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American Pro: The True Story of Bike Racing in America
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About American Pro: The True Story Of Bike Racing In
Product Description American cycling has a long tradition of riding and racing on a shoestring and a prayer. Jamie Smith explores the domestic side of the world’s biggest amateur sport in American Pro: The True Story of Bike Racing in America. American Pro rips away the thin veneer of professionalism among domestic racing teams to lay bare the heart and soul of a struggling sport. Smith traces the arc of one team’s racing career to discover colorful personalities, scrappy racing action, humor and heartbreak. American Pro shows what the sport demands: the scramble for contracts, the dynamics of team chemistry, the unending travel, the Herculean struggle to realize the dream―all for the love of bike racing. With sharp humor and insight, Smith uncovers what’s wrong―and what’s right―with America’s broken bike racing system. American Pro will transform how you think of domestic pro racing through a five-season exposé of the sport we love. Review “Many cyclists start out whipping around city streets in small towns dreaming of making it big―it’s how I started racing. American Pro details the heart, dedication, and sacrifice that one team’s staff and riders go through trying to make it.” ―FRANKIE ANDREU, former pro cyclist and OlympianSelected Praise for ROADIE by Jamie Smith and Jef Mallet“Everything you’ve wanted to know (and more) about a somewhat mysterious sport.” ― Chicago Tribune“This witty primer offers lively insights…Get it for family members and friends.” ― Denver Post“We should be very grateful for this epiphany; members of my family had to ask me to stop laughing so much while I was enjoying ROADIE!” ― The Washing Machine Post“You will recognize yourself…in this gently amusing and well written book.” ― ArriveeSelected Praise for READING THE RACE by Jamie Smith with Chris Horner“A practical manual for those who want to learn the tricks of the trade.” ― Podium Café “Reading the Race outlines the key mechanics of reading a race and, more importantly, how to win.” ― Road Bike Review From the Back Cover THE TRUE STORY OF PRO BIKE RACING in America exists a world away from the glamour of July’s Tour de France. Life on the road is rough, the pay is low or nonexistent, and the schedule is relentless, yet many of these riders willingly endure the hardship for a shot at cycling’s big leagues. American Pro follows one fledgling American team on its rise through the development ranks. Crisscrossing the country on a quest for the next great race, this ragtag tribe of bike racers is born out of the unlikely financial support of a large pharmaceutical company. Still, they are fully reliant on the kindness of strangers they meet along the way and the support of a dedicated community that keeps the cycling scene spinning.From short, fast-paced criteriums to long, grueling road races, American Pro doles out five seasons of podium finishes, narrow losses, harrowing crashes, and inspiring wins. The team managers steadily build their team from 8 riders to 16, often beating out better-funded teams with young talent or sheer grit. In a cruel twist of fate, just as they hit their apex, the team runs up against its most formidable opponent: sponsorship. With good humor, compelling storytelling, and scrappy racing commentary, race announcer and cycling insider Jamie Smith humanizes the difficulties facing a team at the development level. More than just a survival story, American Pro is a celebration of big dreams and fat chances, all for the love of bike racing.“Many cyclists start out whipping around city streets in small towns dreaming of making it big―it’s how I started racing. American Pro details the heart, dedication, and sacrifice that one team’s staff and riders go through trying to make it.” ―FRANKIE ANDREU, former pro cyclist and Olympian About the Author Jamie Smith is a veteran bike racer, bike race announcer, and author of Roadie, Reading the Race, and American Pro. He has been a bike racer since 19
