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Bloody Minded
- My Life in Cycling
- Narrated by: Joshua Riley
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
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Bloody Minded
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Summary
IMAGINE COMPETING IN THE WORLD'S MOST BRUTAL CYCLE RACES, KNOWING THAT A CRASH COULD BE FATAL
Alex Dowsett is one of Britain's greatest cyclists. He has ridden Grand Tours and Classics for elite teams including Sky and Movistar and broke the iconic World Hour Record – the ultimate time trial challenge. With humour, insight and honesty, Alex recounts his years as a pro-cyclist and the challenges he has faced in his struggle to reach the top.
Alex has achieved all this despite being the only top sportsperson in the world with haemophilia A. He describes how the condition – in which falls can be fatal – both blighted his young sporting life, and boosted his determination to succeed. Every professional cyclist requires courage, but Alex takes fearlessness to another level in a sport where injury and suffering are a given. With an all-star cycling cast, including Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish and Lance Armstrong, this pulsating book lifts the lid on life in the peloton at the world’s top level. From his highs – including Giro d’Italia stage victories – to his frustrations at the injustices he faced in the sport, Alex's memoir perfectly chronicles a career in which he was driven equally by love and rage.
Combining Alex's personal triumphs with his unique take on being part of the golden age of British cycling, this is an unmissable tale of sporting endeavour.
Critic reviews
'A fascinating insight into the mindset of an elite sportsman who overcame great odds to reach the very top' Simon Brotherton
'The humblest super-talent in the peloton, proving nice guys can win. A wonderful book' Carlton Kirby
'An inspiration for anyone who wants to do whatever they’re told they can’t.' Michael Hutchinson
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What listeners say about Bloody Minded
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 18-10-23
Refreshingly honest
A refreshingly honest depiction of a fascinating life and career in professional cycling, a thoroughly recommended read
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul Dixon
- 04-10-23
Honest and extremely heartfelt
Best and most honest cycling biography I’ve read. But what is more special is his story and triumph over his adversity and what special parents he has. Also brings home the importance of education and role models for every one in life. Best wishes to Alex and all his amazingly supportive family
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael Kilbride
- 01-01-24
Best Cycling Biography in Years
There is an engaging and absorbing story that sits at the heart of Dowsett's cycling journey, his haemophilia.
But this is much more than his story on overcoming this huge hurdle and become a world class cyclist, it is also just a really honest exploration of cycling, including some of the darker elements. He does not hold back on his views, and he will have upset a few with his honesty, however, this honesty makes this an extremely good book.
I have read or listened to most of the major cycling biographies written in the last 20 or so years and this sits right at the top of the pile. It is not a boring detailed narrative of race after race but a story of how he traversed that life as a thoughtful human with complicated burdens.
An excellent book, a highly recommend it.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 06-04-24
Insightful and honest
Loved the story, very honest . Not so keen on the narrator’s voice and style though!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- John Sergeant
- 17-01-24
Fanny
Comes across as a posh cry-baby. It’s a lot of wallowing in self-pity about his condition, his mrs, his treatment by teams and team mates. Oh and that Cav didn’t want to talk to him sometimes. Mummsy!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- ian j banks
- 15-12-23
The importance of family
Loved this book, Alex gives a very frank and honest side of the story about professional cycling. It’s a story off success, failure and the constant struggle to stay an elite athlete. Not just for hard nose cyclists, it’s a story that will appeal to all sports enthusiasts and people who enjoy a story of human endeavour and the bond of a strong family.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- A. Jones
- 06-10-23
Great insight
Great insight to Alex’s life struggles as the only professional sports start with haemophilia. This was a very humbling life story hearing the struggles that a young haemophiliac have to deal with was very touching and brought a tear to my eye on a few occasions.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- B J.
- 21-10-23
A Brutally Honest and Emotional Read
This book was written from the heart. From the start this books grabs you and continues to impress from start to finish. A wonderful insight into the life of a professional cyclist.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 30-09-23
Suberb
Loved every minute. If only Alex himself would have read the audio book it would be even better.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- lynn madeley
- 04-10-23
Romped through it
Loved it - though I did get a bit twitchy with the not very well disguised dislike of ISUN. I know it was honest but felt a tad wingey.
There are some real insights in here about how young people coming into sport see the world and how the world sees them. And it’s open about the sacrifice that needs to be made.
Also, again, insightful about dealing with chronic medical conditions (let’s not call them diseases) and how that affects self and family and how vital finding identity (through sport) cqn be.
Read it. It’s good!
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