Bloody Minded

My Life in Cycling

Bloody Minded cover

Bloody Minded

My Life in Cycling

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Description

'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

Table of Contents

Not Horrific, Just Terrible - The Hour Record, 2015
The Day My Dad Stopped Whistling - Diagnosis 1990
Freedom - The Commonwealth Games, 2014
One Evening, on the River Blackwater - The beginning, 2001
Hunger Games - The British Academy, 2007-2010
The University of Livestrong - Riding for a legend, 2010
Treading My Own Path - Team Sky to Movistar, 2011-2013
Letting Go of the Bike - The Giro, 2013
The Armstrong Comment - The Start Line, Beijing, 2012
Growing Up – On the road with Cavendish, 2013-2015
Mummy's Boy - Sub-title? 2016
Heartbreak and Glory - The Olympics and The Commonwealths
Mayhem - Katusha-Alpecin, 2018-2019
Life Expectancy - The Tour de France, 2019
An Arm around my Shoulder - The Worlds, 2019
Stage 8 - Giro d'Italia, 2020
Winners and Losers - The Hour, 2021
Born Lucky - Leaving the World Tour, 2022.

Product details

Published 28 Sep 2023
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 320
ISBN 9781399406406
Imprint Bloomsbury Sport
Dimensions 234 x 153 mm
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Alex Dowsett

Alex Dowsett, professional cyclist of Israel Start…

An image of the cyclist and author, Alex Dowsett
Alex Dowsett on Bloody Minded

“I sought validation from myself and from the world that ‘I can,’ rather than the expectation, which was that ‘I can’t.’”

READ THE INTERVIEW

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