Summary of Reed Albergotti & Vanessa O'Connell's Wheelmen

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Reed Albergotti & Vanessa O'Connell's Wheelmen in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: Lance Armstrong won a record-smashing seven Tours de France after staring down cancer, and in the process became an international symbol of resilience and courage. In a sport constantly dogged by blood-doping scandals, he seemed above the fray. Then, in January 2013, the legend imploded. He admitted doping during the Tours and, in an interview with Oprah, described his "mythic, perfect story" as "one big lie." But his admission raised more questions than it answered—because he didn’t say who had helped him dope or how he skillfully avoided getting caught.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Nov 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781638158950

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

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Insights on Reed Albergotti and Vanessa OConnell's Wheelmen

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 13

Insights from Chapter 14

Insights from Chapter 15

Insights from Chapter 16

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The most dangerous day of the Tour de France for the riders was the thirteenth stage, which went through the mountains of the Midi-Pyrenees. Lance Armstrong, in second place, had a five-minute gap over the third-place finisher.

#2

The American team, known as the Blue Train, consisted of four cyclists who were exceptionally talented and conditioned: Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, and José Azevedo.

#3

Floyd Landis, the Postal team’s rising star, was supposed to help Armstrong pace him up the climb, but he pushed ahead to the front to do the crucial work of keeping pace for Armstrong, who was riding in support of his teammates.

#4

After winning the 1999 Tour de France, Lance Armstrong was so sure no one could ever beat him that he didn’t bother trying. He coasted to Paris, sipping champagne on the Champs-Élysées and donning the yellow jersey of the winner.

#5

Floyd Landis, the former Armstrong teammate, was going to tell all about the USPS team's doping.

#6

As part of the investigation, Landis, the team director, explained how the team would regularly do blood transfusions on the riders, to make sure they had enough blood cells to compete.

#7

The author, a business reporter for The Wall Street Journal, met with representatives of the US Anti-Doping Agency to discuss the Floyd Landis scandal.

#8

Landis’s story was full of holes, but the USADA had to admit that he was their only credible witness. They couldn’t risk letting him testify alone, so they had to bring in other people to back him up.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

In the late 1970s, a tuberculosis diagnosis ended the promising cycling career of Eddie Borysewicz. He began working on his PhD, and became a well-known professor at the Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw.

#2

While in New York, Borysewicz ran into a former Polish teammate, who was now living in New Jersey. He stayed with him for a few months, doing odd jobs