Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
In terms of The Secret Pro’s identity, we always expected that people would want to guess who it is, but let’s keep in mind: if his identity is revealed, the insights will stop. Insights and anonymity are the whole reason this column exists.
It might not be too difficult with a little digging to find out who The Secret Cyclist is, but that would truly defeat the entire purpose of this book. Of course, such trifles with spelling and syntax are more of an issue with whoemver is ghost-writing and editing the thing – presumably after an explosive reveal-all phone chat or Skype session with TSP (at least, that’s what we’re meant to think). It’s funny to think that just weeks before, the question on everyone’s lips was the same: who is it?
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Spokesman James Williams said: "Collisions on the road are one of the leading causes of death in the UK. Many of these incidents could easily be prevented by driving more safely. In fact, he can tell us anything – firstly, because he’s not accountable; and secondly, because he probably doesn’t exist. I can’t say who it is but when the news breaks you’ll know who I’m talking about. If it’s true, it’s a good thing that’s [sic] he’s been found out; it shows that the biological passport is doing its job.” Professional cycling is the same as many other sports, with a lot going on behind the scenes in support of the glossy public-facing side. Although we are not normally allowed to observe this parallel life, occasionally we have little glimpses; The Secret Cyclist is unusual because it is a whole book dedicated to that aspect, and it takes the principle further than any previous book.
Now TSP is holding our attention, who’s to stop his ghost writer / creator coming out with some other brilliant nuggets next time round?
Jobst Brandt Ride Bike! by Max Leonard et al
No book like this can avoid some discussion about performance-enhancing drugs: it is indeed covered, but with a twist. The Secret Cyclist's view is that in some ways things are better than they were – but 'It's a shame that more of the dopers from my generation haven't opened up about what really happened because I think there are still some doctors and managers involved in the sport who have a lot of questions to answer'. Perhaps surprisingly, he did not include riders in that list. I've got videos of people on bikes going through red lights – I am sure a lot of cyclists could improve their behaviour." If you want to just read about doping and all the dirt that goes on behind the scenes in pro cycling, don't bother. Yes, there is plenty of that, but this book is much more than that. It's a glimpse not only at what happens in the peloton, but what happens in the mind of a rider at the top of his game. You get the sense that whoever authored this book is torn between many aspects of the sport but is also deeply in love with racing his bike. And for anyone who has ever raced their bike, it's a fantastic insight into the levels that very few achieve. He's ridden for World Tour teams for 10 years. He's achieved top 10 finishes in Grand Tours. He likes coffee. These are just a few details about the professional rider who wants you to know what the view looks like from the centre of the peloton. However, it seems that the nature of PEDs is changing, and 'perhaps my biggest concern about the young riders is how far they're willing to go to lose weight' – again with chemical assistance: 'misusing drugs to aid weight loss is the same as abusing them to increase power or stamina.'
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