Breaking the Chain: Drugs and Cycling: The True Story [Paperback]

Willy Voet (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 2002

Cocaine, amphetamines, EPO, heroin—all these are now considered not optional but necessary—not to win, but just to compete in the Tour de France. Details of how these drugs are obtained, mixed together to make cocktails, administered and concealed are all included in this graphic and uninhibited account by a fomer competitor.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A moving and spirited account of lying and cheating on behalf of some of the biggest names in cycling.” -- Independent

“Breaking the Chain provides a unique account of drug abuse in cycling... a memorable book.” -- New Statesman

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Random House UK; 1ST edition (August 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0224061178
• ISBN-13: 978-0224061179
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.2 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #765,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting read - leaves you wanting more., February 22, 2005

By 

P. Sedun (Vancouver, B.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Breaking the Chain: Drugs and Cycling - The True Story (Paperback)

This book was a very interesting read. The Festina professional cycling team trainer gets caught at a border checkpoint with his team's drug supply for the upcoming Tour de France - and to no one's surprise, the team doesn't back him up (at least not initially).

The book is translated from French, and even though Voet is not a professional author, it's still better written than most of the professional-athlete biographies I've read - many of which were written by ghost writers anyway. Voet was courageous enough to come forward - even though he was probably financially motivated, to at least some degree, after his team essentially abandoned him when he (i.e. they) got caught. As your riders used to say, "Good stuff, Willy!"

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Handling Vials of the Truth, October 28, 2008

By 

Bicycle Day - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Breaking the Chain: Drugs and Cycling: The True Story (Paperback)

It was one of those moments in time that changed the course of a sport. In July 1998, while traveling from Brussels to Belgium, the vehicle that Festina trainer Willy Voet was driving was pulled over by customs inspectors on the Franco-Belgium border. What was found in a routine inspection blew open the dirty secret of the rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs under the direction of team officials.

A concealed storage area inside the vehicle was found with drugs earmarked for use in the Tour de France. Voet was arrested and the Festina cycling team was suspended from the prestigious event. An investigation led to the suspension, arrest and prosecution of a number of riders and team staff members. Voet was ultimately convicted of crimes in this sordid affair, given a ten month suspended sentence and fined, while also being banned from the sport for three years.

In this disturbing insider's account of tainted athletic achievement, Voet - while admitting guilt - places his deeds firmly within the realm of a culture where victory at any cost is the price tag. As unsettling as some sections may be, Voet does not sprint away from the reality of pro cycling or point fingers at others for his misdeeds.

These are vials of truth about the syringes ultimately filled with cheating and lying.

5.0 out of 5 stars Looking for truth ? This is it., January 11, 2012

By 

File Server (Marinas Trench) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Breaking the Chain: Drugs and Cycling: The True Story (Paperback)

I was a die-hard fan of professional cycling for decades.
I raced as an amateur for several years and followed the careers of all the big name riders.
I thought these young men in this sport were talented, hard-working, conscientious athletes.

I was wrong.
I was very naive.

I will never again watch a pro-cycling event either on TV or a DVD release of some famous race coverage. If pro cycling isn't the dirtiest sport on earth, it certainly must be in the top three for either illegal, unethical, and/or unsportsman-like activity.
The UCI is really part of the problem, not the source of the doping / cheating solution.

I read these books:
From Lance to Landis (Walsh),
A Dog in a Hat (Parkin),
The Crooked Path to Victory (Woodland),
Rough Ride (Kimmage)

Willy Voet's, "Breaking the Chain: Drugs and Cycling: The True Story" was the best of these books, not for its reading style, but because of the depth of content.