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life in the peloton - mitch docker with tom southam. bluetrain publishing softback. 240pp illus.

life in the peloton - mitch docker/tom southam

having watched pretty much every stage of the giro d'italia this year, though many aspire to the life of a professional cyclist, personally, i'm rather glad that a) i'm too old, and b) i never had the ability even to turn amateur. aside from the endless travel, even between stages in a single grand tour, there's the demanding need to ride a bicycle very fast, even when every sinew points to doing precisely the opposite. in other words, though the plaudits to be gained for the successful are undoubtedly worth striving for, in short, it just seems like far too much work.

despite having written thewashingmachinepost for a large portion of my hebridean life, i'm still largely uncomprehending of the means of progression from the amateur milieu, to that of the professional ranks. having witnessed at first hand, the speeds at which the professionals ride, and still have breath left for polite conversation, i simply cannot fathom how one gets from slow to (that) fast in a matter of a few years. even in the times that i have valiantly attempted to follow prescribed training programmes (if a tad half-heartedly), the speed at which i reached the village signpost at bruichladdich was really no greater than previously achieved.

there have been many books written and published, augmented by the occasional podcast or youtube video, providing an insight into the life of a professional, which, superficially at least, informs those with such pretensions, whether it's a lifestyle that might appeal. in truth, that's probably the only means of learning; i doubt that representatives from team ineos (for example) ever turn up at a careers day presentation at islay high school, keen to recruit as many of the quicker pupils as they can.

the career of australian former professional rider, mitch docker, stretched from 2006 to 2021, beginning his career with drapac-porsche and ending with jonathan vaughters' ef education first. though his sole major victory is confined to being a member of the winning team time-trial in the 2014 giro d'italia, his experience as a rider brought him a string of impressive results including 6th in the 2011 gent-wevelgem and 9th in the 2017 edition of dwars door vlaanderen. aside from that, a 15 year professional career qualifies him as a font of all knowledge when it comes to understanding how the peloton works, and how to work in the peloton.

"Throughout my racing career, I was always learning, and asking questions - to better myself and to learn. [...] Maybe this book helps you master and understand racing and life as a pro, or maybe it just opens the door for you as a fan to know that little bit more."

to do that, the book has been thoughtfully divided into relevant sections, the first of which is entitled 'into the peloton', but enticingly subtitled 'how to get a pro contract'. that which follows, and this applies to each and every chapter, is a bit like having a conversation with your big brother; condescension is entirely missing in action. granted, the author's potential entry into the pro ranks was hardly the path available to many. ag2r rider, simon gerrans found an aspirant mitch docker a place in a french amateur team, an opportunity answered with "thanks, but no thanks."

docker opted to remain in melbourne and race as an amateur with the drapac team. "...I had a plan in place and confidence in the people around me who I believed could get me there, my way." perhaps little surprise, therefore, that chapter two is headed, 'How to get a team interested'.

part of docker's progress towards becoming a full professional involved a period as a stagiaire, once again benefitting from the aforementioned simon gerrans and the ag2r team. should this prove a pragmatic means of achieving a contract for the intrepid reader, docker lists a series of top tips for those who might find themselves in a similar situation. the second of these - "Keep your mouth shut as much as possible" - must have been hard to obey for a self-confessed "...bit of a talker". but just to keep it real, undermining any delusions of grandeur we may have regarding the cycling vocation, the author advises "Don't fart in the lift."

unlike the majority of career paths, where there is usually an imposed cunning plan, that of the cyclist rarely runs true. "It's a common misconception that a pro cyclist receives their race programme on a PDF in January and, with it set in stone, can go away and design a pathway to their goals (or even try to plan something social, like a wedding). perhaps a pertinent example might be that of visma lease-a-bike, who had expected to field wout van aert as team leader for this year's giro. his accident in the e3 harelbeke earlier this year put paid to that, meaning that christophe la porte, not oriinally pencilled in for the giro, had to cancel any plans he might have had.

the author proceeds to provide, as far as is possible, a manual for both the neo pro and those still climbing the ladder towards that ultimate ambition, highlighting the cobbled classics, mastering your craft, and, with luck, the grand tours. and he doesn't shy away from some of the more arcane skills required by the professional rider, such as the bane of many: the echelon. "A lot of riders will wait to start rotating at the front of the peloton, trying to save energy until it really counts. The reality is that you need to start riding the moment before the wind hits." he also records that it's important to have friends in the echelon; probably something that it's better to have achieved, prior to becoming involved in your first echelon.

mitch docker has undoubtedly learned a great deal during the course of his career as a professional cyclist, something that he has scarcely left behind him; this book is a literary extension of his 'life in the peloton' podcast. it transpires that he might just be the ideal rider to have penned this book (with assistance from the irrepressible tom southam). not everyone considered to be a "...bit of a talker" has the ability to translate their acknowledged verbosity into the printed word. in this, mr docker has succeeded, and then some. i gained the impression that, were i ever to meet the author in debbie's of a saturday lunchtime, not only would we hit it off admirably, but the ensuing conversation would feel like a continuation of one that actually never happened.

as to the presentation of the book, guy and taz at bluetrain have never been shy in bucking the trend. from the book's colourful overall design (leo field), to the well-judged typography, illustrations by one of the uk's top illustrators (ste johnson), and images (keith george), 'life in the peloton' is as chatty to look at as it is to read. though i am, of necessity, a quick reader, i completed the 240 pages across two evenings; it really is that compulsive. whether a career as a professional cyclist is a box you need to tick, or whether you, like me, harbour an inquisitive streak as to the machinations within the peloton, you will turn the last page a far better informed individual than you were when you started.

of course, fifteen years as a professional rider, travelling hither and thither, not always as per the original schedule, and having to exert far more energy in the process than the average office worker would expend in a lifetime, is bound to have repercussions. but there is a happy ending.

"When you lose that love for racing - as I eventually did - you start to wonder if you've also lost your love for cycling.
"Stepping away from the sport slowly has reconnected me to the love of riding a bike."

life in the peloton by mitch docker and tom southam is available from monday 27 may excusively from maap.com

sunday 26 may 2024