Sometimes Homer resident and full-time author Dan Coyle has scored big on his latest book, a collaboration with former professional cyclist Tyler Hamilton. Their joint effort -- "The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France -- Doping, Cover-ups and Winning at All Costs'' -- has been named the William Hill Sports Book of the Year.
The British award is considered a global coup for sports writers. Coyle's previous books inlcude "Lance Armstrong's War -- One Man's Battle Against Fate, Fame, Love, Death, Scandal, and a Few Other Rivals on the Road to the Tour de France.'' It portrayed the once seven-time winner of the Tour de France as a somewhat-flawed hero.
The lastest book, co-written with Hamilton, pretty much makes Armstrong out to be a first-class cheat, albeit a driven one. The book catalogs how Armstrong organized and maintained a massive conspiracy to dominate the Tour in the 2000s by not only training harder than the competition, but also by running a sophisticated doping program.
Hamilton was one of Armstrong's key lieutenants for several of his seven tour wins. Armstrong has been adjudged guilty of cheating in every race, and all of his Tour titles have been revoked.
Hamilton, a one-time Olympic gold medalist in cycling, suffered a similar fate, only earlier. Only after Hamilton's doping caught up with him did he decide to tell his full story to Coyle. Their book is a fascinating read.