Alex Dowsett lifts the lid on a decade of life in the world’s greatest pelotons and tells how he succeeded despite being the world’s only able-bodied elite sportsperson with haemophilia A.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CYCLING BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2024

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.

'Immensely readable and revealing'
The Guardian

'A story like no other in cycling'
Ned Boulting

"Immensely readable and revealing" - The Guardian

"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

"Truly inspirational" - Cycling Weekly

"The humblest super-talent in the peloton, proving nice guys can win. A wonderful book" - Carlton Kirby

"Such an inspiring tale. Poignant and moving, and told with forthright honesty" - Peter Cossins

"Unembellished and honest. Alex tells what life as a professional cyclist is really like" - Rick Zabel

"Truly compelling.… a must read book for any cycling fan" - Alan Murchison

"A fascinating insight into the mindset of an elite sportsman who overcame great odds to reach the very top" - Simon Brotherton