Ned Boulting * A great champion in sport and in life, and a credit for all young aspiring people to follow. A must read * Phil Liggett, MBE, international commentator * The humblest super-talent in the peloton, proving nice guys can win. A wonderful book * Carlton Kirby * Such an inspiring tale * Peter Cossins * An inspiration for anyone who wants to do whatever they’re told they can’t. -- Michael Hutchinson Unembellished and honest. Alex tells what like as a professional cyclist is really like * Rick Zabel *
