Sean Yates: It’s All About the Bike

John  Mx

Review of Sean Yates: It’s All About the Bike: My Autobiography

You may be disappointed if you hoped that Sean Yates: It’s All About The Bike: My Autobiography would be an explosive drug related expose from a respected insider of the pro-peloton. Rather from the start Sean Yates makes it perfectly clear that his book is about the bike (his career) and not so much about the rotten side of cycling. Sean Yates remains, unlike so many, on good terms with cycling pariah Johan Bruyneel, who now lives in London. Sean doesn’t damn Lance Armstrong either and elects not to take easy swipes at the fallen champion.

Away from the ‘elephant in the room’ Sean Yates offers us in ‘It’s All About the Bike’ a colourful and insightful tales of tactics, races run, stars and fellow super domestiques.

The biggest revelation in the book (it certainly grabbed the headlines) is that Bradley Wiggins was all set and packed ready to leave the 2012 Tour de France after team mate Chris Froome’s infamous attack. It took Dave Brailsford to turn round and return to the hotel to convince him to continue and ‘fulfill his destiny’.

Another modern recollection is when as SKY’s director sportif, again during the 2012 Tour, he says that he feels that he may have mishandled Mark Cavendish and thus provides us with real insight into the world of the DS.

Sean Yates firmly tells his story his way and includes the issues associated with being a top line professional – Such as being away for large periods of time from family and the pressures this can bring.

Some may rightly question Sean Yates’ unwillingness to speak more about Lance Armstrong, especially after the explosive books by Floyd Landis, Tyler Hamilton and David Walsh. Nonetheless, Sean Yates’ book is well worth reading as it features excellent stories and insightful personal experience that we can all learn from.

About Sean Yates

Sean Yates is one of only five Britons to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. He turned professional at the age of 22, he soon became known as a die-hard domestique, putting his body on the line for his teammates. Devastatingly fast, powerful and a fearless competitor, Yates won a stage of the Tour, as well as the Vuelta a España, in 1988 went on to don the coveted Maillot Jaune.

After he retired from the professional peloton Yates became a directeur sportif, eventually working at Team Sky. Yates was the man who oversaw Team Sky in 2012, when Bradley Wiggins became the first Britain to win the Tour.

Bantam Press
Hardback £18.99
12th September 2013

Bantam (Random House) Website